Grey River Argus and Blackball News.

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1912, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News.

Dqlivered v erer^ inoriiing m*- Gretmoutb. Kumara, Hokitikii, --Dobson,. Wallsend, Taylorriile, Brutinertou.-JSfcillw-ater. Ngabere, BlackbiilJ, Nelsou Creek, Ahaiirn, Ikamatua, Waihta, Keefton, CrouodUu, Bunauga, DuiioUie, Gobden, Baxter's, Kokiri,« 1 - Kaimata, Aratika, Kotuku, Moitna,: Iliiru;v Te Kinga," Rotouiauu, Poetua, lucUbonuio (fl Jackspiiß »ud Otira- ■

_ ; THURSDAYv MAY; 9th, } 1912.;

'Mr:..H. _Page; Crofi, M.P. ;fbr Cliris;church in the Imperial Parliament, is making a great fuss about the . reciprocity scheme, tha: failed -' between Canada and the Uriited-.States. f It is evident from [ remarks that -he is endeavou'rin»- tb'inakc . the. House ber lJeye;-; that .President? • Taft was actuated,,:by : sinister ino,rives ;towards Canada ''in-- -trying to estabji'sh reciprocal trade 'relations .between the two.countries, and that. his,reaL ; object was to make /'Canada | an Adjunct ; of the United States. It" may-be s s aid ■•' at once that there is no: a tittle of. evidence on which ' such •an assumption could be based. The insinuation is merely one of those paltry dodges that so- often accotripany political feeling-. Mr - Croft also makesjuse -<>f ;'; the same unfounded; insinuation as - -a handle of attack against Jvlr. ;Bryce, ; the Ambassador of- his country, though he has had no more; to ■■ do; with v bringing- about the 11 defeat' or 6thei"\vise of -the reciprocity 1 proposals than the man in the moon. The whole - 'business turned ; on a (iuestion of^ politics. .The prime factor that secured the rejection of tlie Trea.y of- Reciprocity ; was the manu- ; . facturing viiirerests", 'of -that :

thought they saw in a policy of reciprocity m'Unical to their in.crests as manufacturers. It was precisely the same cause that defeated a policy of reciprocity in the linked rSt'ates for the last haJf century at least.' During all that time the- people of Canada were anxious that a system of mutual reciprocity should be established. Although the mass of the people on both .sides of the boundary 'line were eager for such . an arrangement, as being ibound 'to be mutually advantageous, the political c 'pull" of the manufacturing interest was always strong' enough to defeat the -object in view. In ihe ■ meantime Canada had begun 'to establish manufactures of her own, and when public opinion in the United Slates had sufficiently ripened to allow of reciprocity being carried, the Canadian manufacturers had become strong enough to defeat the reciprocal policy by tui'n'ing out the Laurier Government. There has been nothing sinister or tricky about President Taft's overturesHe had no more nociori of making Canada an adjunct of the UnitedStates than the Irish Home "Rule Bill contains a sin'istcr design against the Protestants of Ulster. President Taft could discern— as all impartial persons can discern — that such a system of exchange would greatly minister to the convenience and profit' of both nations. The tendency of the age is to break down all barriers to trade and draw people closer together. There is no more reason why a tariti wall should be erected ■becween Canada and 'the Un'Ued States than, there is for erecting trade barriers between the forty-five States of the American Federation, or the setting up of Customs' barriers between the different States of the German Federation. Each forms a woiild of its own and throughput wh'icli perfect free trade prevails. If Protection is such a good thing and so sound in principle as i:s supporters try to make out, why is it not made to apply to the . different States of America and Germany? Mr. Croft, and those -who hold the same narrow and prejudiced views, try to make people believe that Canada rejected President Taft's reciprocityproposals solely out of the exuberance of its -loyalty to the Mother Country. This is mere moonshine. • Loyal as Canada undoubtedly is, she does not ? aUow her loyalty to make her forget tlie first -.'/principle's, of business any more than New Zealand or Australia does in its "trade relations with' the Parent' State. Each and all of them exact a full equivalent for all they concede. it by no means follows that because the new Canadian Government saw fit to turn down President Taft's reciprocity scheme that ■tlie same policy will be endorsed by the- next Government. The change was affected by interested persons in precisely the same way 'in which great political issues have been always furthered or retarded for a time. . The defeat of, Presjdcn: Tafv's proposals was due entirely to good organisation and working" the cry of patriotism ingeniously and persistently. The issue was simply a contest be: ween a wealthy and powerful class against the interests of the people at large; and wealth and political organisation carried the day. Pavrioiism had no more to do with the issue than President Tafr had any idea of making Canada an adjunct of the United : Sta-cs. Every act of American policy is dead against such an assumption. Every care has been taken :tb avoid embroilment in the Mexican 'trouble, "though nothing would be easier than- for her to -occupy Mexico with an American army corps. Her attitude towards all the American Republics has been conciliatory and benevolent to a degree, though always ready to he*lp airy of ihe-m in resisting foreign invasion. After cleaning up dirty Cuba and "restoring order she handed it back to the Cubans. She has done more for the Philippines during her short occupation ihan Spain did in hundreds of years; and as soon as the .Filipinos are ft: 10 stand, alone they willbe given control of- their country. Mr. Page Croft, in making so much noise in the House of Commons over such an im aginary grievance; shows him self to be a charactei-istiic member of the" old "siupid. party," who; innocently deluded themselves with 'the idea that nothing^ that -is really wise or good is 'to lie found outside of its ranks. Mr Croft, "a privaite member, has no hesitation ih c : tellirifi- ithe Government that thfiy are ill-informed as to the nature of the American reciprocity proposals, and that Mr. Brycc should bo ''promoted .to another" sphere of usefulness." Even thexitmost House of Goinmons. effrontery could not go much further than Mr) Crof-r has done dye 'tn ; is reciprocity business. Yet the head of a British Government is expected to treat such 'a' farrago of nonsense- as came from Mr. Crof-" with patience and -studied courtesy; The Asquith Government are io - be sympathised Svith:' I ! '■"' V ' ' ..'■'. ■'' ' -' ■' "' '■ '■ ' " ■"