The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-03-16

I91O, i stated that the policy or
broader and closer trade rela-
lions with the Dominion Of Can
ada which was initiated in the adjust.
ment of the maximum and minimum
provisions Of the tariff act of Aug. B.
1909, had proved mutually beneficial
and that it justified further efforts for
the readjustment of the commercial
relations of the two countries.
On the It'll of the present month two
cabinet ministers came to Washington
as representatives of the Dominion
government, and the conferences were
continued between them and the Sec
rotary of state. The result of the ne
gotiations was that on the 21st inst. q
reciprocal trade agreementwas reached.
One by one the controversies result
ing from the uncertainties which at
tended the partition of British terri
tory on the American continent at the
close of the Revolution and which were
inevitable under the then conditions
have been eliminated. some by arbitra-
ton and some by direct negotiation.
The path having been thus opened
for the improvement of commercial re-
lations, a reciprocal trade agreement Is
the logical sequence of all that has
been accomplished in dispOsing OF mat
tiers of diplomatic and controversial
character The identity OF interest OF
two peoples linked together by race.
language, political institutions and geo.
graphical proximity offers the founda-
ton.
The guiding motive in seeking adj
justment of trade relations between
two countries so situated geographical
ly should be to give play to productive
forces as far as practicable. regardless
of political boundaries. While equiva-
lency should be sought in an arrange
ment of this character, an exact bal
ance of financial gain is neither imper-
alive nor attainable. No yardstick can
measure the benefits to the two peo-
pies of this freer commercial inter.
course, and no trade agreement should
be Judged wholly by custom house sta
| tistics.
We have reached Il stage in our own
| development that calls for states
| manlike and broad view of our future
economic status and it's requirements.
| We have drawn upon our natural re-
| sources in such a way as to invite at
| tentiOn TO their necessary limit. This
has properly aroused effort to conserve
| them, to avoid their waste and to re-
! strict their use to our necessities. We
! have SO increased in population and in
| our consumption of food products and
the sotiier necessities of life, hitherto
| supplied largely from our own country,
that unless we materially increase our
| production we can see before us .
| change in our economic position from
| that Of a country selling to the world
! food and natural products Of the farm
and forest to one consuming and Inn
porting them.
| Ought we not, then, to arrange COM
mercial agreement with Canada, If we
can, by which we shall have direct &C.
cess to her great supply of natural
| products without an obstructing or
prohibitory tariff? This is not vio-
lation of the protective principle, as
that has been authoritatively an.
! nOunced by those who uphold 1t, be-
| cause that principle does not call for
| a tariff between this country and one
| whose conditions as to production,
| population and wages are so like ours
| and when our common boundary line
| of 3000 miles in itself must make
| radical distinction between our COM
mercial treatment of Canada and Of
| any other country.
| The Dominion has greatly prosper
| ed. 1t has an active. aggressive and
| intelligent people. They are coming
to the parting of the ways. They
must soon decide whether they are to
regard themselves as isolated per-
manently from our markets by per-
petual wall or whether we are to be
commercial friends. If we give them
reason to take the former view can we
complain if they adopt methods deny.
ing access to certain of their natural
resources except upon conditions quite
unfavorable to us? A notable instance
Of such a possibility may be seen in
the conditions surrounding the supply
of pulp wood and the manufacture of
print paper, for which we have made
conditional provision in the agree
| ment, believed to be equitable.
The entire foreign trade of Canada
in the last fiscal year, 1910, was $685.
100000 The imports were $376.O00.-
000 and of this amount the United
States contributed more than $223, OOO.-
600. The reduction in the duties i'm
posed by Canada will largely increase
this amount and give us even a larger
share of her market than we now en-.
joy, great as that is.
Since becoming nation Canada has
been our good neighbor. Immediately
contiguous across a wide continent
without artificial or natural barrier ex-
cept nayigable waters used in COM
mon.
She has cost us nothing in the way
of preparations for defense against
her possible assault. and she never
will. She has sought to agree with
us quickly when differences have dis
turbed our relations. She shares with
us common traditions and aspirations.
feel have correctly interpreted the