The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-28
CANADIAN RECIPROCITY.


mont Republicans at the recent State
convention declared that, I'VE favor
such reciprocal tariff relations with
the Dominion of Canada as will the
more actively stimulate the inter-
changes of profitable trade between
the two countries upon basis fair
to both and sufficiently protective to
the interests of our own people," 1t is
a well known fact that President Taft
is favorable to closer business rela-
tons between Canada and the United
States, and that negotiations are I'M
der way to secure more liberal trade
relations between the two countries.
There is an element in this country
not inclined to look with favor upon
any tariff reductions, which is oppos-
ed to reciprocity with Canada on the
ground that such a measure will be
detrimental to American interests 1t
is always well to look at a question
from more than one point of view and
for that reason the opinion of a writ
Ier in the British National Review on
the subject makes interesting and
profitable reading. The writer says
in part:
1T is no exaggeration to state that
within the next few months the
whole fiscal, and simultaneously the
whole political and social, future of
the Empire may be decided And that
decision will be made at Washington.
No less significance can be attached
to the forthcoming negotiations for a
reciprocity treaty between Canada and
the United States. 1t is, therefore, or
the utmost Importance that all who
have at heart the Imperial ideal
should strain every nerve to prevent
so fatal an event That this disaster
will be averted for the reasons adj
duced below is the confident hope Of
the present writer; but the magnitude
| of the interests involved is, neverthe-
less, a sufficient justification for treat
| ing the situation with all serious
ness.
The article contains a review of
previous trade treaties and attempts at
reciprocity. and shows the difference
between conditions that prevailed fifty
or sixty years ago, and at the pres
ent time, when industrial conditions
have changed and there are no fish
cries or boundary disputes to com
plicate the situation. Recent tenden-
cies have been toward closer rela-
tons with the mother country as a
market for Canadian products and a
source of supply for many manufac-
tured articles needed. Since 1891
when preferential tariff was arrang-
ed between Canada and Great Britain
British exports have increased mater
tally
The objections from British point
OF view are summed up in the maya
zine article referre to as follows:
Nor is it only the immediate COM
mercial Importance of the issues al
stake that has to be considered. There
can be no doubt that the moral effect
of liberal reciprocity treaty between
Canada and the United States woult
be enormous, and that the mere fact
that the Dominion which inaugurateG
the preference in 1897 should make sc
serious departure from it would in.
evitably deal heavy blow at the I'm.
perial ideal.
LAS was intimated at the opening OF
this article the writer clings conf.
IDENTIFY to the hope that for the mo-
ment, at any rate, this blow will be
averted. The preliminary obstacles
on both sides are neither few MOI
easy to surmount. Unlike the Canadi.
an ministers who could grant the in
termediate tariff rates by an order il
council and need only apply to Par.
|; lament in the event of that tariff
proving an insufficient basis for nego
tiation, the United Safes minister.
would be compelled to apply to Con
gress for any lowering of the tariff
and this the present Congress is no
likely to grant 1t is, however, no
without significance that during The
last Presidential campaign the Re
publican candidate found it neces
sary, for the first time, to promise
PRODUCTION in the tariff in order tC
counteract the support which his adj
versary was gaining by his advocacy
of this policy, and recent events have
: shown that the possibility of the new
Cngress being more Democratic il
far from remote.
so far as Canada is concerned The
great obstcle must be the plain, in
disputable fact that she is not ye
strong enough industrially to with
stand anything like the full measure
of United States competition. The Can
adam markets would be prompt!
swamped by the highly specialized
manufactures of her neighbor, ant
the Canadian manufacturer, as ha'
been shrewdly said. would not ven
ture to remodel his factory ant
! specialize his output while the con
] tinuance of the enlarged market de
pended upon he goodwill of Washing
tn. In other words as the CANADIAN
Gazette declares, the permanency o
= the enlarged market could not b
= counted on short of political uniol
of the two people, a contingenc
which, one hopes, need no longer b
taken into account.
ITO sum up, then, it would appea
that, at the moment, neither Canad
= nor the United States is in a position
to conclude any far-reaching reclp
rocty treaty. If any such treaty ]
made it will be because the American
fully realize the enormous potential
: titles of Canada and the prepared I
H..