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Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 5

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SIR. W. LAURIER AS ITS DEFENDER. IMPERIAL INSPIRATION. < BENEFIT TO CANADIAN FARMERS. < (BT TELEQUArH—PEESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) . Ottawa, September 24. Tho Canadian Prime Minister, Sir' Wilfrid Luurier, speaking at Clinton, said tho preference conceded to Groat Britain had substantially benefited Canadian farmers, and had opened moro wjdely British markets tp Canadian products, besides being an inspira-' tion and example to the whole Empire. COMPLAINTS BY MANUFACTURERS AND ; ' FARMERS. " The cablegrams have indicated that criticism; of the' preferential tariff has come from .tjro. 'sources in .Canada. In the' first place, .there is a Cauadian manufacturers' complaint. The Woollen nmmifacturers say that uisdor the preferential tariff British )vopllenKqod,s' Canadian-made Vpollens and'that their ipd,vj>try ivill die if it is not further'protected. Thp Canndian Manufacturers' Association hjis already endorsed .their case. Sir Wilfrid Laurier has so far sliclyed, if jiot rejected, the demand, by attributing'the trouble,'not to tariff,' but to a temporary depression; arid by declaring that the time is" 'inopportune to increase taxation on a necessity. • •The second'quarter from which a note ,of complaint is' sounded is the Canadian 'firmer,'; but the grounds are quite different.' The United Kingdom prohibits the' importation of Canadian 'live cattle', "on ths ground Tlie Canadian farmer—or a section' of Mijfcr Claims that'" he''has proved that cattle'have no disease ; arid he Valine's " that the 'Bfitish plea"bf disease' is a pretext, that the prohibition'is really protection in "disguiM fpr the English farmer, and that.Canada "should retaliate by withdrawing her preference 'Mo ; British' manufacturer. Asjcei'ih tb,e Canadian House last July whether' this 'co'uld bo d?n,e, .the Minister' for''Finance, Mr.' Fielding, replied: ?TY'e .could, but I thin}c it would tje ujawise.-: The "Morning Citizen/' a Gonsef.vatiye jour,nal'pf Ottawa,'' comments ip tlie British embargo' on live cattle: "That tjiis policy l? merely a measure'of protection to tlie British farmer i,s'viry'Jikijly the cm but if the 'British people choosp to beguile them: jelyeji in $nch' fashion, jt- is their civn business not ours.'' However 'ihuoh Wfl jnay b,e entitled & rally them upon their inMpsiijtency, in alt the circumstances it 'does 'seem that Canadians wonli be adopting a more dignified. if not" indeed a more sensible, course by" jetting iip' on the campaign of protest' apd 'expostula-: t'ion that' has been going oh for the past gffeen y'p'ars'.' We have thjt pur ,catt}o ara" frep from and our quarantine regulations are effective. Allow t)jp British ne'ef-pater, who is piost'interested after'all, tq jjp tho rest o/'the talking agajnst tho' ewbirgo.'