The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-11-17
OTHER Things FIRST WANTS RECIPROCITY
]. ]. HILL FAVORS FREE TRADE.
WITH CANADA.
Claims 1t Would Benefit Both
Nations Just as Much as Re-
ciprocity Among States--Free
Raw Material as First Practical
Step Toward Free Trade.

=
Chicago, Nov. Thames J. Hill
was the guest of honor at the BANQUET
OF the Merchants Club Saturday night
and delivered an extended address
upon "Chicago's Interest in Reciproc-
ity With Canada Mr.. Hill said in
part:
To-day the entire country is suffer-
ing from want of transportation facil.
tiles to move the 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 greater opportunity
for the movement of cars"
The speaker declared that the coun.
try today facted a transportation prob
lem which only time, patience and the
expenditure of enormous Sums of mon.
ey will remedy. He asserted that there
is crying need now for-the construc-
tion of a fifteen-foot channel between
st. Louis and New Orleans, and he
said that the necessity for this would
increase with time. There was no
more important general work for the
government to perform, he said than
to construct channel capable of car
rying vessels of fifteen feet draft.
Great Trade With Canada
Mr.. Hill recited figures showing that
the trade with the people whom the
United States will be able to reach
by the construction Of the Panama
canal amounts only at present to about
$54 900, 900 annually. while the United
States trade with Canada is over 5000,
OOO, 900 pc annum. He asserted that
the conservation and increase of this
trade is of greater Importance than
anything that will accrue to the Unit
ed States because OF the construction
of the canal. Concerning reciprocity
with Canada, Mr.. Hill said:
1.-THE plea for more liberal trade re-
lations is negatived only by the unrea-
soning sslfishness of individuals. The
conclusive argument for reciprocity
with Canada always has been and
must be the experience of the several
American states. Had it not been pro-
hibited by the constitution, each state
of the Union would have levied duty
on all commerce crossing it's borders.
Yet all acknowledge that the one
great factor IN the deelopment of the
| United States has been the CONNER
cial elimination of the state lines.
| UNI estricted trade between the states
has favored all of them.
Canada's Future Assured
whatever commercial policy con-
fers the greatest benefits on the whole
continent will best advance the vari-
GUS parts, aud Chicago would receive
inestima BILE profits under a more lib
eral trade conention. Canada will in
any event, and under any system, be
opened up and highly deeloped. Would
it then be disadvantageous for us to
share in the products of the fields of
Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan?
"The manufacturing interests of
both countries are the first to raise
the alarm, but there is no danger here.
| We have as much reason to dread
Canadian competition as has Pennsyl-
vania to cry for protection against
North Dakota. Canada would be NO
more in danger than is Montana by
the competition of Ohio
1.-THE time is opportune for prac-
tical movement toward better trade re-
lations with Canada. There has been
increasing irritation toward our atti-
tude. and al ready the fact that our
average tariff against the Dominion Is
49.8 while that of Canada against
the United States is "a. SO causes COM
ment and suggests reprisals.
Contamination He Desires
In closing Mr.. Hill said:
.sWhat is the first practical stepi
The consummation most to be desired
| is the wiping out of custom houses
along the northern fronIier and the
establishment thereon of absolute
free trade. II the time is not ripe fo1
that, the least that it demands is am
ple reciprocity. There cannot be q
beginning until we have fixed our
minds on the desirability of free in
lterchange of natural products and raw
materials, giving to the New England
manufacturer his fuel, and to the far
mer of the Western plains his lumber
and to the makers of books and news.
papers everywhere their print paper
/ free from the exactions which a need.
less tariff now permits monopoly to
Impose. From this as beginning,
the work may go Harvard toward lar
ger liberty by the enlargement OF mar
kets and a progress OF public senti'
ment that reciprocity once in opera
tion will assure.