EMPIRE AND TARIFFS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE AND TARIFFS

CANADA'S POSITION. UNITED STATES AND GERMANY; TEUTONIC ADVANCES. ID* Tolcßrapli.-Prcss nnsoclnllon -CoDjrrljlit 1 Ottawa,' September 10. Tho Commercial liitclligeuco Committee of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association reports that Germany is anxious for a commercial treaty, but tho general feeling of manufactmers d(>cs not faiour a remission of the Customs surtax on German goods. The Hon. G. P. Graham, Minister foi Railways and Canals, speaking at tho annual banquet of tho association, referred to tho American tariff, and recommended that a dignified attitudo should bo maintained. Now fields for Canadian enterprise, said the Minister, had been found before, and could bo found again. Canada's policy waß to continue preference to the Mother Country. DECISION OF COMMERCE CONCREB3. MR DEAKIN'S VIEW. Sydney, September 20. Tho overseas delegates to the Empire Chambers of Commerce Congress are being made guests at various function?, and elaborate arrangements been mado for their touring the various States. Tho Federal Prime Minister, Mr. Deakin, considers that much good to Australia .will 'rosult from the visit of the delegates, and that tho decision of tho Congicso in regard to preferential trado is highly satisfactory. "URGENT AND REPEATED DEMAND."

/■'".(foe;- September 20, 11.55 p.m.) '~'. ■ j; :'/•;'■;": .■.■;Londhri,September/19. ■'/."-Tho Times", says ,that the-proceedings' of the Empire Congress of Chambers of Comniercq; deservo the /thoughtful •attention'. or every responsible Englishman. Tho urgent and 'repeated demand' put" forward .by., tho. cprnmefoiii.'. ;■ rep'resentatiTOs.bf..'the .'Empire xbnsoliddtidn;bf'inter-Iniperial trade ;bjr"means'of reciprocal,prcforonco-deservcß ittehtion at:-tho : hands, of -tho. Home'' .Goyernmcnt,/ arid action cannot bo V indefi-. nitely poßtpbnod; .'' : .;'./.'. ■ 7".;" 7 . ■UNITED STATES TARIFF!'THE FEW ;--f/! ; ;7;;;'7 : ;; REDUCTIONS. ~'V:'.:' ■'! i/^PRESIDE^ (Reo..September 20, 9.30 ; p.m;f / '['■ [ ;;'" 1- -i;/ : ':oi' :-:Now ] York, 'September' 20.7'■ //Speaking; at,;.Windna.;(a/ Minnesota • grainshipping: centre' .'arid 'manufaoturiiig town': on ;the/Mississippi)"President'Taf t,declared that the Tariff Bill was. a" substantial, achievement in!therdircctidii"'of. downward-revision..' ':. It i;W.as ''Utterly;nseless ; to,talk.of another revi;siontduring the-present a'dV .'rnitted (hattho.- wool'schedule, was! much ;too high!-/ ./7^7J./ ; ./'; , '/7/;?.:;-,. ; : ; /7.'.;'. ( /^i I '' l .'-,' ;ftltie, President defined:ine:purpose of tariff! •royision. as: reduction, of !thbse-excessive rates Iwhioh tempted : fch'a' ; formation/ of ■ monopolies;; :«ofc,.reduction .of ;■ prices byl'adraitting 'foreign. : iCompetitioh.;,:'/-•-7'■''-.',' ';' : /-7--V 7 .!■■ [The Tarirl'Bill (writes the Washington cor'respondent of tho -Daily Mail") has practically no. admirers"..ia,':eithef' House .'' of'' .Congress." 'Britain," .Mr...James B. Kevnolda,' Assistant-Secretary,,to-the.Treasury, who has charge of tho Customs, ,said. to tne,"has.,nothing'to fear •from■■;the new.;law;": ./The <New York, correspondent oMhe same-paper states:—"There is'a' -consensus: of /opinion. that the ,Bill, \silt ensure ithe-victory, at/the .next; eleotion of-the Demo-cratSj,,-who "now.'favour;'riot/Free-trade,' but imqderate-;ProtectionV7l-; 6pci i{/ti,e entire day {conversing .with.•importers'■ mainly- or goods ■from -Britain. .Words'fail-to express their dis- ; gast-at.tho character:of 'the Bill. 'In,no case ,can. they, point to. revision- downwards'/ though •the-.revision -upwards. ; has .not/been great. 'Bit. :terly.-:all.deolar© their: intention of making the consumer-pay^-As one of-the -.most,prominent' -°!- them.said to-nie: cannot/be-caN ned on at a loss. /Our-price-lists-have, already been y revised ;.upwards in. conformity .with the ■? m ;7, An; many,-, instances : prices- of -imported goods havo.:been-raisedi4o perceirt." .The Now York .correspondent ;of -the .'.'.'Sydney.. Morning Herald'/states-.i "Practically the revised duties :bcyond'doubt:are a shade:highor than the old; and •:wherever foreigners ; seemed to bo' gaining' ground - they;, have' been made almost pronibitiye. -The.-woollen-.schedule is.about the same as;now—or, perhaps, a'shade higher; and much ! . the.same all -the"' textilos.' Indeed, the'net'result of this attempt to lower ' tho tariff asra,whole' is; plainly a pitiful de{f a . l -7i u . st . as'w-Bf predicted by all. veteran .politicians; /and ■ for vtho: obvious' reason that ' a', general; attack.;'compels'''all/the' beneficiaries, to join their forces and to defend abuses, even th 9 roo«t flagrant, nt all ha7ards, rathor than Ist tho sjstem fail."

'SBR|TISHVrRADE;LbSSESf|N CANADA;.: 1 ':YA: l "well-imdwn^Cahadian : l : authority' , :writes in'the VDaily'MailV;-:''.;:,; .: ; v v. "p- <;•;; .-; tho battle between England and America for .the victory, has gone to America. ,; Prom 1873 to 1000-tUe last "ear for which, the: triennial 'figures of British ' tra'do are .'available-rthe.sale ,bf British 'merchandise in Canada increased by ,£200,000;: During the same.period.'the sale''of United States'merchari-dise-in. Canada-increased .£21,700,000.: ■' •'■"■■'■: ;.:-a; question, if ;tho'British .manufacturer''appreciates 'the immediate opportunities ho is neglecting. ;I.am. l nuito;sure he does not realise,the eventual: loss: ho will 'suffer :if this' mar- : ;ket (continues: •; to:; bo • : regafded ; as - the ' natdral and- lnbyitablb- prize;of his principal competitovs.; The,comparative decline of British e±- ! ports- to Canada;has -not. beon;a ■ matteif: of 'one short -period alone,: If ■ wo. take the: triennial figures ; ! :; f or_".the '.'last ."available:'.■'• fifteen years,-' we' -find - that:' each period shows a.:sinaller: proportion:;of, British' goods sold ■in Canada than tho one beforo,: and each period, with a singlo exception,'. shows 'an 'upward tendency; of .United. Stales; imports. This is in spite;of a,Canadian';preferential tariff,: which-now';fayours'the.'Canadian-British manufacturer; as -against, foreign competitors by 33 1-3 per. cont.. .The' figures, are i-r ..,; '~; :> ,: v :-: '":::,;': "British Exports -: U.S. Exports - «"V'- : "''.'.'.' w-: ; i-:'(:■'<• Jto.Canada. ',:,to Canada.,'., Triennial penod.,,'Per Ceiit.i ;,-. Per Cent' ."■V.V1892-M- V..:.".;.';.:''' 35.54 .'."■''••■•'. 45.62 ' ; i,: .■■'■■■\: 1595-07 ,'• i.;....;.': 29.83 :■ ''.''.'•' "'51.41 ' ■'■" ■••"•.!-V-1898-00 ; ' r -..';...-.';i! : '25.27. , --'- ; "■■• "■'"■■ 59.21 '■ - v '' ,;-. -;!;1901 : O3v;,..;;...; : ;-25.15 ' ".. ':':.58.51' ' v;:;;;;.;190W18;:,; .„.;.;;. ;1 21.57 : ' j; ; , :; ;,59.63 ,"A'number of'British'trades have:succeeded in :Canada despite,the handicap of distance. In the trade for 1908-1 find thirteen groups .'.of,. imports '.(including -wool, .'cotton, earthenware,' flax, gunpowder, ,'lead, zinc,' oilcloth,: pickles, .paints,; ami salt) in which. Bri-tish-manufacturers, supplied over 50 per cent, of tho total.,; If this can still .bo done in 'some trades, .why'not. in others? ' ,•■■■■ •.. •'. . .The successes in'.the Canadian market supply .at least' some Indication' of tho. vaster opportunities which ithe British manufacturer has: not jet.exploited..; The'preference, of 33 1-3.per. cent, of British-made goods throws wide open, the,door arid to a very.large extent offsets the, advantage/enjoyed' by; the: United: States manufacturer in, his closer,contact with tho .Canadian field." ' ".■'.'■'•■ ~ Great Britain,.though ber'expbrts to Canada thus.sufier. by,comparison with:thoso of the .United States,-is Canada's best customer. Durinu tho Inst year, Canada sent goods worth to. Britain, and .£92,003,091 ■to tho I.United States. .UniUl'.States /Tariff. impositibiis will.,iio doubt accentuate this process, ' out'.whether Britain will reciprocate by sending moro. to, Canada,'.seems to depend largely ■on-: the "adaptability; of the English manufac.turcr. ;Accprdingj to,"The Times," Canada and the United States-were never more widely separated than they aro to-day, end • never ■wns-tho'-dosiro stronger: in Canada for closer trade relations with Britain. , ;'