Trade Relations with the United States. 305 
nations. For some reason entirely their own, they have 
seen fit to embody in the McKinley Tariff Bill, the 
principle of reciprocity as expressed in Se6lion 3 of that 
law, which is too well-known to require quoting ; and in 
pursuance of that clause they have called upon us to 
come to terms with them so that our sugars may be ad- 
mitted free of duty into their country. 
So far then they stand on a perfectly legal basis. 
Whether their motive is a political or an economic one, 
it is left for them to decide. They have induced other 
and larger countries and colonies like Germany, Brazil, 
Spain and the Spanish colonies, as well as the West 
India Islands and this colony, into tariff concessions to 
them for the free admission of the sugars which these 
countries and colonies produce ; and the question remains 
for us to decide : — are we gaining or losing by our 
Reciprocity Treaty with the United States ? 
My answer is that this treaty is a decided benefit to 
this colony. We have to ask ourselves : 
First — Supposing our sugars were not admitted into 
the United States free of duty and were therefore 
excluded from that country, what would be the result on 
the value of our annual sugar crop. 
And secondly — Having obtained through our Reci- 
procity Treaty the free admission of our sugars into the 
United States, is it at too great a cost in the concessions 
we have made, or not ? 
I shall now endeavour to deal with the first question. 
If our sugars were excluded by the United States 
we should necessarily have to seek a market for them 
elsewhere at such prices as we can obtain for them 
in that country. Where else can our produce be sold at 
