Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-07-21
He,ptnx the. Lame Ducks.

One great trouble with the protec-
tive tariff is that every schedule
makes crippled ducks which must be
helped in some other schedule. The
war tariffs on shipbuilding materials
dealt the Maine shipyards heavy
blow. Congress went to their relief
with law denying American registry
to foreign built ships and excluding
vessels carrying foreign flags from our
coastlng trade.
This keeps the American nag flying,
securely over American bottoms car
rying cargo from one port Of the
United States to another, but 1t is a
hard fight to keep the flag up in any
other branch of ocean freighting.
All sorts of devices have been tried
to make the flag familiar sight in
the commercial ports of the world.
The tariff has been lifted from mate.
rails for ships TO be used in foreign
trade. Special acts Of Congress have
been passed admitting foreign built
ships to American registry. and ship
subsidy bills appear periodically in
Congress to be with equal regularity
voted down.
In spite of everything the foreign
ers keep the lead of US In ocean car
rying. Either we have lost the mart.
time spirit OF American money and
American labor find better employ
ment..
But Senator Elkins does not despair
OF the lame ducks of our merchant
marine. His amendment proposing
that goods brought to this country in
American ships be admitted at S per
cent less than the regular tariff rates
is like all the other make-shifts Of
the protective system. 1t is tonic
offered to patient enervated BY gem
eral bad treatment
The tonic produces the desired eff
feet when 1t is administered behind
Chinese wall of protection; but 1t
may be doubted II even tariff boun-
ty of 5 per cent would prevail against
the competition of the worlds sailors
and shipbuilders.
ts
No Reciprocity with Canada.
+ Under the benumbing influences
that have overtaken the Senate, the
slight prospect Of such tarir reduc-
tions as would encourage reciprocal
trade between the United States and
Canada has almost wholly disappear
ed. To all but protectionists of the
type of Aldrlch and smoot 1t is mani
fest that the reduction or removal of
duties on the lumber, wood pulp, bar
ley. Ash and wool Of Canada would be
of advantage to the trade of both coun-
tries. In normal conditions the man.
ufacturers of the United States would
have almost a monopoly of the Cana
dian market for such commodities as
our northern neighbors do not them
selves produce.
The coEtiguity Of = long stretch OF
territory, the nearness of the indus
trial ccnters of the United States to
the markets Of Canada and the easy
means Of transportation, would all
nightly contribute to promote the
trade relations of the two neighbors II
the tariff barriers were lowered or al
together removed. There is, In fact.
no better economic ground for levy
ing protective duties on imports from
Canada than there is for like policy
In regard to trade between Pennsyl-
vauia and New York. The arguments
daily repeated In the Senate concern
ing the need of q tariff to equalize
differences in wages of labor lose any
validity they may have when applied
to Canada. Wages OF labor and cost
of production are much the same on
both sides Of the border in spite of
tho more or less ingenious mastering