The Washington herald., 1911-02-12
SEE FREE TRADE CLUB FOR
UNCLE SAM IN AGREEMENT

Ottawa, Feb. 11.-There is a broad pos
sibility, even without the pulp and paper
schedule of the reciprocal trade agree
ment with Canada being amended, that
the United States has had placed in its
hands a club with which it can force
free trade between the two countries in
paper and all the ingredients that enter
into it's composition. Canada. keen TO
further the success of the entire recip-
rOCal programme, pointed out to-day the
means by which this may be brought
about. 1t is necessary 10 read carefully
the prOvisO which is inserted in the
agreement with regard to wood pulp and
paper. These commodities are included
in schedule A-the free list-but with ten
reservations:
Provided. that such paper and board.
valued at cents per pound or less. and
wood pulp, being the products of Canada.
when imported thcrefrOm directly into
the United States, shall be admitted
free
Situation Is Peculiar.
This prOvisO is inserted because in two
of the PROVINCES of Canada (OntariO and
Quebec there are regulations which for
bid the export from these provinces OF
wood intended for use in the manufacture
Of paper The situation is peculiar The
government of the Dominion does not
own and has no jurisdiction over the land
of the older provinces of the Dominion.
These lands, known as Crown lands, are
the property of the various provinces, and
in the case of Ontario and Quebec the
officials of the two provinces have elected
to put these restrictions upon the use Of
the Crown timber lands. Wood pulp may
be exported under certain conditions, be
cause the wood pulp industry Of Ontario
and Quebec is thereby promoted. But
there is a rigid provision against the ex-
port of raw timber.
No Ran on Two Provinces.
Now, in addition to Ontario and Quebec,
New brunswick and Nova Scotia of the
Canadian provinces, also have great stores
of pulp wood, and in these two latter
provinces no export restrictions have
been imposed.
At this point We turn back TO the pro-
yisO quoted above. AS Prime Minister
Fielding and others OF the Laurier min
istry interpret the provision, it means
that the United States will not admit
wood pulp and paper free of duty until
the export restrictions have been re
moved by all of the provinces.
1t is admitted. however, that another
Interpretation might be given to the pro-
vIso namely, that the United States will
admit free of duty at once wood pulp
pulp wood, and paper from any province
that does not impose an export rcstric-
ton. Careful reading of the proviso
will show that such an Interpretation is
possible. An interesting situation is thus
created.
where the Club Is Seen
Under the liberal Interpretation. New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia would be
able to send their wood pulp and paper
products into the United States free of
duty. while the bars would be set up
rigidly against Ontario and Quebec.
Here. then, is the club which has been
placed in the hands of the United States
to force free Interchange Of paper and
pulp from all the provinces of Canada:
With the bars let down for New Bruins
wick and Nova Scotia. how long would
public sentiment in Ontario and Quebec
tolerate the continuance of the export
restrictions imposed in those two
provinces?
The ministry has assumed neutral at
it Is known that Mr. Field
ing admits that the double Interpretation
IS admissible Moreover. l may say that
L was a high ministerial official that
pointed out TO me this possibility in the
Droviso. From the same source, also,
came an intimatiOn that 1t was quite pos
sibIe that at least one Of the provinces
Quebec. namely-would remove the. eX-
port restrictions " the attitude outlined