Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1904-07-14
FARMING INTERESTS.
DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF FREE
TRADE WITH CANADA.

why New England AEriculfurists
would Protest Against Competition
with the Products of Cheaper Land
and Cheaper Labor.
A great deal is heard from those
who advocate reciprocal trade rela-
tions with Canada of the slight disad-
vantage which 1T is said would follow
the admission of natural products into
New England 1t is felt that since the
Industries of New England have
changed somewhat in character i'll the
process of time, so that no longer, IN
Massachusetts at least is farming the
chief business, the Introduction of such
articles of domestic production as
would naturally be sent to these mar
kets for disposal by Canadians would
be in no way detrimental to our COM
mercial welfare and prosperity.
Aside from the viciousness of pol
icy which abandons one section OF the
country in its effort to build up an
other, let us see If 1t is fact, as
claimed, that the farming interests of
New England can be antagonized with
impunity.
First of all it should be remembered
that farming is easily the largest SIN
gle industry in the country. 1t enlists
$4,000 100000 of capital, embraces
One-third of all the industrial workers,
and its followers constitute the great
cr bulk of the middle class of the COM
munity. In short, financially as well
as politically, the farmers hold the bal
ance of power.
AS the general conditions of the coun-
try have improved, as educational IA
cilities have become more easily avail
able in the rural districts, the equip
ment for industrial efforts improved
and better means of communication es-
tablshed, healthy reaction has come
to pass in favor of agricultural pur-
suits of all kinds. Scientific inveStiga-
ton and research have also tended to
place farming upon II more solid basis,
and it is being more eagerly approach
ed from a business standpoint than at
any previous time in the history of the
country In spite of all this there are
still thousands of acres of unreclaimed
land only waiting the touch of the
p!owshare to spring into fertility. and
there are still other thousands of acres
which have been neglected for the fac
tory and the mill.
SO it would seem that, taken alto
gcther, the industry of farming is not
one to be lightly ignored or neglected
But it is not the purpose of this paper
to urge broader or national treat
mrnt of the question of reciprocity
with Canada 1t will be sufficient If
we have called attention to the I'M
portance of this industry, both singly
and in relation to many others, all OF
which contribute alike to the welfare
of the country.
We would like, however, to show that
farming is today by no means neSli-
gibie factor in the commercial life of
New England 1t is true that the shop
ard the factory have received the
greatest impetus from the general
prosperity which has set in since the
United States adopted the policy of
protecting its own. Throughout New
England can be seen on every hand
evidences of the gradual shift of indus
try from the field to the workshop, but
statistics will happily show the re-
claiming of the soil in these states IN
the same gradual way which, as we
have already noted, has become COZ
mon in the history of the country at
large.
Moreover, as is easily proved by Il
comparison of the figures taken from
reports concerning New England and
some other corresponding territory III
the west, say the state Of Michigan
or Iowa, we find that New England,
with total land area of $4,000 square
miles against $1,000 for Michigan AEl
$1,000 for Iowa. has still nearly DOG
600 farms to 203, 900 for Michigan al /
10000 for Iowa. On these farms.
which are worth approximately S64O,-
GO0.0OO in Massachusetts, SG9000o.00o
il Michigan and 81, ,S35, 100000 in Iowa,
10000 persons are employed in Massa-
chusetts, $4,000 in Michigan and 3I2,-
0O0 in Iowa.
Are not these figures interesting
against the assurances we have been
receiving that farming in New England
is an antedated industryf And to
strengthen the claim that Is rightly
made by those who have the best in
terests of New England at heart that
she is not yet in position to establish
an open door for the natural products
of any other country we shall lind. II
we delye little further into stats
ties, that the value produced per acre
on these same New England farms Is
$40 against $l2 per acre for Michi'
gan and S12 for Iowa.