Transcription
Ottawa, June 30, 1938.
Dear Friends -
We have now come to the end of a long and barren Session of Parliament, a Session more noted for its emptiness than for what it accomplished in legislation designed to solve the problems of the people and promote the prosperity of Canada.
You will remember that the Leader of the Liberal Party in the Election of 1935 made his appeal for support on the ground that Provincial Governments across the Dominion being Liberal, it required only that the Federal Government should be of the same political persuasion in order to bring about harmony and co-operation in a common cause to the general advantage. Well, Mr. King was returned to office with an unprecedented majority and what followed? Not in the seventy years that have elapsed since Confederation has friction between Dominion and Provincial Governments been so sharp, disunion so marked, as in the last two years. The truth is that Rt. Hon Mackenzie King set about the task of restoring harmony in the wrong way. He appointed a Royal Commission to visit the various provinces to ascertain their grievances, instead of summoning a Conference of Provincial Premiers, as was done by Sir John Macdonald when seeking Confederation. The Royal Commission has started a game of grab by the Province; that and nothing more.
Nor does Mr. King preside over a happy, harmonious family. In his parliamentary party are found Western Free Traders willing to destroy the industries of the central provinces, deprive thousands of artisans and mechanics of employment, thereby lessening the market for farm and garden products, and those who favour currency inflation, advocating an outpouring of paper money from the printing press, in ignorance of the fact that such a plan has been tried in France, in Germany and in nearly every state of the United States at one time or another, with national bankruptcy at its end.
I have referred to the barrenness of the Session. Search the measure enacted into law and you will search in vain for any piece of legislation in aid of the farmer. No! that statement must be modified. The Budget placed "gopher poison" on the free list, for which great boon the farmers of Carleton County are expected to be duly thankful!
The Government is now negotiating for a renewal of the Trade Agreement of 1935 with the United States. Concurrently, the United States is seeking a Trade Agreement with Great Britain, to effect which Canada is asked to surrender some of the preference on agriculture products which Rt. Hon R.B. Bennett obtained in the Ottawa Treaty in 1932. Many years ago there was this popular couplet in England:-
"In matters of commerce the fault of the Dutch Is giving too little and asking too much".
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And the same can be said for our American neighbours. Under the Trade Agreement with the United Stated now in operation, the balance of our commerce with that country has become an unfavourable one. Imports from the United States have very greatly increased in the last three years, while Canadian exports to that country have heavily declined. The fact is we cannot have reciprocal tariffs with the United States, for the reason that President Roosevelt has not power to place any article of commerce on the American free list, not to reduce by more than 50% the prohibitively high tariff rates of that country. Be sure of this: In trade negotiations with the United States, the dice are always loaded against Canada.
With this letter I send you a copy of my recent speech on the Budget. Particularly with I call your attention to my disclosure of the great cost, the wasteful extravagance of the many Royal Commissions set up by the present Government. All figures quoted are from Official Government Records. Mr. King passes the buck to a Royal Commission whenever a knotty problem confronts him, and the people pay. What so you farmers, what so you working men in the city and town, what do you reasonable, fair-minded men everywhere think of a Government which pays $250 and expenses a day to a lawyer attached to one or other of these Commissions? Extravagance, little short of an outrage!
As a last word, and I hope not too laudatory a one, may I say that I endeavour to discharge the duties of the high place with which you have honoured me by close attention to the proceedings in the House of Commons, by participation in debates, and particularly, by seeking to serve the interests of the people of the historic and fine constituency of Carleton.
Yours faithfully,
[signature of A.B. Hyndman]Transcriber
Sarah HollaLanguage
English
