Evening star., 1911-06-04
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, June 3-"The interests are
trying to block the reciprocity agree
ment with Canada with hostile amend
ments. The people approve the agree
ment."
''The American farmer win suffer no
injury whatever. On the contrary. he
will be benefited by it,
''Canada will have 100000 people
some day. and 1t would be short-sight-
ed policy that would fail to provide
means to capture this trade
..Six months from the time the agree
ment is ratified there will be no opposi-
ton whatever from any quarter. for
the administration will prove its own
worth"
Canada cannot and does not raise
more than one-sixth Of 1 per cent of the
crop Of the United States. The United
States exports into Canada fifteen times
as much meat and dairy products as
Canada exports into the United States.
The world price Of wheat and barley.
rye and oats is fixed abroad where the
surplus of the producing countries is dis
posed of and is little affected by the place
from which the supply is derived"
The reciprocity agreement should pass
the Senate, and believe 1t will pass"
Striking straight from the shoulder.
calling a spade spade. and not mincins
matters in the least. William Howard
Taft, President of the United States, to-
night discussed the reciprocity agreement
with Canada before the Western Economic
Society in Orchestra Hall, and the above
are among the telling points in the most
able argument in favor of the ratification
Opponents to Reciprocity.
President Taft declared that the princi-
pal opposition to the Canadian reciprocity
agreement came not from the farmer, but
from the lumber trust and from Amer
ican manufacturers of print paper.
In one OF the most comprehensive ad-
dresses that he has made on the subject
the President outlined some of the meth
DDS employed by the opponents of reci-
procity: practically told the farmers that
they were being "buncoed' by special in
terests and said that the fate of the
agreement rested not SO much with the
United States Senate as with the people
of the country.
Without using names. he scored a New
York firm. some Of whose members re-
Gently appeared at the hearing before
the Senate finance committee in Wash
ington, ostensibly in behalf of the Ma
tional Grange, and objecting to the enact.
ment Of the agreement.
In spite of the forces that are arrayed
against 1t. the President expressed the
noy would haCOms
law.
Other Speakers.
Beginning with the morning program
OF five speeches the Western Economic
Society carried the discussion of the
subject through the day, closing ths
schedule tonight with one Of the mos
important speeches made during hi.
term of Office by President Taft. Prof
II. p. Willis of George Washington Uni
versity opened the day with a talk OF
Canadian reciprocity and commerce
and among the succeeding speakers wer'
Prof. z. V. Robinson of the Universit.
of Minnesota and 8. Matthew, presiden
of the society. who read q statemen
prepared by ex-Gov. w. D. Howard o
Wisconsin President j. Lawrence
Laughlin of the University Of Chicago
also spoke tonight.
The Presidents Address.
President Taft said:
In beginning what / have to say.
desire to express my sincere gratitud,
to the members of the Western Eco
nomic Society for giving me an op
portunity to address on this importan
subject so distinguished and intelligen
a company.
The Canadian reciprocity agree
ment, providing for free trade in agri
cultural products Of the two coun
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