The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-09-12
WHAT TARIFFS DO.
Canada Complains Because Her Com
merce Is Excluded from Australia by
Discrimination.

Canada Complains Because Her Com
merce Is Excluded from Australia by
Discrimination.
The tariff discrimination that has
been declared against us by the com
monwealth Of Australia il much to be
regretted. Australia il d splendid mar
ket, aud ON business with that portion
of the empire has been growing IN re-
cent years We have sent goods there
to value as high as $2.o00,000 ii a
twclvemonth, and the outlook for even
better things has been excellent. Now
the commonwealth, in IFS new tariff,
places Us on a high schedule, and our
business is in danger Of being largely
reduced, II not altogether wiped out.
Not 50 long since bIHnder by The
finance minister and the minister III ag-
riculture resulted in our exclusion By
tariff from the market iof Japan That
mistake has been remedied through the
intervention Of the home government.
But another error which has brought d
heavy discrimination against Us in Ger
many is still bearing fruit. We cannot
empire owning to heavy levies that are
made upon them. AL the same time the
United States has favored treatment
there, and is doing a rushing business.
The farmers and the fruit growers oil
the republic have practically the monop-
oily ~ the German market Hi the case
of Germany, and IN that Of Australia
the situation 50 injurious to cur trade
has been produced BY the act Of our
own government
When the preferential tariff for Great
Britain was under contemplation the
proper course to pursue was the mcgee
tiation Of a treaty with Germany IN
advance If action BIZ us. That III to say,
III would have been wise Ia have pre-
pared for the new movement BY ar
engagements with the other countries,
German among them, with which we
had treaty obligations that were To he
affected by the change. Instead al Ell
tering into negotiations with Germany,
our government simply broke the exist
ing treaty, and left il TO the imperial
government TO patch up the difficulty.
Germany responded by placing als on d
higher tariff basis. Then the Ottawa
politicians retaliated, Whereupon the
German empire replied again, and ruled
our products out altogether The stir,
alton, insofar as Germany il concerned,
Ii the result of bad management lit this
end Of the dispute The Ottawa gov
eminent should have negotiated new
treaty before entering into tho prefer
ential policy; or, having failed III that
regard, il ought tn have dealt with the
question automatically, offering argu.
ments to show, FIRST, that We are justi.
fled in fayoring our own empire. and,
secondly that we make no discrimina-
tion against countries that are not 1T
the British empire. III wise course had
been followed the question with Ger.
many would have been speedily set
tied.
In the Australian case, our govern
ment has been inviting discrimination
by its treatment of the commonwealth.
While A tariff favor has been given to
many British possessions, Australia has
been excluded, although that part Of
the empire Il a very good customer Of
ours. The exclusion has ranked, and
now we have. the result. In their tariff
making the Australians give MS taste
NJ retaliation. The folly IF the OF
tawa politicians II gradually closing
markets against Us. II is not the prin-
eiple Of British tariff preference that
brings about this deplorabe situation,
but the unwise and undiplomatic way
in which 1t Il carried out. Toronto.
Ont, Mail and Empire.