Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-30
Saturday, December 80, 1905
Tariff in Maine.

the opening of the present session of
Congress, the following interview with
him appeared in the Washington Star:
Representative Burleigh Of Maine, a
White House caller today, is not of the
opinion that the Massachusetts demand
for reciprocity and tariff revision has
reached the people of Maine. He be-
Iieyes they are satisfied with existing
conditions under the tariff. In talking
TO a Star reporter today, Mr.. Burleigh,
said:
There Is no sentiment in Maine. so
far as l have been able to ascertain. in
favor of tariff changes. The people of
our State were never so prosperous as
they are at the present time, ana
naturally do not look with favor upon
proposed changes of existing law, which
in their judgment would only work to
their Disadvantage For about $50
miles Maine borders upon the Dominion
Of Canada. There is scarcely an i'll
dustry that contributes in any great
degree to our prosperity that is not
duplicated upon the other side of the
line. This Is particularly true of the
agricultural, lumber and pulp interests,
WHOSE UlRutSl welfare siDSoiultiy
sential to the continued growth and
prosperity of our State. A reduced
tariff on the products Of any of these
industries would simply subject them
to an Increased Canadian competition
in our home market without compen-
sating advantages. The difficulty with
tariff reduction is that every section of
the country will insist that its own
special interests be let severely alone
and that whatever cuts may be made
in protective duties shall be imposed
upon the special interests of other sec
tons. In my Judgment, the inevitable
result would be, if the door We're
opened, that all sections Of the country
would suffer by it. Personally, see no
reason for meddling with the matter.
Existing conditions have brought about
the most general and far-reaching
prosperity in the history of our country.
Why. then, should we wish to change
them? | do not believe that there is
any substantial desire among the
American people for tariff changes. the
result Of which in all probability,
would be to unsettle the present optim-
istic and confident spirit that prevails
III NoiIh, lostSi anu
uncertainty and bring about the hard
times that always follow a general cur
tailment of private and public enter
prise. In view of the present highly
satisfactory business conditions pre-
vailing throughout the country l am
empha tically of the opinion that it will
be the part of sound Judgment to let
well enough alone
AS might have been anticipated the
foregoing interview called forth con-
siderable criticism from certain Demo-
cratic papers. In view of these criti-
cisms it will be interesting to see just
how the leading industries of our State.
viz, agriculture, lumber and pulp, are
protected under the existing tariff law,
a measure framed under the immediate
of n distinguished son of Maine, who
while legislating broadly for the highest
welfare of the country as a whole at
the same time saw to it that no vital
interest of his state was sacrificed.
The foremost interest of Maine is agri-
culture. Here is the tariff duty the
Canadian farmer must pay before he
can come into the great American
market-the finest in the world-to
compete with the farmer of Maine
Cattle. 1915 per head: swine. $50 per
head; horses. $50 per head; sheep. 81. 50
per head: oats, Is cents per bushel: but
ter and cheese cents per pound; eggs
cents per dozen: hay. s4O0 per ton;
straw. S1.50 per ton; potatoes, % cents
per bnshel; wool, L. cents per pound.
Do the farmers of Maine take any
stock i'm the talk of those who under
take to tell them that this protection is
not vital element in their prosperity.
DO they believe that it means nothing
TO them to be protected from Canadian
and foreign competition on their cattle
'heir swine. their sheep. their oats.
butter, cheese, potatoes, hay. straw.
eggs and wool? Most certainly they do
not Tor they are intelligent citizens who
read and study, these questions for
themselves. They answered these
questions with their votes at the last
election, as they will answer them in
e'ec''ohs to come, for they recognize
the vital fact that the protection thew
ENJOY today. under the present tariff
law is absolutely vital to the prosnaritv
of the agricultural interests of our
state. Nowhere was this answer mora
emphatic than in the great farr;ry
county of Aroostook. where the tide %
republican success rolled higher than
s,eyer before in its history Tho s,na,
ers Of Aropstook. living on tho Mnn
brunswick border. knew full VOL ne
menace of Canadian competi,ion rsn
knew that the spring before n,hor .n
were finding a market for their ,a.a
toes at sl.oO a bushel. POTATOES r no
Selling in New Brunswick At 60 oo..
pashel' They recognized clearly ~,
their prosperity, like that &C =. -, -
farmers of Maine. was b,sea a.S' ',
ND