Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-20

that while there are many schedules
in the Dingley tariff which ought to
be changed, the mere act of chang
ing might do more harm to business
than the benefit which would be de-
rived from a reduction of rates
The president has not been convinc-
ed always by these arguments, but
he Yielded to them to such extent
last year az to refrain from making
the expected arguments for tariff re-
vision in his message to congress.
Reciprocity is a safe middle
ground between standpatism and
radical tariff revision. There may
he mere 1letnoG than some people
imagine in the visit. of Secretary
Foot 10 South America, In the arri-
val of the prime minister of New
Zealand at Oyster Bay, and in the
forthooniLE Organization of COM
mission to discuss our relation with
tie doniaion of Canada. In each )f
these cases reciprocity has been and
i'll be the keynote.
Prime Minister Ward went to Oy-
ster Bay last week for the express
purpose of discussing the possibility
OF creating reciprocity tariff rela-
tions between the United States and
New Zealand. The New Zealand
premier said frankly that his parlia-
ment stood ready to make a horizon
tai reduction of 10 per cent in their
tariff on all articles coming from the
United States. This same preference
is given to Great Britain as a matter
of loyalty to the mother country.
The proposition Is significant one,
and, as 1t Is made on a horizontal
basis, II would be comparatively easy
for our congress to meet in the same
way.
Secretary Roots Mission Important.
Secretary Root has started out for
South America with the vague pur-
pose of producing closer relations
between the United States and the
republics to the south of as. Those
people are not in sympathy with
Americans SO far as language and
history are concerned. They will
deal with us when we make IL worth
their while to do so. and not other
wise. No one understands this fact
better than Secretary Root He is
to make special study of Brazi!
and Argentina, the two great pro-
gressive nations of the east coast
with which the United States has
had at times the closest relations.
New England wants cheaper hides
from Argentina. We take most all
of the Brazilian coffee crop, and 1t
would be the simplest thing in the
world To establish a reciprocity |
scheme with that country by putting |
a few cents a pound on coffee and |
then reducing the rate in considera-
tion OF a reciprocal concession from |
Brazil. Mckinley started that in the |
Dingley law, and II that salute had |
been left alone by the democratic
congress of 1894 our trade with
South America today would be far
greater than now.
IL is almost self-evident fact |
that the trip OF Secretary Root will
have as its principal result an inn
mediate and forcible suggestion for
the institution of reciprocity ar
rangements between the United
States and the South American re-
publlcs.
Relations With Canada a Problem.
When the Alaska boundary ques-
tlon was settled by the international
boundary commission, which met I'm
London, there was well defined un-
derstanding that. In view OF the re-
markable concession made by Great
Britain, which practically gave the
Ohlted states all IL contended for,
aud which, Of course, bitterly disap-
pointed the Canadians, there should
follow n new attempt TO create bet
ter trade relations between the Uni,
ted States and Canada. Sir Wnlred
Laurier and others have frequently
declared OF late that the time for re-
ciprooity has gone by yet they have
been complaining OF our tariff reru-
lations. aud II is well known fact
that II the United States should en-.
act a general reciprocity law this
country would be given the benefit
almost without hesitation. by Can.
ada OF the preferential tarin.
Reciprocity with Canada is lneyi-
table II We want Il, A special com.
mission Is about 10 proceed TO study