The San Francisco call., 1906-11-11
HILL s Plea: FREE
CANADIAN TRADE.
Railroad Magnate Declares
for Removal of Tariff
Oh Dominion's Products
RECIPROCITY NEEDED

CHICAGO, Nov. 10.-James j. Hill
was the guest of honor at the banquet
I of the Merchants Club tonight and de-
4 livered an extended address upon Chi
cago's Interest in Reciprocity With
! Canada" He said:
Today the entire country is suffer
ing from want of transportation facili-
/ ties to move its business without un-
! reasonable delay. The prevailing idea
with the public is that the railways
are short of cars, while the facts are
/ that the shortage is in tracks and ter
/ minals TO provide a greater opportuni-
1 ~ for the movement of the cars
| He declared that the country today
! faced a transportation problem which
/ only time, patience and the expendi
ture of enormous sums of money
would remedy. He asserted that there
was crying need now for the con-
struction of fifteen-foot canal be-
tween st. Louis and New Orleans and
said that the necessity for this would
increase with time. There was no more
! important general work for the Gov
ernment to perform, he said, than 20
! construct a canal capable of carrying
vessels of fifteen feet draft.
Hill recited figures showing that the
trade with the people whom the
United States would be able to reach
by the construction of the Panama
Sdl4di dllOuulcQ 10 Ouly ABOUT SO4,uUU,
600 annually, while the United States
trade with Canada was more than $780,
100000 per- annum. He asserted that
the conservation and increase OF this
trade was of greater Importance than
anything that would accrue to the
United States through the construction
Of the Panama canal.
FAvORS RECIPROCITY.
Concerning reciprocity with Canada
Hill said:
The plea for more liberal trade rela-
tions is negatived only by the unrea-
soning selfishness of individuals The
conclusive argument for reciprocity
with Canada always has been and must
be the experience of the several Amer
can States. Had 1t not been prohibited
by the constitution each State of the
Union would have levied a duty on all
commerce crossing its borders. Yet all
tor In the development of the United
States has been the commercial elimi-
nation of State lines. Unrestricted
trade between the States has favored
Whatever commercial policy confers
the greatest benefits upon the whole
continent will best advance the various
parts. and Chicago would receive and
confer inestirhable profits under a more
| liberal trade convention. Canada will
in any event and under any system
be opened UP and highly developed.
/ w OuIQ IL luGIl Dc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 1OT
US to share in the products Of the
! fields of Manitoba, Alberta and Sas-
katchewan?
FREE TRADE ARGUMENT.
The manufacturing interests of both
countries are the first to raise alarm,
but there is no danger here. We have
as much reason to dread Canadian
competition as Pennsylvania has to
cry for protection against North Da-
kota. Canada would be no more in
| danger than is Montana by the COM
petition of Ohio.
The time is opportune for a practical
| movement toward better trade with
| Canada. There has been increasing ir-
ritation toward our attitude. and al
ready the fact that our average tariff
| of Canada against the United States
reprisals.
! In closing Hill said:
| What is the first practical step? The
| consummation most to be wished for
is the wiping out of custom houses
along the northern frontier and the
establishment there of absolute free
4 trade. If the time is not ripe for that
| the least that it demands is ample reci-
procity There cannot be a beginning
4 until we have fixed in our minds the
desirability of a free interchange OF
! natural products and raw materials
/ giving to the New England manufac-
! turer his fuel and to the farmer of the
/ Western plains his lumber and to the
Il makers OF books and newspapers ev-
i erywhere their printing paper free
from the exactions which a needless
tariff now permits monopoly to impose