New-York tribune., 1911-03-01
RECIPROCITY ATTACKED
clifford Sifton Strongly Opposes
All Terms of the Agreement.
PREDICTS LOSS OF TRADE
canada, He Says, Would Become
the Backyard of Chicago
Wheat Prices Would Fall.


o,,swa Feb. 2s-"The best years OF my
u,o we're given 10 the work of settling the
nn.,adian Northwest, and cannot express
49,, feelings at the prospect OF seeing that
..,.r,rv made the backyard OF the city or
:. ,~oso" said Clifford Sifton. former Min
- NJ the Interior for Canada In the
,aurier government. condemning to-day
,,a reciprocity agreement and preaklhs
.,.av from the Liberal party.
Tho floor and galleries of the House were
..oudfd. Mr. Sifton. who is chairman or
a.. Doninion Conservation Commission.
= s1r6emned the agreement from beginning
:. o,d and the government which made it,
..ybat Is the reason beng given by the
rsnresentatives of the people or the United
c.a,es." asked Mr.. Sfton, for pronering
- the terms they do? l decline 10 enter
,oln for a second the suggestion that
Charp Clark. leader of the Democratic
,.-tv was not speaking seriously OF an
,syation. II IL had not been for Mr.. Clark
.nd the Democratic party this reciprocity
agreement never would have passed the
House Of Representatives. 1t was he who
,u, n through. Let him speak for him.
,elf He says he and his party are In favor
of this proposal because Il leads to annex
s,,on. What did Mr.. Taft, leader OF the
republican party. say? Canada is
strong country. it has n great storehouse
~ natural resources. He says that II has
heen pursuing strong ano successful
rolicy Of development, but is now at the
rsrting Of the ways Therefore, he says.
lefore Canada is irrevocably fixed in the
,ollcy leading TO the consolidation and
strengthening Of the British Empire. we
must turn her from her course"
Mr. Sifton, in reopening the reciprocity
sebste. comprehensively condemned the
agreement He said that heretofore Can
ada he'd been a burden and somewhat of
a nuisance TO the British Empire. 1t was
3ust beginning TO be of some use in the en-
rire. Now the government had gone in
for an arrangement which would turn
Canada from the path which leads TO the
capital OF the British Empire TO the path
which leads 10 Washington"
Among the undesirable consequences
which Mr.. Sifton foresaw was the destruc-
fion Of the Canadian meat packing bust
ness bv the American combination. against
which Australia was now taking action.
Every hoof in the Canadian West would
te controlled from Chicago. he asserted.
INSTEAD of the price of Canadian wheat
being raised 10 the American level. he said,
the great Canadian surplus would lower
the price Of American wheat TO the Ca
madam level The immense business in
foods, which. after great effort, Canada
lad built I'd with Britain. nc asserted,
would be abandoned for the sake of get
ting the United states market, and this
market might be taken away al any time
Then Canada would find that some other
country had usurped control Of the British
market.
The pulp and paper provision in the
agreement, Mr.. Sifton affirmed. was an
adroit bonus to me provinces TO abandon
the regulations they had made TO prevent
the export of pulp wood. Last spring
Canada vas being menaced by the United
states with q club. Now there was good
ceiling. What would be the relations
year hence? There could be no guarantee
If continued good relations. At any mo-
uent some point OF friction might occur
which would make an attack on Canada q
popular move for one Of the American
political parties 10 adopt.
was bound TO lead 10 a demand
BY the farmers for free trade In the manu-
'actured articles which they consumed, and
hat demand could not be resisted The
adoption OF this agreement would be COM
nercial union with the United States
When threatened with the imposition of
he American surtsx last spring Canada
hoUld have stood FIRM. II had not done so,
ouJ the wrong path should be followed no
'urther.
The defence OF the government was made
,y sydney Fisher, Minister OF Agriculture.
Minister Fisher asserted that the outlook
4 Mr.. Sifton and other critics. including
some manufacturers was necessarily con-
stricted The men who had the broad out
ook he said, were the men who had the
specific information. These men we're
Nessrs. Fielding and Paterson, who had
,egotiated the agreement with the United
States. after having heard every interest
n Canada on the tariff. IT was true. ne
aid. that Canada had to make some small
to escape the maximum proU-
ions OF the Payne Aldrich tariff, which
would have meant entire exclusion from
he American market The Dominion gov
rnment tnougnt II Detter 10 grasp the prof"
cred hand Of friendship than to have the
Big Stick" substituted for il. Mr.. Fisher
declared that Germany or France. II they
'ould make to-day such bargain with the
nited States, would do so without hesita-
ion.
Reciprocity, Mr.. Fisher continued. had
oeen put aside from the minds OF many
-anadians who said that the American
ariff was too high. and that the United
states must come down to the Canadian
ariff level before there could be reel
,rocity. That was what the United States
lad done, though in many cases IT had
0 come down a long way.
The great delegation OF farmers from the
~ est, from Ontario. Quebec and the mari
lime provinces had asked for reciprocity
ART EXHIBITIONS AND SALES.