Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-21
NORTH AMERICANS BANQUET
United States, Canada and Mexico
Represented at Feast in New York.
BRYCE AND HILL SPEAKERS
Railway MaKnRte Pleads for Free
Trade Across Canadian Border
letter of Regret from
President.

NEW YORk, Nov. 20.-In a distinctly new
world atmosphere the fortieth annual ban
quet of the New York Chamber of Com
merce was held tonight in the Waldorf
Astoria. Gilbert Stuart's, famous portrait
of Washington, flanked on either side by
portraits of President DiaZ of Mexico and
Premier Laurier Of Canada looked down
upon the dinners and the principal
formal addresses dealt with the United
States and it's two n~eighbors on the North
American continent.
The guests OF honor were the British
ambassador, James Bryce; Jose F. Godoy.
Mexican charge d'affaires at washington;
Byron K. Walker and Clifford Sifton, both
Of Canada, and James j. Hill, the railroad
builder OF the northwest.
The POSTMASTER was j. Edward Sim
mons. president Of the Chamber of Com
merce. He said in the opening address
that the present year had been disastrous
to many persons. but that we have every
reason to encourage each other with the
assurance that the financial and CONNER
cial skies are clearing.
Ambassador Bryce said:
The relations Of capital and labor. the
regulation of the means OF transportation,
the creation Of a safe and more elastic
currency system. the extent 10 which the
law should interfere with the operations
of and industry in the hands OF
Joint stock companies. all those and many
OF questions that occuDv the public MIND
are large difficult questions, hut there Is
none Of these economic and social questions
which the governments Of Fine and You
OF America are trying to deal with. in
which We do not stand better today than
we did . wear aso.
tranquility in Mexico.
Minister Godoy said:
! Il, kha Mavinp Of tndaN naaNa and tran
quillity reign supreme throughout the land,
and public safety and the rights of all
foreigners, as well as Mexicans, are rigidly
safeguarded.
All that /. nave said is sufficient tc
demonstrate the flourishing condition OF
Mexico and that we Mexicans. by placing
General Diaz at the head of the admins
tration have, we say, the right man In the
right place and at the right time.
The friendly and commercial relations
between both countries are being ~fosterec
by the wise policies pursued by both gov
ernments, and | consider that under thf
administration Of President-sect Taft the
same policy OF amitS, good Will and mutua
respect put in practice by the presenl
executive will be continued, not only be
cause of the wise and far-sighted states
manship of the president-elect, but als(
because by so doing he will give life and
being to the express wishes OF the who'll
American nation.
Mr.. Walker spoke on The Industrial
Future OF Canada"
Mr.. Sifton of Ottawa gave II as hi
opinion that the greatest material achieve
ment Of the dominion had been in tin
domain OF transportation.
Calling attention to the close connection
between the histories of the United States
and Canada. James J. Hin showed th'
Importance OF the trade between the TIVE
countries and scored what he called III.
policy of mutual exclusion. He said:
What the commercial relations ought {,
be Is indicated by their parallel develop
ment and the mingling of their
Without committing any others here l do
not hesitate 10 declare my own opinion.
believe that the most natural, that tn
nest rational, the most highly profitabl
commercial status between the Unite
States and Canad Is absolute freedom o
trade. That m must eventual!
move unrestrained between these two PEG
pies il self-evident. Why not strike Of
the shackles now and let II more freely
flow instead Of paying the heavy penaltI
OF delay7 Production has no meaning c
effect as applied by either one OF thes
countries against the other. The assump
ton OF some fixed variations In the wag
level Is nonsense. Men are free 20 com
and go and New England at this momen
depends for it's labor largely upon II
French-Canadian population. Wages d.
vary. just as they vary between New Yorl
simiisr conditions is the same in the tW
Mr.. HIN declared that BY the middle o