Daily Kennebec Journal

Great Greeting for Laurier at St. John.

St. John, N. B., Aug. 28.-Seven thousand people crowded into the Victoria rink for the opening of Sir Wilfrid Laurier's reciprocity campaign and thousands more were unable to gain admittance.

The city was decorated and illuminated. Sir Wilfrid was met at the depot by an immense crowd, who marched behind his carriage as he drove through the principal streets of the city. In the line were five bands and in addition to the multitudes on foot there were numerous automobiles and other vehicles. Besides the premier the list of speakers included local candidates and Charles Marcille of Quebec.

William Pugsley, minister of public works, was called upon for a report upon the dock situation and announced that an English concern was the lowest bidder. The matter, however, must go before the cabinet council before the contract can be awarded and the work of building the docks can be started.

Sir Wilfrid devoted his entire attention during the hour and a half that he was speaking to the question of reciprocity. He took up the objections raised during the conservative campaign, arguing that Canada would benefit by a remission of duties to a greater extent than would the people of the United States, and that the result of the treaty would be the natural flow of the reciprocity agreement would not endanger Canada's British connections, because, he declared articles covered by the proposed Washington agreement were of an altogether different character than those which Canada would import under the tariff agreement with Great Britain. In the former case, he said, it was the natural products that are concerned and in the latter the manufactured products.

He devoted some time to an argument against the annexation cry which he declared to be sheer nonsense.