Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-11
CANADA, SAYS HILL,
NEEDS FREE TRADE
Would Eliminate Commercial
Barriers on Our North.
BOUNDLEsS POSSIBILITIES
Important Speech of Railroad Nag
nate in Chicago.
ST. LOUIs-NEW ORLEANS CANAL
Says the Government Ought to Con-
struct One for Vessels of Fiji
teen-Foot Draft.
II. LOUIs-NEw ORLEANS CANAL

p CHICAGO. November 1o.-James j. Hill
was the guest of honor at the banquet of
the Merchants Club tonight AMI delivered
an extended address upon "Chicago's In
terest in Reciprocity with Canada
Mr.. Hill was introduced to his auditors by
Charles d. Norton. president of the club,
who said that Chicago in it's history had
suffered two great calamities the first be-
ing the great Chicago fire and the other
the fact that James J. Hill passed through
the city without stopping when he went
to make his home in the northwest
After outlining the commercial greatness
of Chicago and giving some of the reasons
therefor. Mr.. Hill said:
To-day the entire Country Is suffering
from want of transportation facilities to
move its business without unreasonable
delay. The prevailing idea with the public
is that the railroads are short of cars
while the facts are that the shortage is in
tracks and terminals to provide a greater
opportunity for the movement of the cars"
The speaker declared that the country
today faced transpbrta ton problem which
only time, patience and the expenditure of
enormous sums of money will remedy He
asserted that there is a crying need now
Tor the construction of a fifeen-foot canal
between st. Louis and New Orleans, and he
said the necessity for this would increase
with time. There was more important
general work for the government to per-
form, he said. than to construct a canal
capable of carrying vessels OF fifteen feet
draft.
Value Of Canadian Trade.
Mr.. Hill recited figures showing that the
trade with the people whom the United
States will be able to reach by the con-
struction of the Panama canal amounts to
only about S54, 500, 009. while our trade with
Canada is over 500, 0o0. 900 per annum He
asserted that the conservation and increase
OF thls trade is OF greater Importance than
anything that will accrue to the United
states because of the construction of the
canal
Concerning reciprocity with Canada, Mr..
Hill said: -
THE plea for more liberal trade relations
is negatived only by unrea soning individual
selhshness. The conclusive areument for
reciprocity with Canada always has been
and must be the experience of the several
American states Had 1t not been prohib-
lted oy the Constitution each state of the
Union would have levied duty on all COM
merce crossing its boundaries. Yet, all
acknowledge now that one great factor in
the developmept of the United States has
been the commercial elimination of state
lines.
Unrestricted trade between the states
has favored all OF them. Whatever com
mercfal policy confers the greatest BEN
ehts on the whole continent win best adj
vance the various parts, and this city
would receive and confer inestimable ben
efts under a more liberal trade conven-
tion Canada will in any event and under
any system be opened up and highly de-
veloped. Would it then be disadvan-
tageous for us to share in the products of
the fields of Manitoba, Alberta and Sas-
katchewan?
Parallel Of Interests.
1.-The manufacturing interests of both
countries the first to raise an alarm,
but there is no danger here. We have as
much reason to dread Canadian COMPETE
ton as Pennsylvania has to cry for protec-
ton against North Dakota. Canada
would be more in danger than is Montana
by the competition of Ohio.
The time Is opportune for a practical
movement toward better trade relations
with Canada. There was increasing irri-
tation toward our attitude. and already the
fact that our average tariff against the
dominion is 1888, while that of Canada
against the United States is 24.S3, causes
comment and suggests reprisals.''
In closing. Mr.. Hill said:
What is the first practical step? The
contamination most to be wished is the
wtping out of custom houses along the
northern frontier and the establishment
there Of absolute free trade. If the time
is not ripe for that the least that it de-
mands is ample reciprocity. There cannot
be a beginning until we have fixed in our
minds the desirabilty of a free inter-
rails giving to the New England manufac-
turer his fuel and to the farmer of the
western plains his lumber. and to the
makers of books and newspapers every
actions which a needless tariff now per-
mits monopoly to impose. From this as a
beginning work may go forward toward
larger liberty by an enlargement of
ment that reciprocity once in operation
will assure