Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-11-17
FOR RECIPROCITY
Railway Magnate Favors Free
Trade With Canada.
CRYING NEED FOR A GREAT CANAL
Success of Interstate Trade Proves
BENEFIT That Would Follow Tear
ing Down of Customs Houses
All Along Frontier.


CHICAGO, Nov. IL -. j. Hill was
fahs guest OF honor at the banquet Of
the Merchants club and delivered an
extended address upon "Chicago's In
tsrest In Reciprocity With Canada"
Mr.. Hill was introduced to his audi
tors by Charles ID. Norton, president
of the club, who said that Chicago in
its history had suffered two great ca
families, the first being the great Chi
eago fire and the other the fact that
James J. Hill passed through the city
without stopping when he went to
make bis home in the northwest.
After outlining the commercial great
ness of Chicago and giving some Of the
reasons therefor, Mr.. Hill said:
To-day the entire country is suffer
ing from want of transportation facili-
ties to move its business without UNI
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
terminals to provide a greater oppor-
tunity for the movement of the cars"
The speaker declared that the coun-
try today faced transportation prob
lem which only time. patience and the
expenditure of enormous sums OF mon
ey will remedy. He asserted that there
10 n crying need now for the construc-
tion of fifteen foot channel between
St Louis and New Orleans, and he said
that the necessity for this would in
crease with time. There was no more
important general work for the gov
ernment to perform, he said, than to
construct canal capable of carrying
vessels of fifteen feet draft.
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 to only about $54, SOC, 900 an
nually, while our trade with Canada is
over S20O,0o000o per annum. He as
serted that the conservation and In
erease OF this trade is of greater i'm
portance than anything that will ac-
crue to the United States because of
the construction OF the canal.
Concerning reciprocity with Cana
IA, Mr.. Hill said:
1.-The plea for more liberal trade re-
lations is negatived only by unreason-
Ing individual selfishness. The con-
elusive argument for reciprocity with
Canada always has been and must be
the experience of the several American
states. Had it not been prohibited by
the constitution each state of the I'm
ion would have levied duty on all
commerce crossing its boundaries. Yet
sil acknowledge now that one great
factor in the development of the Unit
cd States has been the commercial
ID trade between the states has favor
I'd all of them.
"Whatever commercial policy con-
fsrs the greatest benefits on the whole
continent will best advance the various
parts, and this city would receive and
confer inestimable benefits under a
more liberal trade convention. Canada
will In any event and under any sys-
tenn be opened up and highly devel-
eped. Would it then be disadvanta-
geous for us to share in the products OF
the fields of Manitoba, Alberta and
Saskatchewan?
1.-THE manufacturing interests OF both
countries are the first to raise an
alarm, but there is no danger here We
have as much reason to dread Cana
dian competition as Pennsylvania has
to cry for protection against North Da-
kota. Canada would be no more in
danger than is Montana by the compe-
tition of Ohio.
1.-The time is opportune for practi-
cal movement toward better trade re-
iations with Canada. There has been
increasing irrtations toward our atti-
tude, and already the fact that our av-
erage 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
consummation most to be wished is the
wiping out of customs houses along
the northern frontier and the establish
ment thereof of absolute free trade. If
the time Is not ripe for that the least
that it demands is ample reciprocity
There cannot be a beginning until we
have fixed in our minds the desirable
ity of a free interchange of natural
products and raw materials, giving to
the New England manufacturer his
fuel and to the farmer of the western
plains his lumber and TO the makers of
books and newspapers everywhere
their print paper free from the exac-
lions which a needless tariff now per-
mits monopoly to impose. From this as
beginning work may 90 forward to-
ward larger liberty by an enlargement
of markets and a progress Of public
sentiment that reciprocity once in oper-
alton will assume"
Disaster ut Long Beach, Cal.
LONG BEACH, Cal, Nov. 1o.-The
center section of the FIVE story Bixbie
hnfal aOl1oncad hara Iur,.;no, tg,i 80,