The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-06-08
DEFENDS
RECIPROCITY
Says OppositiOns Comes From
Paper and Lumber
interests


in a speech before the Western
Economic society here declared that
the principal opposition to the Ca
madam reciprocity agreement came
not from the farmer. but from the
lumber trust" and from American
manufacturers of print paper.
In one of the most comprehensive
addresses that he ever made on the
subject the president outlined some
of the methods employed by the op-
ponents of reciprocity. He told the
farmers that thew were being bun
coed" by special interests and said
that the fate of the agreement rests
not sc mucn with the United States
congress as with the people of the
country. If the farmer and the
country at large could be brought
to understand that this treaty was
in the interests o. the majority Of
the people he would not fear the
vote in the senate.
The president was not sparing OF
his words. He told the reasons for
the opposition to his treaty by the
lumber trust" ard by the paper
makers and without using MANS
scored a New York firm some of
whose members recently appeared
at the hearing before the senate
finance committee in Washington,
ostensibly in behalf of the National
Grange. and objected to the enact
ment of the agreement.
In spite of the forces that are ar
rayed against it, the president eX-
pressed the belief that the agree
ment would become "a law.
THE BILL" he said, twill pass. if
it passes at all, because the force of
public opinion is in its favor"
"The cordial approval throughout
the country which the proposed re-
clprocity agreement received when
it was sent to the senate surprised
even those who were responsible for
its making. and | am confident that
further consideration of the treaty
since it's submission in January last
had only confirmed the popular de-
sire for it's adoption into law.
Under reciprocity with Cuba
which reduced the duties on each
side 20 per cent, our trade with that
country has doubled. Under COM
plete reciprocity or free trade with
Porto Rico trade has increased fiji
teen times. Under reciprocal ar
engagements with the Philippines,
our trade has more than doubled
within a year. and yet in the case of
each of these changes there was
vehement discussion, bitter opposi-
ton and wild statements of 9isas-
trous results.
For ten years | engaged in the
struggle for Philippine free trade,
and for ten years | was regarded as
the enemy of the agricultural inter-
ests of this country engaged in the
raising of beets and cane sugar and
yet since the ad ptio Of the Payne
tariff bill, which extended free
trade to the Philippines, ! have not
heard a single complaint as to the
effect of that feature of the PAYNE
tariff bill.
"A careful analysis of the argu-
ments pro and con over the Canadian
agreement will convince anv fair
minded economist who is well in
formed as to conditions in both
countries. that six months after the
agreement is adopted, there will be
no complaint from any quarter.
Professor F. w. Taussig. of Har-
ward University. spoke in favor Of
Canadian reciprocity and referred
to the proposed agreement as affect
ing New England particularly.
In a statement sent to the Western
Econt mic Society and read at the
session, at which reciprocity was
discussed, Former Governor Hoard
of Wisct nsin declared that most of
the opposition against reciprocity
with Canada was based on politics
and that reciprocity would help the