New-York tribune., 1905-12-18
WANT RECIPROCITY.
Canadian Farmers Ask Closer Trade
Relations acith United States.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]


Washington, Dec. 17-United States Consul Int,
Of Chatham. Ontario. makes the following report
of the hearings that were held before the
tariff commission there, from which it appears that
the agrculturists generally opposed TO any in
crease in existing rates of duty on manufactured
products, and that there is considerable sentiment
among this class for reciprocity with the United
States. The consul writes:
The demands of the Canadian manufacturers for
higher protective duties, which marked the resump-
tion of the Canadian tariff commissions hearings
Montreal and Toronto during the early part OF
November have brought forth an altogether u1e4e
peced protest from the farmers of the Province OF
any protection is almost universal SO 1ar as @ tne
agricultural interests are concerned. the tobacco
been presented in remarkably able manner. 1t was
first heard the closing sessions of the hearings
Toronto. and has been the dominant note at
every point where the commission has sat since
cially at London. Hamilton. Windsor and Chatham;
Nowhere has the demand for reduction of tariff
forcbly presented than at Chatham The repre-
commission and by resolutions and oral arguments
protested against rebates or bonuses for any COM
modities They claimed that what they really de-
recognizing that this was impossible they strongly
farmers of Ontario they said, could compete openly
Referring to special products, they argued that
the farmers in the bean section were now prac-
~ ~ isol u ola t uttS
vegetables they expressed the same opinion. They
dement's wire fencing and bndeT fSipe Here as
well elsewhere the representatives of the agri-
cultural industries have argued that under present
on the better farms to make much more than a
fair living that it is impossible for those less fortu
the tariff as it stands does little nothing for
them, while it imposes them quite heavy bur-
dens; that to make the tariff protective would
be to make 1t moro burdensome without making 1t
more helpful, and that what they need is lower
duties, freer trade and extension of the market
dI1ei in a lar To he
demands OF the nlanqfacturers of agricultural i'm
arguments of the farmers in reply makes it clear
that what they really want is reciprocity with the
ural implements, which declared third better
Canadian make. They want free wire fencing, free
binder twine. and, more than that, they want the
Practically the only exceptions were the growers OF
ppofecton: but in regard TO- the latter ndnsfry the
commission was overwhelmed by the testimony OF
most profitable crop they could grow on their
farms frank shaw OF Chatnam claimed to to nave n
of Alvinston said he would net $500 fifty acres
ss4 on twenfyfonr acres While W J. Dawson laid
claim TO crop of sixteen and one7half tons to the
list 1t is worthy of note in this connection that
this district this year are being exported to the
United States, most of them to the sugar factory
James fnnes. Of the Sutherland Innes Cooperage
eight cooperage men owing to there being no ex-
port duty from Canada the manutacturers OF the
could do here He urged 10 per cent duty: equlVa-
lent to the United States duty placed on imported
slaves. There seventy-four manufacturers,
employing five thousand men. The duty would would in.
crease value of the farmers lumber, while II
would not raise the price of apple barrels.
" H Stevens appeared for the cornneal mi!ers
Practically they had protection as the dlIer-
ence OF freight rates to Windsor was equal to the
duty of 25 per cent, and result the United
states manufacturers competed keenly- his output
was once six hundred barrels, but was cut down TO
three hundred, while they did not run on the aver
age of more than one-quarter the time II they ran
more regularly they would run more cheaply, ana
ssias vyoud be correspondingly low in price
Caleb Williams appeared at the request or nun IN
5reds Of householders. who he said, are feeling the
effects of American control of the fisheries The he
Anericaps after fishing out their own waters py
aas+eneibIv hut not really complying with the laws;
were getting hold of all the FISH in the county ana ana
ovIorfine them to the United States, While the
nepnie in this country had not fish to eat. For
Pser5,, fhe price was reasonable, now II was pro-
ititrr LStitS He urged an export duty fish Bass.
NE snortsnan's fsh. could not be exported but th
liIe 1an'e FISH was exported, and to-day he cannot
Ppof anv once the fishermen worked independenIy;
get an3r I3r the fish comuanies leased the grounds
k buC HfS the Ontario government and the fishermen
had to work for them