Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-06
Thursday, June 6, 1907.
Maine Interests VS.. Free Trade.

lumber VIII also mean free Canadian
pulp, paper, livestock, and agricultural
products" That's what We ought to
have. We ought to have free
Canadian livestock and free Canadian
agricultural products. So we can have
more to eat. The thousands of people
working in the mills of Maine ought to
be allowed to get their bread and meat
and vegetables and fish and fruit
where they can get them cheapest. We
ought to have free food from Canada.
Lewiston Sun.
Our Lewiston contemporary seems
vastly more concerned to give the peo-
pie Of Maine a chance to spend their
money than it does a good opportunity
to earn it. One thing is certain they
will never spend it until they get it.
The Sun frankly asserts that our two
greatest interests, agriculture, and the
lumber, wood pulp and paper business,
should be subjected to unrestricted
competition with Canada. The last
census gave the number of farmers in
Maine rs 1926 with annual products
amounting to $37, 113, 49G 1t also showed
S73 lumber, pulp and paper mills, which
represent an invested capital of $32, 900,
Goo, which furnished employment to|
more than 1000 men and turned out an
nual products aggregatirg SIG. 1866. In
addition to the men directly employed
by the mills, must be included several
thntIEnnI No itpi AZ
winter employment cutting timber on
their own wood lots.
Surely the interests of these two fore
most Industries of Maine furnishing n
means of livelihood to 1O2, 600 of our
citizens who turn out annual agricul
thral and timber products aggregating
jcopardzed by any one having at heart
the interests Of the State Of Maine. If
they are to be deprived Of the protec-
ton afforded them by the Dngley
tariff law, and under which they have
prOspcrcd as never before in their his
tory, there should certainly be some
b'lttT reason lbT IL IMAM any we nave
yet seen. The reason given by the
sun IS this:
''The thousands of people working in
the mills OF Maine ought to be allowed
to get their bread ana meat and vegn-
tables and fish and fruit whore they
can get them cheapest. We ought to
have free food from Canada
But practically all these thousands
Of people who are working in the mills
of Maine are working in protected
best wages they have ever received, for
under the Dmglcy law wages have
steadily advanced. Possibly it may have
escaped the notice of the editor Of the
sun that only last Monday the 100000
cotton operatives Of New England re-
ceivcd five pr cert. advance, and the
drfnrl states that this is the fifth adj
vance in wages since 1899, making
total increase of 50 per cent Posi-
bly, the sun overlooked the fact that
a large part Of the thousands of peo-
pie working in the mills of Maine" are
working in the S73 lumber, pulp and
paper mills of our state Certainly if
the advice of the sun were followed and
free lumber, pulp ana paper were
brought from Canada these thou
sands of people" would no longer
be working in these mills of
Maine" at the present top-notch
wages Under such circumstances
thcy would not be 50 much con-
ccrncd with the problem Of getting
their dread and meat and vegetables
and FISH ana fruit at lower prices" as
they would with the problem of getting
them ut all.
ave ought 10 have free food from
Canada" declares the sun. Well we
have. in round numbers. 5000 farmers
in Maine raising food and getting first
class prices for it, So far as we have
observed none of them are in favor of
the cheaper food from Canada adj
vocated by the Sun. The prosperity
of these $4,000 farmers is n very vital
factor in the prosperity Of Maine.
When the Dingley bill was pending
their representatives-lead grangers
from all over Maine specially dele
gated to speak for them-strongiy
urged that adequate protection be Civ
en- our agricultural interests. and
through the efforts of Mr.. Dingley
their wishes were complied with. Now
comes the Lewiston Sun and solemnly
urges that this protection be with
drawn from them: and that the price OF
their products be forced down. by
obhging them to compete with cheaper
"free food from Canada!
For our part we prefer to patronize
the farmers of Maine rather than the
farmers of Canada. We prefer to