HOSTILE TARIFFS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 629, 5 October 1909, Page 7

HOSTILE TARIFFS.

■■: ; CANADA AND GERHAnV. BERLIN SHOULD HAKE FIRST MOVE. ;■■'.- SURTAX WILL' THEN CEASE. ' .(By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright.) . \ ... (Rcc. , October i, 8.30 p.m.) , t . London, October 4. The Ottawa corrospdndent- of "Tho Times" ,rcports. that tho refusal of tho Council of the Montreal Hoard of Trado to participate in any movement.in the"direction of improved trade relations with Germany, has created considerable discussion. . Tho Board holds that Germany should make' overtures to Canada. If ebe admits that «h« made a mistake in adopting a.,hostile tariff .attitudo.to.Canadian products, she, can restore them to her ■ conventional tariff. , If this is done, the Canadian surtax will Uautomatically removed. ; : . •'•'..-"'• FISCAL NEUTRALITY, .NOT ALLIANCE. The formation in Canada ofa League of Ger-, man Merchants to promote freer trade-inter-course between Canada and Germany has been tho subject of some comment in Canadian papers. The' Toronto Mail ond'Empiro" says that if the,leagno induces the two countries to abandon thoir exceptional duties: against each other .'it will bo deserving of publio thanks. .restoration of the status quo: with Germany would be less advantageous and marketwise for Canada'than for Germany; but on tho pound of international comity tno tariff war between the two countries should cease. The Wail'and Empire" continues:— .-', .'-. "But Canadian opinion would be altogetehr opposed, to the concession to Germany of- a privilege over the intermediato tariff. Abatements from our; regular tariff ratea have been already too common. France now receives almost as favourable treatment in this market yiaj Great Britain: .Germany is'not a country , with which a reciprocity arrangement would bo desirable. If trade between Canada and Germany iV freed from restrictions imposed by way of retaliation,; that will suffice." ,