Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-12
Some Things You Want to Know
The Canadian Tariff

Aut Chuhulau f|hFllainentt Wnlcn meets
at Ottawa today. will consider at its pres
ent session matters Of great Importance
affecting the trade relations between Can
ida and the United states. A tariff war
between the two countries Is imminent
and it IL probable that the business men
Of the United States will manifest greater
interest in this session Of the Canadian
Parliament than they have In any Of its
predecessors. IL is the usual thing for
Americans to complain OF British "insu-
larity." But II the signs do not fail the
time Is upon us when Americans must
themselves repent their w provincial
self-sufficiency The Dominion of Canada
Is a great self-governing nation, which
forms an important part OF the British
empire-the mightiest political power Of
earth. Canada and the United States pos
sess more than 5000 miles Of common
boundary lines, and It must be said to the
everlasting credit Of England and Amer
lea that 1t is the longest boundary line on
earth g%uiltless Of frowning fortress OF
menaoing man Of war. The two nations
years ago agreed to limit their naval equip
ment In the Great Lakes to one ship each
and not TO build ana garrison forts along
the and boundaries.
The two countries are too close akin
TO build forts to menace each other. There
are no soldiers and sailors to strut in
defiance on the two sides OF the line, but
there are men in uniform who sit at the
seat Of customs. And now 1t appears tina,
there is likelihood Of a wal Of trade and
taxes between these two peaceful nations
in which the custom houses will play
large part. Unfortunately, from the point
Of view OF those who live south of the
line, tariff wars are not always easy to
win, even when a nation outnumbers Its
opponent in population and wealth many
times over. At this particular stage OF
the game Canada appears to have this
whip hand.
Perhaps the chief trouble south of the
boundary line, and practically all Of the
trouble Is south of the line, is that the
Americans know too little about theiI
northern nelghbors. The American news.
papers, except those published In tht
northern tier OF states, have less news
from Canada than from Bulgaria. 1t has
been the custom to ignore Canada and tt'
aspirations, and 1t has been too much th'
fashion to look across the border only
with the CLINT Of an Anglo-Saxon land
greed in the eye. In the meantime Canad'
has been forging ahead, utterly Indifferent
to the indifference Of the Yankees.
Canada has built great transcontinenta
railroads and is SO. regulating them thai
American reads find it increasingly diff
cult to compete with them. Canada ha'
encouraged shipping, and now plans the
construction of a ship canal which VII
take the great outflow of m from
the Great Lakes through British channels
to Europe rather than through American
ports. Canada has thrown open its grea
western country to settlement and 1t hai
80 v,orr NHpffdanda of RnOd AmaT
leans to move over the line. This is thu
first considerable American emigration
and that it is a good thing for Canada 1
indicated by the fact that the 10000 Amer
leans who crossed over the boundary las
year carried with them $780, 900, 600, IN aver
age of $1,000 each. Did even. the Unite
States have that kind Of immigration t
make It grow?
And now Canada. It seems, Is about I
apply some practical national wisdom t
its tariff problem-a problem to the solu
ton of which much wisdom Is devoted i
every country. although that wisdom /
not always national in scope. The resul
will be that the United States will nave I
sit up and take notice. IT may not b
charged that Canada is taking an unfai
advantage, for, as q matter Of fact, tn
Canadians for years have bee
willing to enter into treaties whic
practically would reduce the Gus
tom houses along the international boz
der to the innocuous desuetude of the tw
obsolete war vessels which patrol the gree
lakes and the st. Lawrence. Perhaps tn
greater interests of the Americans mad
such treaties inexpedient. At any rate the
do not exist.
Now comes the question of a tariff wa
The Payne-Aldrlch tariff bill, passed las
summer, ~inaugurated a new feature so ia
rs American tariffs are concerned. 1t
the maximum ard minimum tariff provi'
ion, and there is some evidence that III
powers that be in Washington are all q
sea concerning it's powers for good or evi
BY the provisions Of that clause, all Gus
toms duties will be increased automaticall
Is per cent on March 81 next unless tn
president, before that time, by proclama
ton. shall otherwise decree. The pres
dent. under the law, is expected to isst
the proclamation OF exemption from III
maximum duties in favor of all countric
which do not, in their own tariffs, undul
discriminate against the United States. 0
that word ~'unduly' depends all the la
ard the prophets.
Canada has a triple tariff, consisting {
the general, the intermediate and II
British preferential tariff. The preferentii
tariff d~iscriminates in favor Of the moth,
country, just as the Philippines tariff dh
eliminates in favor of the United State
1t is hardly to be expected that any pre-.