The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-10-27
Missed an Opportunity.

In connection with what The Free
Press had to say yesterday relative to
reciprocity with Canada and the build
ing up of the manufacturing plants in
that country, the following from the
pen of William E. Curtis might be of
interest. The letter is dated Montreal.
Oct. ID:
Oca. a.
"The congress of the United States
has made great mistake in resisting
the reciprocity policy of the admins
tration toward Canada, for it thereby
might have secured control of the mar
kets of the Dominion for American agri-
cultural implements and machinery, iron
and steel of all sorts, electrical and
steam machinery, textiles, boots and
shoes and other wearing apparel, and
long list of other manufactured goods, in
exchange for wheat and few other ag-
ricultural products of the Dominion No
reciprocity treaty is possible now, how
ever. That water has passed over the
dam. The opportunity is lost, and, al
though we still command the Canadian
markets, because of our geographical adj
vantages and the habit our manufacture
ers have acquired of dumping their sur
plus products on this side of the bor-
der, the development of mechanical in
dustries has been quite rapid over here.
Last year the value of the output of
Canadian factories exceeded $65OO00,-
600, and they employed more than $780,
600 men. The increase in the output
for the year was very large-larger
than ever beforehand it will continue
to grow under the encouragement of the
government, which has wisely eliminat
ed the tariff from politics and made it
a national policy instead of a party is
sue. While it cannot be said that the
people of Canada agree, any more than
those of the United States, upon the
rates of duty that should be charged
upon certain articles, and while the tar
iff is local issue here as much as it is
there, almost everybody appears to be
protectionist, and the opposition to
reciprocity with the United States is
becoming active and general. Eight
years ago, when 1 was in Canada last,
public sentiment was almost unani-
nous on the other side of the ques-
ton. Nearly everybody except few
struggling manufacturers were in favor
of getting as near free trade as possible
with the United States, and Mr.. Laur-
Ter, the prime minister, talked of com
mercial annexation
"When the high joint commission met,
in the early part of the Mckinley adj
ministration, there was an understand
ing between the prime minister of Can
ada and the President of the United
States that it would conclude a reel
procity treaty under which few custom
HOUSES WOulu NC utCeoSdIy OH our
border. But the violent opposition of
the lumbermen of the west, the wheat
growers of Minnesota and the Dako-
tas, the fishermen of Massachusetts, and
the farmers of New York, Maine and
other border states made such negotia-
lions impossible, and the high jointers
could only exchange regrets. Since then
there has been a great change in the
material conditions of Canada, which
has so affected public sentiment that the
OPPOSITION to a reciprocity treaty from
the Canadian side will be even stronger
than in the United States.
"Three years ago the manufacturers
of Canada formed themselves into an