The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-30

her present prosperous condition, Can ada is in a rather independent mood 1 just now. At the sixth annual ban | quet of the Canadian club of Boston on November 2S, 1904, George E. Eos 1 ter. M. F., from North Ontario. said: Before I came to the banquet I | was told that I would be expected to speak on reciprocity. What is abso- lutely a dead question with us is very much alive with you. During my ! term of service with the Conservative party and while a member of the Canadian government, I made two or three pilgrimages to Washington and i begged your senators and representa- lives to grant us reciprociaI trade re- lations. I failed in my mission every ttme- And now that the question is ! dead with us it has been raised from Its grave by some of you Americans. Canada may be trusted to work out her own salvation without the aid of any reciprocal treaty wisn the United States"
 Such is the discouraging attitude of Canada at the very time when many people in New England as we'll as millers in the Northwest who desire Canadian wheat for making into flour favor putting our commerce with Canada on a more 1iberaf basis. For the Eastern States the case is thus ,succinctly stated by the New York Times:
 "In New England the revolt against
  tenn is more formidable because it is based on practical and immediate in- terest. That section of the country wishes to buy of Canada. It needs fuel and iron and lumber and wood pulp and other materials and requi- sites of manufactures, and it is fined heavily if it seeks them in Canadian markets. where they can be had in ly low prices. AS manufacturing section it's business has largely gone West with the movement of popula- tion and the development of the re- sources of that vast region. Its fu- ture growth in prosperity unquestiOn- ably depends on the ability to get ma terials and fuel at low cost. Hence the increasing earnestness of it's bus mess men for the reduction of duties either directly or by reciprocity. Its interests are practically the same as those of all the seaboard states.''
 William l.. Douglass, the new gov ernor of Massachusetts, in his recent Inaugural address. set forth cogent reasons why Massa chuseyts should re- ceive the aid to be derived from a suitable reciprocity treaty with Cana da.
 It is reported that the farmers and merchants of Canada are quite strong ly in favor of negotiating a reciproci- ty treaty with the United States On the other hand, the manufacturers and politicians do not want it. No doubt if the question were made leading issue there would also be a divided sentiment in the United States: TOT selfish and personal interests are so much involved in all tariff matters that 1t is impossible to get up any tariff plan for benefit in the broa dest sense that will not be bitterly fought by some. The present situation is not as encouraging as it might be; but we can hope and believe that in time the majority Of our people can be educat- a policy would be better for both coun- tries than the present one. To this end let careful consideration be given 10 the following wefghty words of Goldwin Smith:
 Let any one scan the economical map Of the North American continent. with it's adjacent waters, mark it's northern zone abound in minerals, in well as in special farm products, brought in the north to harder per lection, of all of which the southern people have need; then let him look to Its southern regions, the natura. pro- ducts Of which, as well as the man ufactures produced in it's wealthy cen- tres of industry, are needed by the peo- pie of the northern zone; he will see that the continent is an economic whole, and that to run a customs line athwart it and try to sever it's mem bers from each other, is to wage a des- perate war against nature.''
 NOTE.-In the preparation of this article I am largely and particularly indebted for statistics and facts to the valuable pamphlet entitled "The Re ciprocity Treaty with Canada of 1854.'' by Frederick E. Haynes, Ph.D., I am also indebted for not a little use full information to the work called
 Reciprocity" by Laugh1in and Willis have also consulted a number of pub lie documents, histories, newspaper ar- ticles and other means for references; and have selected, condensed, ar ranged and combined, and have added new thought in such a manner that I trust have presented the subject of reciprocity and our commercial rela- tions with Canada in way a good deal new and different from what it his been presented elsewhere.
 In considering facts and statistics the reader must bear in mind that Can ada now constituted includes a far greater area of territory than the country known as Canada previous to 1867. In that year the British North American Act went into force and pro- vided for the voluntary sunion of the whole British North America into one legislative confederation, under the name of the Dominion of Canada; and most, if not all. of the old separate provinces now belong to the confed- eration.