U.S. TARIFF RAISED

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1929, Page 15

U.S. TARIFF RAISED

INDIGNATION IN CANADA RETALIATION DEMANDED. ECONOMIC "VASSALAGE” FEARED. Vancouver, Juno 7. It becomes steadily evident with discussion of the tariff revision at Washington that Canada will seek new world markets to offset proposed drastic increases in United States duties on Canadian goods particularly of an agricultural nature. Imposts which hit Canada particularly will be placed on cattle and potatoes. While the Prime Minister, Mr. W, L. Mackenzie King, and several Cabinet Ministers, have declared that the Government will seo to it that Canadian interests are fully protected, members of the Conservative Opposition have been indicating clearly that they desire nothing more than to make an election issue of high tariffs. The Minister of National Revenue, the Hon. W. D. Euler, has suggested that special duties against United States fruits and vegetables, which were removed some years ago, be revived, and this proposal led to a conference of the Prime Minister and leading agricultural Commons members of the West. Leading newspapers throughout the Dominion, while perhaps naturally divided as to methods of combating the new United States duties, appear as a unit in demanding that Canada must take some action to protect its markets and not a few of them urge reciprocity treaties be secured with other nations. Particularly stressed is the fact that Canada is at present the best customer of t-ho United States. “WHAT’S CANADA GOING TO DO?” “What’s Canada going to do about it?” asks the Vancouver Sun, which goes on to say: “The present brazen way in which trade impositions against Canada are being bandied about by United States politicians in Washington is a reflection against the nationhood of Canada and a challenge to Canadian pride. Canada must instantly answer those new exactions and tariff taunts which her neighbour, blind to business common sense and drunk with money and power, seeks to impose upon her. Are Canadians to-day so poor in blood, in heritage and in natural resources that they have to submit to such a policy of humiliation and economic servitude?

“In 1922 United States put the Fordncy Tariff against Canadian manufactured products, wheat and cattle. Every year since then she has issued Treasury certificates, ‘T.C.’s* restricting and crippling Canadian trade until, to-day, Canadians are selling United States some 500,000,000 dollars’ worth of raw and semi-raw products, against the 900,000,000 dollars’ worth of highly-manu-factured goods which Canada buys annually from the United States. To make up these differences, Canadians have been gradually forced to separate from ownership of their businesses and ownership of their assets. How long can this go on and Canada remain Canada ? GERMANY'S M IST AKE.

“As if the present inequalities in trade against Canada were not good enough, it is now. proposed that Washington levy further duties and restrictions against Canada. hi 1914, commercially, the world was Germany's. If Germany then had had sense enough to have kept out of a war, to-day would occupy a very enviable world position; but Germany over-played her power and the world knows the result. In this year, 1929, the wealth and commercial leadership and power of the world very easily can be held by the United States, but only if he deals fairly and equitably in trade with those nations who would like to trade equitably with her. If she insists on trying to drive her economic competitors into vassalage, there is no course left for smaller nations but to adopt measure to protect themselves. What's Canada going to do about it?”

“NO TRADE WITH FOREIGNERS.”

“It would, be a mistake,” asserts the Manitoba Free Press, “for the Canadian people to regard this action by the United States as inspired by deliberate hostility to Canada. The people of the United States, have, wo think, very kindly feelings towards the people of this country; but, of course, this must not interfere with their national religion of worshipping their great Mum-bo-Jumbo.

“No trade with 'foreigners,* The theory and practice of protection arc being pushed into their logical conclusion south of the line. Once upon a time they levied duties to encourage ‘infant industries,’ infants which have since grown to prodigious proportions. Then protective duties were defended on the ground that they equalled productive costs between the United States manufacturer and his foreign competitor. “But all these defences and explanations of protection have not gone overboard, The people of the United States have now got to the point where imports in themselves are accursed if they enter into competition with the native‘article. In pursuit of the 100 per cent, market they have, for the forty- second time, put up their tariff, and when they liud, as they will ultimately, that the“objectiv o cannot be reached by restrictive duties, they will be logical enough perhaps to proceed to the embargo. They will then be as civilised, fiscally, as the Chinese were several thousands*of years ago.

"EMPIRE TRADE TILE REMEDY. 55 Ihe growing protectionist mania of the United States people makes them an increasingly disturbing element in the world, and in particular creates difficulties and problems for Canada. Canadians might as well realise that for tho present, and perhaps for a generation to come, it will be useless for them to try to cultivate and establish permanent trade relations with the United States. That country will continue to buy from Canada because her people cannot help themselves, but no particular line, of export business to the United States is safe for a minute in the light of tho attitude, of the United States legislators. . A Canadian who would invest money in preparing a particular article for the United States market would, under existing conditions, take a gamblfn" chance. To the extent that the United states buys in Canada we are in luck, but the conscious effort of the Government of this country and of its people