1048





The   Record   and   Guide.





September 26, 1885





Cartwright and Mr. MiUs, are robbed by the industrial monopolies created
under the American tariff, and deprived by the same oppressive instru¬
ment of all the benefits deri^'able from free intercourse with the Old World.
WiU somebody tells us how Mi*. Pattullo and his frionds can reconcile the
advocacy of commercial union with the party's advocacy of free trade?
What would be thought of Bright if he were to preach commercial union
with France and Belgium upou tho basis of the Belgian aud French
tariffs? Commercial uniou is incompatible not only with Iho free trade
views of these young men, but also with their aspirations for the political
independence of Canada. Free trade between the Dominion and
the States would, at the outset, place Canadian industries afc the
mercy of all-powerful and conscienceless rivals. Our irou and steel
shops, furniture factories, cotton mills, sugar refineries, shoe shops and
agricultural implement foundries would at once find themselves
face to face not merely with formidable rivals, but with rivals who would
resort to every conceivable device to compass theu* ruin. If tho day ever
came for the abrogation of the treaty, it would probably be found that the
older provinces of Canada had been resolved back to the condition of a
pastoral community, rais-ing flocks and herds for barter with the American
mechanic aud wheat grower. At all events we should emerge from the
Union practically undone as a progressive people, since even wifch free
access to the American market our manufacturers could not hope to hold
their own against the overwhelming weight of American capital, backed as
it would be by American experience in industrial occupations, and by
American wealth in such essentials as coal, iron and cotton. Would such a
course of training be lil^ely to fit us for assuming the duties and obligations
of political independence ? How can young men who long for a Canadian
republic support a scheme for emasculating the colony i Further, commer¬
cial union could not fail to sap the foundations of confederation. If the
maritime provinces wore annexed to the Umted States commercially for a
period of t^n or twenty years, how should we charm them back again to
the old store i They would not have entered confederation in 1867 had ifc
nofc happened that the reciprocity ti'eaty of 18.54 had just expUed, and that
they saw no way of recovering the New England markefc. Commercial
union would also deprive us of the Northwest, for we should never be able
to coax or compel the settler to deal with Toronto and Montreal
again if he had the run of the Sfc. Paul and Chicago markets
for any lengthened period. The Week will no doubt retort that
this is a confession that confederation is au attempt to divert trade from
the natural channels. We answer that in some respects it is; that there
aro few countries in the world of whose political systems the same may
not to some extent be said. If what Seward called the argument from the
configuration of the continent is to be logically pursued, as the Week so
often suggests, then politieal annexation as well as commercial union is our
doom. But the Young Liberals challenge the correctness of that hj'poth-
esis, and declare that independence is the destiny, and should be the aim
of the Canadian people; aud we are calling tlieir attention to the fact thafc
commercial union would render the fulfillment of thafc dream impossible,
for it would dismember the country upon whose development into a homo¬
geneous State the vision is based. To sum up the ndopfciou of commercial
union by the Young Liberals involves the abandonment of the doctrines
of free trade and " Canada First," with which they have always been
identified. It has already been shown that it would also involve the sun¬
dering of the connection with Britain, for to place ourselves under the
Americau lariff would be to discriminate against the mother country, and
therefore to invoke the severence of the tie. British connection is uot per¬
haps held in much esteem by the callow philosophers who are being sent to
the convention; but if they are sincere in advocating independence they
cann'iAsupport a movement that would precipitate disintegration; nor, if
they. *e orthodox Liberals, preach the Americanization of our tariff. If
tho ynuug men will consult some trusted friend like Mr. Mackenzie, he will
say that the journals which are urging them to stultify themselves do not
want independence but annexation, and are prepared to recant free trade
and everything else that stands in tho way of their sinister ambition.
—Toronto Weekly Mail.

Alien Land Monopoly.

The questions of land-holding and title to real estate in the Uuited States
demand seai'ching investigation in the interest of reform and of the actual,
individual, intending settler. A cablegram has just announced that " Gen¬
eral" Booth, of the ISalvatiou Army of England, has invested the large sum
of $1,250,000 in real estate in this country. When so un com mere ial an insti¬
tution as this finds ifc to its interest to invest such a large capital in Amer¬
ican lands, some idea may be had of the enormous sums disposed of in a
similar manner by individuals, business firms, and corporations of that
country. In fact, the amount of such investments is so great as to call for
a warning from a late London Econoinist, and to indicate that large sums
under the deterrent mfluence of low prices for agricultural realty in Eng¬
land are being diverted to realty in the United States. In its timely warning
to British investors the Economist treats them to much excellent advice.
Among other homely and truthful thrusts delivered to British speculators
iu American lauds it informs them that they cannot bo surprised at bringing
down a storm of unpopularity ou their heads when they fiy in the teeth of
laws intended to protect settlers, or, worse still, endeavor to undermine
them; that they have not dealt honestly with the American land system or
the American people, hence the prejudice they have raised against them¬
selves all over the States. The advice of the Economist these alien specula¬
tors would do well to heed, not but that America is oue of the finest fields
for investments of foreign capital when such do not run counter to popular
rights and prejudices. When such is the cose, however, and these investors
violate or circumvent laws enacted to protect settlers, they must be pre¬
pared to take the consequences.—Chicago News.

American Leather Abroad.

The present consul-general at London, ex-Governor Waller, of Con¬
necticut, has made his first consular report. It relates to leather and tho
boot and shoe trade of Great Bi'itain. There is no part of the country more
interested in this matter than Chicago. Thousands of cattle are slaughtered
and dressed in Chicago daily. The hides aro owned here aud in a large
measure tanned here. Whatever effects, however indirectly, the value of
leather concerns Chicago more than any other city in the Union. About
seven thousand firms are engaged in the leather handling in one way or
another in London and its suburbs. Last year the United States exported
to Great Britain 2'.*,4::i0 hundred weight of wofc and 4,U0 hundred weight of
dry hides. Bufc fchis is not a pi ofitable trade. AVheu it comes to raw hides
the Uuited States cannot attempt to compete with South America and
Australia. It is far more encouraging to know that more than half the
dressed leather imported mto England goes from the United States. There
are two particularly discreditable features of the report. First,
the value of American leather is not more than one-half
that per pound of French leather. No doubt this is largely
due to the fact that we ship sole leather and tho French uppers,
to a large extent, but after making due allowance for all this ifc remains
thafc the quality of American leather is inferior; at least it has that reputa¬
tion. This is a needless national reproach. This country ought to make as
good leather as can be made anywhere. There is no tannic preparation
equal to bark, and if there is a prejudice against hemlock, as compared with
oak, there is, we I'epeat, no reason why that prejudice should uot be over¬
come. John BuU clings tenaciously to his whims, but stUl they can be
made to disappear under proper treatment. The second point in mind is
that Americau inventions in the Une of making boots and shoes have been
largely copied. The British manufactm-ers were forced to adopt American
improvements.    Otherwise they would have been undersold in their own





markets, and their trade wrested from them upon an enormously large
scale. What is true in the boot and shoe trade holds good on a large scale.
The fact is that if it were possible to confine American inventions to Amer¬
ica, that of itself would not only serve as ample protection from foreign
compefcifcion, bufc give fchis counfcry an irresistable advantage in competition
in the great marts of Europe. In a word, it is only by the use of American
weapons that Europe is able to protect itsolf against American skill, enter¬
prise and industry.—Chicago Infer-Occan.

The Telegraph Conference.

At the international telegraph conference which has recently been held at
Berlin, the chief obstacles iu tho way of securing uniformity in rates were
the wishes of some of the European governments to make a profit out of
their telegi-aph systems, and the unwillingness of the cable lines owned by
private companies to bi-ing themselves under the rules governing ordinary
telegraphic business. The idea of having a uniform scale of prices for the use
of the telegraph, just as there is a uniform scale of postal charges, originated
with the pstmaster-general of Germany, and he has done all that a man
could do to make converts to his views of those who attended the conference
at Berlin. But it has been pointed oufc that, whUe such a system might be
advantageous to a country located in tho centre of Europe, as Germany is,
it would entail a loss to the government telegraph systems of those countries
w^hich are on the border of Europe, such as Sweden and Norway, Italy aud
Spain. They would receive nothing for transnntting messages, except those
that were sent either to or frora their respective countries, while Germany,
on the other hand, might hope to share in the profits of a large part of tho
international business carried on over her domain. The cable companies
are so thoroughly bound up in their pooling systems that they could not or
wouid not see the possibilities of profit in the plan which the committee of
the conference suggested. Indeed, it raay be admitted that the time has
not yet come for treating tho rates of cable lines in the sarae way that ordi¬
nary telegraphic rates are treated. On the land, each reduction in rate is
almost always foUowed by an exceedingly large increase in business, but it
is denied that the sarae proportionate increase in business results from a
reduction m the rates of charges established by the cable companies. The
international conference was, in many ways, a satisfactory gathering, aud
a nearer approach was made towards harmonious action than had pre¬
viously been attained; but it will require time and more extended experi¬
ence to buUd up au organization of international telegraphs simUar to the
International Postal Union.—Boston Herald.

Where the Choicest and Cheapest Iron is Made.

The U'ou deposits of Alabama are receiving a good deal of attention in
EngUsh trade circles. Manufacturers have senfc experfcs to examine the
region and make estimates on the cost of producing iron in that State, and
the reports have been so favorable thafc a company is said to be forming  to

Eurchaso laud in the vicinity of Talladega and erect a furnace. The
london/roji Trade Exchange says fche company is already formed, with
a capital of $250,000, and negotiations for the purchase of 2,0i.0 acres of
land rich in deposits of brush, needle and manganiferous ores, completed.
The experts report that at Talladega the best quality of hematite pig uou
can be made at a cost of no more than $8.98 per ton—in round figures, $9
l)er ton. The cost includes an allowance of $1.50 for interest and repairs.
They say: '' The d istance from fui'nace to river for shipment
is 100 railes, and tha railway freight about 3s. per ton. The
land surrounding the furnace can be sold for nearly suffi¬
cient to cover the cost of the plant. There is also au abundant
supply of tho finest fire clay on the estate, and fire brick would be
made for the furnace at minimum cosfc. Tho vender proposes fco take shares
in the company for tbe whole amount of the price to be fixed on the mines,
and to receive no money whatever for the same. The iron can be deUvered
to the iron districts of the Northern States at a rauch less price than it cau
bo manufactured there, after adding a profit of Sl^a ton." Northern iron-
makers have known of the facilities offered in Alabama for iron making for
years. They cannot view with unconcern this mvasion cf foreign capital
in the hands of foreigners. But they must blame themselves for permitting
outsiders to take possession of the choicest iron district in the Uuited States.
For ifc IS the choicest, if all that is said of the cost and quality of the iron
that can be made there, and of the cost aud quality of the iron made in
Pennsylvania, Ohio, VUginia and New York, is true. It raay not be too
late for American capitalists to get possession of and work the Alabama
mines.    But there is no time to waste.—Utica {Xcju York) Herald.

The Canadian Pacilic Extension.

The almost unnoted opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway from HaU-
fax to the Rocky Mountains is neverthless a most important event in the
history of raUway buUding on this continent. Among the trade questions
which this new line opens up for the consideration of the northwest, espe¬
ciaUy Chicago, is the effect which it will have in diverting trade frora the
older and more southerly routes. Duluth has already become an active
competitor with Chicago iu tho grain trade. Now, Port Arthur, north of
Duluth, and at the western end of Lake Superior, comes forward as a compet¬
itor of Duluth. It will be the eastern terminus on that lake of the Canadian
Pacific line, stretching frora the Pacific to the raost westerly of the great
chain of inland lakes and waterways. There thus promises to be a notable
rivalry between this road just completed and those on the Americau side of
the boundoi'y.—Chicago News.

The Lumber Supply.

The lumber mauufacturers at their annual meeting at the Grand Pacific
are giving special attention to the matter of production and price. There
is perhaps no business in v^'hicb raore improvement has been raade in what
may be called tho manufacturing processes than in the lumber business.
All the ingenuity of the inventive and practical minds in the lumber trade
has been dUected to tho unprovement of mill machiuery and to the j^erfect-
ing of schemes looking to the transportation of logs and lumber. Wide
districts of timber land have been purchased with a view to the transporta¬
tion of logs from the point of gi'owth to places where mills could be advan¬
tageously located. 1 imber lands have beeu bought on streams and rivers
or on railways, and miUs have been located at points within easy reach of
the markets. In the gathering of logs aU the energies have beeu directed to
the speedy cutting and to the means of easy transportation to the mUl.
Lumbermen have combined to brmg about a system in logging
that is almost perfect. They have made the seasons come to their
aid, and have thought more of getting logs to the mill than of the future
of the lumber business. They have devoted all their energies to stripping
the lands of timber, and have given very Uttle attention to the future of the
lands after the timber has been taken frora thera. They have succeeded in
reducing logging to a science; but this is only one step, the first in a busi¬
ness which in the Northwest is scarcely second to any other. In the old
times the saw mills, pushed to their best, could not supply the demand. The
demand, of course, increased with the settlement and improvement of the
country, but it has not increased as rapidly as has the supply. The saw
mills of the lumber regions of to-day are as much in advance of the saw
raiUs of thirty years ago as are the perfecting printing presses of this day in
advance of the first rotary presses. People wuo get their idea of the saw
miU from the establishments outside of the lumber regions have little idea
of the capacity of the mills in which lumber is manufactured. One of the
great miUs in the Michigan lumber district wiU handle from 1,000 to 1,500
logs every day. The mills wiU probably average 5,000 logs a week or
20,000 logs a month. AU the ingemuty and energy of the lumbermen
has been directed to the quick handling of these logs or the rapid turoiug