St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-03-22

Judge mdII1SOn Da1DW1ck. I ct dIIor
all the margin isn't so large for
Glastonbury population is only 20
to Somerset's 27--I Bennington
Banner.
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA.
Well Informed Farmer Gives Some
Convincing Figures on the Subject.
To the Editor of Mortified News
Your editorial on reciprocity with
Canada was very good and summed
up the situation about right. l can
only disagree with you on one point,
namely: That free trade with Can
ada would not reduce the price of
farm produce mean to the farmer
of New England. You say this is be-
cause Canada produces so little.
Do you know that there are more
people engaged in agriculture in
Quebec and Ontario than in the six
New England states and that all of
their surplus dairy products would be
dumped upon the New England mar
ket? Also potatoes and garden
truck, and that as their land is more
fertile and easier worked the Canadi-
an farmer can raise all kinds Of pro-
ddce much cheaper than the New
England farmer, and hence can
~undersell him, and still make a big
ger profit than we do now?
And did you know that in 1907
Canada exported $28O,006, sos
worth of products (of course they
export more now and to deduct
from this the amount of grain ex-
ported, there would be left nearly if
not quite $200,000,00O worth, the
greater part being farm products to
be sent in from Quebec and Ontario
and under free ira fc II ost of this vast
amount, which is largely farm pro-
duce, would be dumped on our New
England markets..
Again do you know that Quebec
and Ontario have about 1000
creameries and other factories for
handling dairy products, or more
creameries than there are in the six
New England states? AS they have
no home market to speak of the sur
plus products of those 1900 cream
cries and cheese factories will also
be dumped upon our New England
markets.
A clerical error in the tariff bill
which made it read 5 cents per gal
Ion on cream instead of 5 cents per
pound resulted in the imports of
cream to the value of $1,884,175
last year, and do you think it bene-
fitted the New England farmer? The
newspapers have been giving out
figures to show that Canada produces
only about one eighth of an ounce for
every one in the United States. They
are careful not to say how much
Canada produces for each person in
New England. They have resorted
to deceit and in many cases to down
right lies to induce the farmers to
accept free trade with Canada.
If the thing goes through, as of
course it will, and the farmers of the
state are injured thereby, shall ex-
pect then that those same papers will
tell us how to conduct our farms so
as to make a profit. The fact is all
they are after is duty free print
the farmers go hang.
They forget that their paper is sup
ported, either directly or indirectly by
the farmers.
But if it is true that Canada pro-
duces SO little, just what object did
President Taft have in going to so
much bother and putting in so much
work to get this trade agreement
with Canada? Why should he put the
country to the great expense of an
extra session of congress to have the
trade agreement ratified
If Canada has little or nothing to
sell it can benefit no one. If she has
a whole lot to sell, then it is as they
claim, it will benefit the consumer,
but just as sure will it injure the |
farmers of New England. And again,
if any further proof of the fact that
Canada has a whole lot to sell in our
markets was needed, we would refer
you to the railroad officials, who are
even now planning to handle the in
creased traffic after this trade agree
ment goes into effect. It is even adj
mitted the purchase of the Rutland |
road was to get the benefit of the in
creased traffic from Canada into our
New England markets.
There seems to be a strong suspic-
ion abroad that the farmer ought to
supply the city people with food and
with but little or no cost to
them, while they go to work at s |
o'clock in the morning and knock off |
work at p. M, have a half holiday
on Saturday, and change their clothes
twice a day-no matter whether the
farmers get penny for their work |
or not. It is like Bill Nye's socialist,
who claimed the right to sleep in
the spare bedroom of the rich with
the pillow shams.
But if the city people can't pay
a fair price for food by working or
8 hours per day, then let them work
from II to Is hours as the farmer
has to do, and hours on Sunday.
j. H. NEIL.
March 3, 1911.