Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-02-08

increased supply, lower prices for
the farmer to pay.
Now, while it is certain that free
wheat will not hurt our American
wheat grower, that would merely
be negative benefit Of the treaty,
but there are positive benefits.
The more of the famous hard,
spring wheat our mills have to
grind. the more of a demand they
will have for the softer and inferior
wheats to blend with that hard
wheat. This means better price
for the inferior wheats.
The average Western Canada
farmer is q one-crop man. Diversi-
fed farming will not make much
progress in Western Canada for a
long time. The farmer there. for
instance. does not raise enough po-
tatoes for his own consumption. to
say nothing of supplying the mar
kets. The same is true of his vege-
tables. hay, fruits, dairy and poul-
try products. Even now Western
Canada imports immense quantities
of these products from US. not
withstanding the tariff. The Re-
ciprocity Agreement puts them on
the free list and the demand for
them will be greatly increased.
Canada does not produce enough
meat for home consumption. Out
side of the pork products of East
|ern Canada. its export meat trade
is insignificant. It actually i'm
ports mutton from Australia. With
live stock free to enter Canada from
the United States, as provided by
the agreement. the Winnipeg abat-
toirs will buy cattle, sheep and
hogs from Minnesota and Dakota
points. thus creating competition
of markets. While live animals
are free under the agreement. Can
ada will continue to levy on meats,
thus giving the American farmer
an advantage over the American
packer. -.-~......
The great activity of Western
Canada in opening up new farms,
building thousands of miles of rail-
way and founding hundreds of set
Elements, will demand thousands of
draft horses, which must come
from the United States-and under
the agreement, free of duty.
It must not be forgotten that the
farmer like other members of the
community stands to benefit from
the reduction of the duty on certain
Canadian products. For instance.
it puts rough lumber on the free
list, which now pays duty of
S1.25 a thousand. So also with
fence posts and there are marked
reductions in other forest products.
the duty on finished lumber being
reduced from fifty to seventy five
per cent.
But above all else. the proposed
agreement justifies itself by its gen.
eral benefits. Free trade between
the United States and Canada is a
good and patriotic, national policy.
Free trade between the states and
territories has been the greatest
factor in American prosperity
Why not have it throughout Eng
disappearing America? Free trade
with people of our own customs
and standards simply means more
commerce, more business, more
progress. more trade, more wealth.
more prosperity for all Of US and q
greater America. Canada is today
our best customer among the ma
tions. She buys $40 per capita
from US annually, whereas we buy
from her only one-half as much as
she sells to us. Reciprocity will
make her better customer still.
Today she has seven million people
tomorrow she will have twenty five
million. The agreement. if adopt.
ed. means larger field for GU,
merchants and manufacturers. more
wealth and prosperity for our cities
and. therefore, a better home mar.
ket for our farmers.
This is the last chance we will
have to avail ourselves of the great
Canadian market; our natural mar.
ket and practically a part of oul
home market. We will never have
this opportunity again. It is nov
or never. Are our people and oul
legislators big enough to grasp thu
opportunity s-.
Theodore M. Knappen.
ISt. Paul. Feb. 3, 1911.
curiosities About Fish Scales.
The thin silvery coating Of fish
scales derives it's luster from man,