PAYMENT OF DUTY 8i 



and it is widely believed that ultimately, in every 

 case where a duty is levied, the consumer pays 

 that duty. The conditions of trade now are so 

 different from what they were formerly, and the 

 extent of the world's trade is so great compared 

 with what it was, even a hundred years ago, 

 that it is time to reconsider some of the doctrines 

 that long ago were reasonable enough. 



If the consumer always pays the whole duty 

 on a commodity, the producer pays nothing, no 

 producers ever pay any duty. If the consumers 

 of a particular commodity in Canada pay the 

 whole duty levied on that commodity, the 

 producers of that commodity, no matter who 

 they are, pay no part of the duty. What matter 

 then if 50 per cent, be levied on the productions 

 of one country, and only 25 per cent, on the 

 productions of another? The consumer pays. 

 There can be no advantage in any so-called 

 preference given to one country over another. 

 Why, then, is so much made of the preference 

 granted by Canada to Great Britain ? 



All nations do what they can to secure for 

 themselves by commercial treaties the most- 

 favoured-nation clause. What is that favour ? 

 The reduction of duties. Why is that a favour, 

 of what use is it, if the consumers are going 

 to pay the duty ? 



A few years ago Great Britain levied a duty 

 on wheat. Some householders think they then 

 paid more for their bread, others aver they did 

 not, and both may be true and correct opinions. 

 The price of wheat may vary very much without 

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