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display before us shows that those who are interested in the growing of fruit can 

 compete with the United States or any other market intheworld without protection. 

 I cannot go to see the Minister of Customs on that delegation. If I did, I should 

 speak in the way I have now done. 



Mr. Henet.— This gentleman has spoken on behalf of the North- West Territories 

 and has found some fault with the way the fruit-growing is carried on in British 

 Columbia. These people do not go to the North-West to grow fruit; but they are 

 pleased to have a duty on grain or flour. I believe we have the same right to pro- 

 tection. We go to British Columbia to grow fruit. We want our industry to be pro- 

 tected until we get established; then we can compete with any country in the world. 

 Perhaps we cannot compete in all winter fruit, but in early varieties- — in plums and 

 such fruit — I am satisfied we can surpass anything I have ever seen anywhere else. 

 With regard to the lethargy that is spoken of, the great trouble is that the people 

 who went there first were not fruit-growers. People got into fruit-growing by finding 

 the fruit growing there. The people who are going in there now are of a livelier 

 class, and will make -it lively enough when they get properly started. The 

 Californians have had the market because they have a great glut of fruit. They do 

 not care what prices they get, so long as they get something for the stock that is on 

 their hatds. At the present time I am satisfied that we can supply a great portion 

 of the North-West with our fruits, and these other varieties of winter fruits can be 

 imported from Ontario. On this ground I favour the motion, which is aimed to give 

 us a chance to show what we can do. 



Mr. BuoKE. — A mistaken impression has gone abroad from what Mr. Oarling 

 said the other day about fruit being imported from the States. In looking over the 

 statistics I find that the principal importations were of small fruits. They come in 

 earlier than they ripen here. You can get strawberries in Ottawa now that are 

 brought in from the States. Mr. Blue, in a speech made before the Ontario Associa- 

 tion, said that as soon as the American fruits meet the Canadian fituit the American 

 fruit suffers, because ours are so much better than those brought in. Why do 

 you want to put a duty on those that come in earlier th:in ours ? If the climate of 

 Ontario is so much better than the climate to the south of us, I think we can com- 

 pete with them. 1 do not think we want any duty to keep American fruit out of 

 here. I see the imports of small fruits were $95,800, and I think under those 

 circumstances we do not want any duty. If you put any duty on fruits coming into 

 this country we will only be injuring ourselves. We would simply shut out 

 earlier fruits. 



Mr. Prankland. — It seems to me that this delegation is on the wrong ques- 

 tion. I think when the report of the Transportation Coinmittee comes in the true 

 remedy for British Columbia will be there recommended. It is not so much the 

 importation from the United States that we suffer from as it is the exorbitant rates 

 being paid on fruits being brought into Manitoba. 



Mr. Starkatt. — Perhaps it would be well for me to define the position of the 

 delegates from Nova Scotia. The reason why we do not care to support this motion 

 is that we raise large quantities of Gravenstein apples. That is one of our four 

 principal apples. Our principal markets for the Gravensteins is the United States 

 — in Boston or New York. If we impose a duty on fruit the Americans will prob- 

 ably retaliate, and we would be cutting off our market for the Gravenstein apples. 

 In the second place, we are growing small fruit to quite an extent. That is an in- 

 creasing industry, and promises to be of considerable importance. We also find a 

 market for small fruits in the United States, in Portland and Boston, and under im- 

 proved transportation facilities, we hope to make that a good market for small 

 fruit. Personally, I am a strong believer in the principle of protection — that is, 

 protection of the industries of Canada. I can sympathise fully with our friends 

 from Ontario, and were it not for the instructions that we received from our pro- 

 vincial association I for one would be strongly inclined to support you. That is 

 the position in which Mr. Starr and myself are placed. 



