The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-06-09
TAFT UNSPAR|NG N
DENUNC|AT|ON
PRESIDENT SCORES BIG TRUSTS
AS ONLY FOES TO RE-
cIPRocITY.
Lumber and Paper Men Especially
Anxious to Defeat Canadian Agree
ment - Confident People Favor
Movement, and That II Will BE Ben
eficiai to Both Countries.

Chicago, June 3.-President Taft, in
a speech before the Western Economic
Society here tonight, declared that the
principal opposition to the Canadian
reciprocity agreement came, not, from
the farmer. but from the lumber trust
and from american manufacturers of
print paper.
In one of the most conspicuous ad-
dresses that he had ever made on this
subject, the president outlined some of
the methods employed by the advo-
Gates of the reciprocity agreement; he
practically told others that they were
being "buncoed" by special interests.
and said that the result depended not
so much upon the United States senate
as upon the people.
large" he said, could be brought to
understand this question, they would
no longer fear to vote"
Lobbyists Are Scored.
The president was not sparing in
his words. He told the reasons for the
opposition to the treaty by the lumber
trust and by the paper manufacturers
and, without using names, scored any
firm any of whose members recently
appeared before the senate finance
committee in Washington ostensibly
on behalf of the National Grange.
In spite of the forces that are ar
raigned against it, the president ex-
pressed the belief that the bill will be
passed.
"The BILL" he said, will be passed,
if it is passed at all, because the force
of public opinion is in it's favor"
The president said in part:
"The reciprocity agreement, provid-
ing for free trade in agricultural pro-
ducts in the two countries and for
corresponding reduction on the sec
ondary food products and for a con-
siderable reduction in number of
manufactured goods passed the house
of representatives in April last, was
referred by the senate to it's commit
tee on finance and there has been I'M
der consideration by the committee.
While hearings have been held at con-
siderable length and we hope that the
bill will be brought before the senate
soon, possibly without recommends
ton, some time during the coming
week, nothing definite can be said as
to the ultimate fate of the bill.
People Approve Bill.
ut seemed mutually profitable to ex-
tend the consideration of the tariffs of
the two countries, already begun, to
the point of complete reciprocity
agreement. Commissioners who had
expert knowledge of the subject were
appointed and after Investigations and
study and conferences that covered an
entire year, an agreement was finally
reached, which has been embodied in
the bill which has passed the house
and is pending in the senate. The cor
dial approval throughout the country
which the proposed agreement receiv-
ed when it was sent to congress sur
prised even those who were respon-
sible for its making, and / am sur
prised that further consideration of
the bill has been delayed so long.
'The treaty is pending in Washing
ton and the decision must be made in
the senate of the United States. The
tbill will pass, if it passes at ALL be-
cause of the force of public opinion in
it's favor"
The proposition has been made and
has received general approval, that the
various schedules of the tariff should
be considered separately and the
amount of protection to be furnished
to a particular product should be de-
termined on its merits with reference
to the cost of it's production at home
and abroad.
"The Canadian reciprocity agree
ment, in little different way, involves
in its consideration the same PROPOSE
ton. 1t calls for the same thing, with
out the necessity of tariff reform.
Opposition Is Fictitious.
II venture to think that there is
much less real opposition to reciproc-
ity than has been represented in
Washington for the purpose of influ-
encing votes in both houses. l am
very hopeful that the bill will pass
the senate and when it does pass and
has been agreed upon by the Canadian
parliament. its actual operation will be
so beneficial to both countries that the
arguments against its adoption will be
forgotten or will only be remembered
as exaggerated instances Of perverted
imagination. say this because /
have examined the arguments and
compared them with the actual statis-