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Show Americans Lose Their Own Trade Repeal of Tolls Exemption a Hard Blow to Lumber Interests In the .Northwest Thero Is a sharp rivalry between the lumbermen of Washington and British Columbia In which tht) question ques-tion of caral tolls cut an Important figure. The navigation laws restricting restrict-ing tho coastwise trade 'of tho United Unit-ed States to American ships are sup' plemented by laws requiring the owners own-ers of American vessels to maintain o certain standard In regard to the employment and treatment of crews, etc., which result in an Increased cost of operation as compared with vessels available to Drltlsh Columbia shippers. The competing lumbermen of the Northwest have been preparing to utilise tho new route to tho Eastern Eas-tern markets through tho canal and the producers on tho Amerlcnn s!dc of the border have- been counting on tho exemption of tolls as a factor, that would tend to equalize the cosj of transportation and glvo them nn opportunity to compete at least on even terms with llrltlsh Columbia producers. Tho repeal of tolls oxeraptlon will be a terrlfflc blow to the Northwestern Northwes-tern lumber Interests. Since lumber is ndmltted free of duty, there will be nothing to prevent llrltlsh Columbians Colum-bians from capturing tho Atlantic Coast market If Amorlcan ships aro taxed at the canal. Foreign ships may bo built for less money 'than American ships; they may feed thelv crews more cheaply: they may employ em-ploy coolies or any other low grado sailors, and If they are to pass thru tho canal on oven terms with vessels In tho coastwlso trado they will drive Amorlcan vessels out of tho lumber trade. This specific Instance of tlio benefits bene-fits that Canada would derive from tolls repeal is sufficient to explain tho pressure that has been brought upon Great Britain to -Insist uron the taxing of American ships through tho American gateway. Tho samo situation exists with regard to other products of Western Canada. Tho low tariff Invites Imports from Canada, Can-ada, and tho canal tax on American ships wou'd stimulate this trade to' the detriment of purely Amoclran trade between tho two coasts. It Is little wonder that Amerl'-uns nlong the Pacific Const are wondering wonder-ing why the Panama Canal whs built. They feel that the national admlnls; tratlon has made up Its mind to nullify nul-lify all the benefits that ought to how from protection to American Industries Indus-tries and protection to American commerce com-merce The tariff bars are down, nnd the canal toll gate Is to he put, up. Where Is the benefit to American Ameri-can producers and consumers In all this altruism? What docs the tsx payer get In return for Iho 1400,000,-0C0 1400,000,-0C0 expended at Pnnamn?--Washlng-Jon Post. |