The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-12

open the door of a nation of 90,O00,- 900, which has been closed to us for the last fifty years; and when we are now on the eve of reaching that longSought object we are met by ob- lection after objection. we are delug- ed by a plethora of sophism, we are told that If such an arrangement is to go into effect and Canada vege- tables, cereals, and fruits can cross the boundary line and be eaten free will be all over with the. Canadian Confederation. and even the British Empire will reel and rock upon it's foundations.
 "The objection that this arrange ment is going to defect trade from Canadian channels into American channels is to be discussed from two view of the goods going from Can ada into the United States for the purpose of being carried over to Great Britain, and the goods going from Canada to the United States for consumption in the United States. sent from Canada to the United States to be carried to Great Britain, in what way does this arrangement undo the system now in existence? It does not affect it one iota. At the present time goods go from Canada York, or any American port without paying duty. In the same way Ann erican goods come to Canada to be shipped out by Montreal, Halifax, or St. John without paying duty. A cargo of wheat can leave Winnipeg for New York and there be discharg- ed and put on board ship without duty being demanded. A cargo of grain can leave Minneapolis to be taken to Montreal and shipped thence without paying duty.
 privilege which has been given by each Government to the other for the purposes of transportation. It has been in existence for something like sixty years, and I have never heard a complaint that it was unfair to one party or to the other. There was a time when felt nervous on ref1ecting that the bonding privilege was simply an act of good will on the part of the United States towards us That was the time when we had no communication on Canadian soil from sea to sea. But now that we have a continuous communication on Canadian soil from sea to sea- feel that the United States can remove the bonding privilege at any time they please, and If they do so they will suffer more than we should. Our condition is absolutely safe whether this treaty passes or not.
 ssIt does not follow that for my part I am opposed to the policy of retain ing in our own channels Canadian trade; on the contrary, I am very so- licitous in that respect, and I think can show by the records of this Government that we have favored the building of lines through Canadian territory from east to west, with the intent of keeping trade in our own channels. But if the opponents of this proposed agreement expect that they are going to keep trade within Canadian channels by legislative en- actment, by trade impediments, they make the greatest of all mistakes. mistake which was tried once and P. R. was created in 1881 it was with the avowed policy of creating chan nel of communication between east and west. The policy was to keep so far as legislation could do it Ca nadian trade in Canadian channels. In the contract with the c. P. R. company precautions had been taken to keep the trade flowing east and west. In that contract with the c. P. R. company the following clause was inserted as clause 15:-For twen- ty years from the date hereafter no line of railway shall be authorized by the Dominion Parliament to be con-
 
 any point at or near the c. P. R. ex- cept such line shall run southwest Or to be west Or southwest, Or to within fifteen miles of latitude 49'
 'How long did this agreement last? Did it last twenty years? It lasted just six years, and at last after six years the Canadian Government had to recall that legislation. And how did it occur? This is one of the most dramatic pages of the history of our country. There was a restric- tion put upon the energy, upon the enterprise of the people of the west, and of the Province of Monitoba in particular. The people of Manitoba wanted power to trade north and south; they wanted to trade with their neighbors, the American people; they wanted to have railway commu- nication with them. But there was statute, there was an act of Parlia- ment there wasrthe authority of the Canadian Government, which pre- vented them from trading with their neighbors to the south, and the Ca nadian Government attempted for six years to keep that legislation in force. The Legislature of Manitoba passed acts chartering the railways, allow ing them to cross that zone of terri tory which the Government was att
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