Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-28
FIGHT ON RECIPROCITY
RESUMED IN CANADA
House of Commons Meets Un'
der the Shadow of an I'm :.
mediate Dissolution.

OTTAWA, Ontario, July 2S-The house
OF commons met yesterday afternoon I'M
der the shadow Of an immediate dissolu-
ton. Sir Wilfrid Laurier had long con-
ference yesterday morning with Earl
Grey, the governor general, and 1t is
rumored around the parliament building
that he made arrangements for the issue
OF formal proclamation proroguing par
lament, which, in accordance with Cana
dian custom, precedes the actual dissolu-
ton.
1t will surprise no one if the proroga-
week, and members are preparing for a
hot campaign. At the same time the
government is going into the fight with
light heart 1t may lose some seats,
but it is held to be unlikely that the
present majority of forty-sx in a house
Of 22l members will be wiped out They
will have arrayed against them the manu-
facturers, and there is also likelihood
that the cry Of disloyaSy will be raised.
But the manufacturers always have been
in the conservative ranks, and the oppo-
sition is meeting. with considera BILE diff
Guilty in playing to British prejudice.
Cry of Annexation.
1t has been more than limited by the
government that if the opponents should
cry that reciprocity leads to annexation
the devotion Of Canada to the British
crown could be fittingly proved by an
extension Of the British preference from
the present 33 to 80 per cent. The manu-
facturers feel they are loyal members Of
the empire, but 1t seems to come high
at that price.
The situation as regards the lumber in
dustry and the immense interests on both
sides OF the line as far as the Dominion
elections are concerned has been cleared
by the addition of the American reci-
procity act of the clause dealing with
the free admission of pulp wood and news
print paper. on which no export duty is
charged. This was added in the House
of Representatives without consulate
with Canada, and it is held that it is not
obligatory on the Canadian house Of
commons to pass it. Consequently, it re-
moves from Dominion politics the lumber
question and leaves the matter squarely
up to the provinces.
Political Patronage.
When the chances Of the elections are
considered, it is at once admitted that the
Ottawa government goes to the polls
with the enormous handicap in it's favor
of political patronage. Especially in the
maritime provinces does the possession of
the loaves and fishes of Office carry
much weight on election day
The elections will come off toward the
end Of September and will be decided in
single day. What the liberals hope to
get by them is a mandate" At present
the opposition can throw in their faces
the taunt that the entire agreement was
arranged in secret conference by two
OF the ministers. and that the electorate.
who had not demanded II, had no idea
of what was going on.
The whole plan, the conservative press
alleges. was got up by President Taft to
gloss the failure of the Payne-Aldrich
tariff to lower duties, and they have de-
manded by what right responsible min
lister has asked the Dominion to forfeit
its fiscal independence to meet the po-
litical needs Of an American President