NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE terms of the very important Reciprocity Agreement between Canada and the United States were published on Thursday. The Agreement is not, of course, a Treaty, but only a series of recommendations by Commissioners which have yet to be submitted to. the Legislatures of both countries. There may be opposition in the United States, but there is no doubt that the principle of reciprocity has been carried many stages further than before by the very existence of the Agree- ment, and by President Taft's strong Message in its favour. The Agreement provides for the free exchange of natural, and especially of food, products, and for the reduction of duties on the manufactures of those products. Thus wheat, barley, oats, rough lumber, dairy produce, vegetables, and fruit become free, while the duties on flour and coal are reduced. The American State Department estimates that the United States will remit nearly £1,000,000 of duties and Canada £400,000; that the United States will put on the free list dutiable articles to the value of nearly £8,000,000 and Canada to the value of £4,200,000; and that the present American duties will remain in force upon only 9 per cent. of the total imports from Canada.
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