CANADIAN-VIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1025, 14 January 1911, Page 6

CANADIAN-VIEWS.

In the . October number of tho "Natjonal ,Review" is an article, by Mr. J. Castell Hopkins, in which an analysis is made, of the feeling of' tho people of Canada on tho subicct of'reciprocity with the United ... ~ After giving a historical resume of tho .tariff relations of the States and the Provinces, Mr. Hopkins reminds his readers that moro,.than, ten. years havo elapsed sinco an effort to rcarraugo tho tariff -question between', tho two countries has

been mado or seriously discussed in Canada. _In the meantime; Canadian effort hasr'iain in the direction of expanding east and west, rather. thaii north and south, upon dcvoloping British,, Australian, and South African rather than American_ trade. Further, ''the. preferential tariff has como .to be a'permanent factor; the German dispute l and surtax policy has steadied tho "public- mind; a vigorous desiro to protect and. conserve natural products has .replaced the almost wild - wish' of a decade or two ago 'to sell and get rid of . them." Mis Hopkins believes that ■ two specme interfflts in Canada would \bo greatly concerned in any reciprocity treaty with the United States, namely,' agriculture and manufactures. He says:. ; During the old reciprocity days ... in tho. years ..before '..Western progress made a name for-the greater Canada of to-day, the American market meant much to the Canadian farmer. .■ It. spoiled prosperity in'this -fifties, and 'sixties, and its partial loss meant , temporirv disaster. . To-day the farmer has met ,the threat of retaliation and tariff war with unconcern, and Canada has been 'almost strangely indifferent to tho ' issue' of the recent dispute. The chief reason is that Canadian export trade, which is-.mainly agricultural, .has found , tho direct ront'n for its natural market in Groat Britain. Where, in 1873, we (Canada) sent to Britain 38,000,CiKW015.,,. we shipped in I'JSD 133,01)0,000dols. This was, in "the main, an export of wheat and- cheese, and cattle and nork, and ,the various products from which a farmer can most readilv see and feel results. Exports to the" United States havo also increased. They were !2,000,0D0d015. in 1873, and 92,000,000d015. in 1909"

The industrial interests of the Dominion will be a.more vital point in tho discussion, and will really prove to be the pivotal consideration.' Canadians havo not forgotten tho poriod from 1873' to 1878. when United States manufactured goods were "slaughtered" here over a tariff wall' of 171 per cent., until home production was absolutely discouraged, revenues stagnant, trade at a standstill. .... In-.recent, years tho importation of manufactured goods from the United States has totalled between 75,000,000d015. and 100,000,000d01a. as. compared with about 50,000,000d015. from Great Britain."

Canada's industrial advance - since confederation—much of it duo to.moderate protection—has been remarkable. In Mr. Hopkins's judgment much depends 'on England's approaching fiscal decision. Tariff reform in England would make reciprocity between Canada and the United States impossible. Reciprocity, •if established bofore British tariff reform is introduced, will render difficult of realisation, ■as regards any trade' and tariff issues, a united British Empire of the future. ' '