Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-28
BUILDING UP CANADA
Indifferent to Reciprocity
With This Country.
VISITTO THE CAPITAL
CUSTOMS OF THE DOMINION PAR
LAMENT.
Picturesque Situation of Ottawa--Re-
garded as the Washington Of the
North-Its Characteristics.
A VISITTO THE CAPITAL
Special From STAFF Correspondent.

Sir Wilfrid Iaurier, .he Canadian pre-
mier, and his council have practically aban-
doned all idea of commercial reciprocity be-
tween Canada and the United States, and,
in fact, are devoting themselves entirely to
plans for upbuilding Canada's Industrial
prosperity regardless of the attitude of the
United States. The argument which the
Canadians make In support Of their tndiner-
ence to reciprocity is that Canada does not
need it now. The time has passed. they
say, when reciprocal trade relations might
have benefited the dominion. Canada Is
now able to paddle her own canoe without
a helping hand.
American manufacturers have also real
lied the hopelessness of more favorable
tariff relations between the two gov
ernments and are dealing with the situation
in another way They are building plants
in Canada to manufacture American goods,
using Canadian labor and avoiding all tar
if duties. The harvester trust has $2OOO.-
GOO plant on this side the line; the Amer1-
can Locomotive Company has q big shop;
the Westinghouse Electric Company is
making splurge and smaller concerns are
establishing branch factories throughout
Canada
The tariff question is not agitating the
Canadians to any considerable degree at
this time. The liberal party the party in
power, favOrs moderate tariff and the
conservatives, corresponding to the Ameri.
can stand patters," demand revision of
the tariff upward, il revised at all. The
tariff Is lower than our tariff and there is
really no pronounced demand for change.
The American Invasion.
Canada is forging ahead in population at
such a rapid pace that American manu-
facturers will find 1t profitable to come
across the line, and, following the lead of
the harvester and locomotive trusts, con-
struct plants to take advantage of the grow
ing market. The. western provinces have
more than doubled in population in five
years and will increase by leaps and bounds
from now on. American capital is welcome
and Canadian anticipation in investments
may be expected.
We left Montreal in the afternoon of
June % on a long jump to the west. trav-
cling up the beautiful Ottawa river, re-
plete with associations of the early French
voyageurs. 1t was here that La Sale, with
his canoemen, padded westward, opening
the channel for the fur traders and the
adventurers to come after him. little
way out Of Montreal We pass ST. Anne de
Bellevue, and the chimes In the old
chapel that called the voyageurs to a final
mass before they started on their long jour-
ney, for this was the edge of the world,
and once out of earshot Of the sacred bells,
nought but hostile sounds would greet their
ears The noble Ottawa river stretches
away to the north a thousand miles by
canoe and portage to the watershed Of Hud-
son bay, while we bend to the westward,
bound for the pines and prairfes.
A Visit to Parliament.
The Canadian parliament is in session at
this time, and the visiting Washington cor
respondents, upon arrival here, attended
session and were received and entertained
by the officials. The visi to parliament
house was such a combination of pleasure
and business that it Is best to describe the
occasion as events occurred Undoubtedly,
every man in the party was impressed by
the stateliness of the government building
in this Ottawa which is called THE Wash
ington OF the North. Parliament house
is commanding Gothic structure, situated
on dominating eminence and flanked with
a wealth of green. The senate and house
of commons present in their interior finish
ing almost a cathedral-like effect consist
ent attention being paid in every respect to
artistic detail.
The visitors were received at o'clock
in the evening by Speaker Sutherland of
the house of commons, in his living apart
ments, which are in the parliament build
ing Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the premier, and
Mr.. r. L. Borden, the leader Of the oppo-
Americans with cordiality. Sir Wilfrid
Laurer is a man of charming personality,
gentle as a woman in demeanor and speech,
but lion In political action.
The speaker rendered the visitors coll
lation In his dining room and afterward
they were shown into his gallery while the
speaker resumed the chair. Sir Wilfrid
Laurier sits in the front row of his party's
seats and facing him is Mr.. Borden, the
opposition leader. In the Canadian house
the members of the cabinet have seat
and subject to being questioned upon
governmental affairs at any time. The
government can be compelled to answer or
else forced to evade public inquiry upon
all matters of Importance, but the question
is not subject to debate. The cabinet con-
sists OF ministers of finance, Justice, rail-
ways and canals, customs, public works,
marine and fisheries, interior, agriculture.
militia, inland revenue, postmaster general.
attorney general and secretary of state,
trade and commerce.
Customs Of Parliament.
One of the cherished customs of the
Canadian house of commons is the right of
member to sit with his hat on during the
session, and some members prefer to avail
themselves of It, Still, there is a great
deal of form and ceremony, members ad-
dressing each other always as 1.-The honor
able gentleman" The house sits from 3
in the afternoon until 6, and from 8 until
midnight or after.
The members OF the Canadian senate are
appointed by the government and hold Of
fice for life, SO 1t Is not unusual for pre-
mier to come into power with big ma
friendly senate holding on by this life ten
ure. OF course. when vacancy occurs by
death it is filled with an adherent Of the
party III power dl tu6 LlOIucut II Is u
noteworthy fact that at this time there is
no crucial issue beween the parties, the sit
uation being in somS respects analogous to
that in the United States: one party hav-
ing won by an overpowering majority and
their opponents having few points of diff
ference with them.
The only substantial difference, in fact,
is over the religious and school questions
connected with the proposed creation of
two new provinces in the northwest terri
tory. I will deal with this subject in
another letter.
The visitors from Washington spent the
greater part of the evening talking with
the Canadian parliamentarians, and fol-
lowing the session of the house, and were
then taken in charge by the Ottawa Press
Club and escorted to the house restaurant,
where another kind of session was held.
this being two In one evening. and yet
some Americans are pleased to call the
Canadians SLOW" It was a pretty swift
gait for the Washingtonians, but they never
got out of step.
Every man In the party was sorry that