SIR WILFRID LAURIEIVS REPLY 185 



complete free trade between Canada and the Mother- 

 land within ten years. 



5. "That the farmers of this country are willing 

 to face direct taxation in such form as may be 

 advisable to make up the revenue required under 

 new tariff conditions." 



Sir Wilfrid Laurier's reply was guarded. He 

 expressed surprise that Eastern farmers should have 

 joined Western in the petition. With the principle 

 of some of the demands he was in sympathy, but 

 with the question of the nationalization of railways 

 and public utilities he kept an open mind. 



With regard to Reciprocity the Government 

 wanted better commercial relations with the United 

 States, but "any change in trade relations" with 

 regard to manufactured products was a more 

 difficult matter, and "Nothing we do," he stated, 

 "shall in any way impair or affect the British 

 Preference ; that remains a cardinal feature of our 

 policy." 



The Toronto " Globe," the Liberal organ, regarded 

 the movement set afoot as destined to affect the 

 entire fiscal question. The growth of the West was 

 so rapid that in a dozen years it would be in a 

 position to dictate the fiscal policy of the Dominion, 

 and to ignore it would be folly. 



The St. John's ** Standard," a Conservative 

 journal, sought to discount the value of the memorial 

 by stating that the arguments were stale and nothing 



