The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-05
BIZ JOHN BURGESS.


WINNIPEG. April 5.-The people
OF Manitoba want reciprocity.
They want reciprocity such as has
been PROPOSED in the Fielding pact.
They want reciprocity In a great
er measure, especially free farm inn
plements.
They want reciprocity to whatever
extent that they can get II as soon
as possible, hoping fervently that they
will eventually get the fullest and
freest exchange between Canada and
the United States of all articles OF
commerce on a strictly competitive
basis
The imaginary line between the
great dominion on the north and the
great republic on the south has no
terrors for them. The cost OF living,
the manipulation OF prices, gang gov.
eminent has.
There is an opposition, of course
There is always an opposition with
anything which the people want, and
that opposition in this case, as In
similar cases in the United States
where some would thwart the popC-
lar will for the benefit OF the few, is
stage managed, press-agented and sub
sidized
The people with money in Winnl
peg are not very strong for recipri-
city. The people who have axes TO
grind, who have selfish interests, who
are tied up with monopolists, the
manipulators. the grating game "
high finance, are sometimes openly,
sometimes secretly against recipro-
city. The reason they are sometime
only secretly against reciprocity is
because the popular demand for this
measure is so strong in Manitoba
that some OF them dare not take a
decided stand against it.
A convincing instance of the
strength OF this demand for recipro.
city in Manitoba Is shown in the edi-
torial attitude OF the Winnipeg Free
Press. the paper with the largest Cir
culation In the west This paper is
owned by the Hon Clifford Seton,
chairman of the conservative commit
tee OF Canada. The Hon. Mr.. Sifton
is a business man who in the last few
years has made a great deal OF money,
which he spends on a castle on the
st. Lawrence. yachts and things, but
he knows how TO run a successful
newspaper, and he does not allow
personal ideas TO interfere with his
investments.
Therefore, the usual spectacle is
presented in the Free Press Office
OF the editors OF the paper standing
strongly personally and in the col
umns Of the paper for reciprocity
against the expressed public utter
ances OF the owner.
This, paper took poll through q
coupon run in the paper one day, and
through some hundreds OF circulars
sent broadcast throughout Manitoba,
and the returns are in the proportion
OF about 1000 for as against 200 or
800 against.
Champ Clark's annexation bugaboo
is ripping joke in Manitoba-Oh,
quite. It has not been given seri-
Gus thought in connection with the
reciprocity question.
The politics of the reciprocity mat
ter In Canada are peculiar. Manitoba
is conservative government The
majority OF its constituents In parlia-
ment are represented by conservative
members. The Fielding reciprocity
pact is a liberal party measure, there
for the conservatives at Ottawa
are fighting the measure tooth and
nail. knowing I'm their hearts that
their constituents do not approve
their actions.
A case in point is where j. w Seal
lion, representative OF the Virden
constituency, member OF the ConserV-
ative party, called meeting OF his
constituents and asked for an express
sion of opinion on reciprocity. Two