RECIPROCITY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 51, 10 February 1911, Page 1

RECIPROCITY.

THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR PRESS ASSOCIATION. —CQPTRIGHI. j New York, Feb. 9. j Reciprocity is declared the great- ’ est political question of the hour in the United States. Mr. Taft’s ! statement regarding an extra sesI sion is likely to cause the Senate to I yield.

! JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN’S I . VIEWS. London, Feb. 9. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain in a let--1 ter to the Tariff Commission says he cannot help feeling that Canada I was rather premature. It migh| | have awaited the Imperial Confer-1 enee. The ratification of the agree- ; meat will mean a radical change of ' policy in Canada, which had hither- , to been independent and national. He adds that the fight for tai iff re ! form must be carried on wish unabated vigour.

NO DISCRIMINATION. Ottawa, Feb. 9. Mr. Fielding states that the Canadian Government views with alarm statements in the British press that riciprocity would be detrimental to trade between Canada anil Great Britain. The right to arrange British preference is unal tered. and no discrimination will be made favouring the United States.

THE EFFECT OF THE AGREE-! MEN T. London, Feb. 9. Tn the House of Commons, Mr. Austen Chamberlain said that the Canadian-American agreement was ' the mo't conclusive instance of the value of a tariff for the purpose of commereial negotiations. It would have a far-reaching effect and take Canada out of the Imperial orbit and draw her into the vortex of foreign politics. The agreement would hasten the. process in the United States which was throwing ; land out of wheat cultivation into other forms of cultivation, such as maize. America’s draining Canadian wheat supplies would result in dearer food and would also give an enormous stimulus to stock-raising in the United States, which would be placed in a more favourable position to secure Canada’s vast resources. There was more urgent need than ever for Great Britain to come to terms with the other dominions before they were beset by foreign suitors.

AN OPPOSITE VIEW. Mr. S. Buxton declared that the Government still believed that preference would be injurious to Great Britain and the Empire. Had preference been in force Canada would have had to consult them, and local interests would have been arrayed against British. This might have brought the chain binding the Empire almost to snapping point. Only 1?. per cent, of British imports tv Canada were affected. Seeing that America was a corn exporting country, the more Canadian wheat America imported, the more American would come to Great Britain. thereby lowering the price. SIR J. WARD’S DISCREET SILENCE. (Received 10. 9.25 a.m.) London, Feb. 9. Sir Joseph Ward has cabled the "Daily Express” in reply that as New Zealand is a sister Dominion of Canada, and so intimately concerned. he would rather not express his views of the proposal, which is of so great moment to the whole

! Empire. i The Premier’s message in this morning’s cables was in reply to a cable from the ’’‘Daily Express.” London, as follows“ How, in vonr view, does the Canadian Am- . erican agreement affect preference I and federation ?” SMOTHERING THE DEBATE.

Several Ministerialists, amid vigorous Opposition protests, declared ■that debate on the Canadian | agreement would cause mischievous reaction in Canada, as Mr. Austen 'hamberlain’s speech implied censure on Canadian statesmen.

Sir Gilbert Parker, Unionist member for Gravesend, said he believed the Canadian people welcomed discussion.