The Press.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12016, 18 October 1904, Page 4

The Press.

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1904. PREFERENTIAL TRADE IN CANADA. The citraordirwTj attendance at tho. Canadian Prims Minister's.recent meeting, whe_ seventeen thousand people tried to get into & building thab could accommodate) only seven thousand, is a striking proof of the interest: created ia the Dominion by tho question of preferential trade. Hamilton,'- where "Sir Wilfr?d Laurier epoke, is, of course, particularly concerned in the matter. It is situated on Lake Ontario, about forty-five mMes from the- American frontier, and vast industries have been established there in the past few years by Americans who found the* Canadian preferential tariff operating injuriously against them 'in th« States, and who, therefore, took their business across > tlio line. But Canada an a whole is deeply interested in the question of preference; no deeply, that Mr Eielding, tho.

Minister for Finance, was able to say in his Budget speech that the two great political parties were a unit in favour of the principle. He naturally regretted that the matter had become- a subject of party ccntroversy at Home, but he pointed but that as that was the case, Canada could not with propriety take any active part iv the movement —she must bo content to state her position. Mr Fielding's remarks on the subject have additional interest just now, when the question is once mors being keenly debated at Home. He pointed out that the surtax on German imports had had a marked effect in diminishing their volume. Previous to the imposition of this extra duty imports from ' Germany had been increasing, but I under its operation they had fallen off in tlie first ten months of the ' fiscal year by no less than 38 per cent, as compared with tbe imports during the same period in tho previous year. Whereas in 1902-3 nearly 80,000 tons of raw sugar had been imported from Germany, not a- single pound had-come in since the surtax was applied, and the imports of sugar from tbe British West Indies had nearly trebled, amounting to some 50,000 tons for tha ten - months. Statistics also, showed that the surtax had reduced the importation of other 1 articles from Germany. - Canada, it is i clear, docs not propose to recedb from the position she has adopted, except to make \ certain trifling alterations in the tariff where it has worked unequally, by limiting the extent to which the preference , applies. The importation of British shoddy has, for instance, been a subject of complaint in Canada as it has been, in New Zealand, and on certain .classes of woollen gcods, therefore, the .minimum tariff is now 30 per cent. Formerly the' general duty ' was 35 per cent., and the preference brought it down' to per cant.' in the case of British goods. On the other hand , tho ..preference on china and porcelain 1 table ware, and on window glass front 1 Great Britain has been increased, j , Mr Fielding foreshadowed a general revision of the tariff at some future time, nnd expressed the opinion that Canada 1 should have a maximum general tariff, to bo applied to countries whose trade policy ii hostile to Canada, such as Germany; a . minimum general tariff to be applied t<> "low tariff" countries; and below that "the British preferential tariff to apply .to the Mother. Country, and to >ucli ] colonies of the Empire as it may bo expedient to extend the .tariff to." Tite ', practice of " dumping" was to bo met by i a special duty, equal to the.difference between the > "slaughter" price at 'which. -. "dumped" goods are sold for delivery in Canada, and their fair market value in the country of production. Supposing, therefore, thn,t tin article of flte market value of £5 is imported as being worth £4, not only is the duty,'whatever H. may be, levied on tho full £5, but the article ii also subject to an extra duty of £1, providing that this special duty does not . exceed one-half the ordinary duty. .Tariff rcformera in .England, who are greatly concerned over the "dumping" question, 1 will be keenly interested in watching the ' result of this-novel tariff.