New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-28
RR,T1sH IMPERIAL RECIPROCITY.

The result of the Canadian election gives no
hint of any material change in the hscal pol
lev of the Dominion. The Liberals long ago
abandoned their own much Wanted free uaue
or revenue tariff policy for the high protection-
ist policy of the Conservatives in the very FORM
in which they themselves formerly atected ID
regard it as most offensive and obJecuonaDle'
and they are practically certain TO stick to IT,
preferential rates and all.
Perhaps we might say, particularly the PREF
eren+iaI rates. which have been granted 70
British trade without any corresponding favor
from Great Britain. For more than ten years
Canada has maintained that system apparently
TO her own satisfaction, without encouragement.
Now that announcement is offered she Is not
likely TO fcrsake it. And the encouragement
offered though unofficial, is pretty trustworthy
There IS no question that tariff reform IS max
ing great progress in the United Kingdom, ana
there is reason to expect that at the new gen
eral election in that country, at most very
few years hence and possibly within a Few
months a Parliamentary majority ID favor OF
a protective tariff and discriminating reciproc-
itv with the colonies will be returned to West
minister.
4 confident prediction to that effect was made
only the other day by Lord Miner, one of the
wisest and most judicous Of the empires great
nrocopsuls. In a recent Nineteenth Century
article moreover he shows COnclusivey how
beneficial the One-sded system of preference
in Canada has been to imperial trade. 1t has
often been remarked that in spite of Canada S
preferential rebate Of one-third in duties on
imports from Great Britain her imports from
the United States have been and are growing
more rapidly than before, and more rapidly
than those from the United Kingdom. We nave
ourselves pointed that out as reason for
American complacency in regarding the cana
dian tariff system. Despite that fact, however
the gain to British commerce has been enor-
nous.
The gfst of the matter is this, that for years
before the granting of preference British trade
with Canada was rapidly declining, while since
the establishment of the new system 1t has been
RAPIDLY increasing. Thus the aggregate value
of twelve leading lines of imports fell from
S24, 100000 in 1890 to $16,G20,000 in 1898, but
has since risen to $3OO9O,0O0 in 1906. The fact
that at the same time imports from the united
States also. and even more rapidly, increased
does not prove the system failure. Prefer
ence has not checked the growth of American
trade, but it has checked the decline OF Brit
ish trade and has restored its growth Between
1898 and 1906, under preference, 1t is true that
British imports into Canada increased only 133
Der cent while those from the United States
Increased IA per cent But In the eight years
before American imports had increased 81 per
cent while British imports had decreased 50
per cent. The ratio Of gain for America was
therefore only 53 per cent while for Great
Britain it was 16S per cent.
In the face IF such figures Canada will doubt
less be encouraged TO maintain her present sys-
tem which is really accomplishing one of It's
chief aims, while we may expect Great Britain
before long to respond by establishing SINH
lar system on her side not only toward Canada,
but toward the whole empire.