26 CANADA AND THE EMPIRE.

was concerned. If this benefit was greater than
the loss entailed by the loss of the United States
grain traffic, they would acquiesce in the new state
of things, but if not, the whole of their great power
and influence would be thrown into the scale against
Imperial reciprocity. However, since the export
of United States corn is destined to diminish,
ultimately the preference and the abolition of
bonding privileges must be to the advantage of
Canadian railways.
But in winter, shipping insurance rates along the
ice-bound St. Lawrence are so large that Montreal
becomes impossible. This would entail shipping
from St. John or Halifax. This would mean a
longer railway journey, heavy freight rates, still
further profits for the railway companies. The
whole 6 cents of preference would probably be
swallowed up by increase of railway transportation,
 and it is very doubtful indeed whether the
farmer would gain anything at all.
It will therefore be seen that as far as the internal
advantages which Canada might derive from the
preference on her food-stuffs are concerned she does
not stand to gain what she is not already gaining at
the present moment. What gain there would be
could only arise from an acceleration in the present
rate of development, although even this is doubtful,
for development, as has been shown, is so rapid that
acceleration seems impossible. It is not, indeed,
difficult to understand the attitude adopted by the
manufacturers, who are, as we have said. almost the