Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-09-05
The CHAheEABLE SIGN.

perS, both in this country and in Can
ada. are forced to the conclusion tina:
this reciprocity business must read like
a village store keepers patent change
! able sign, which reads one thing to
those who approach it from the south
and another thing to those who ap-
/ proach II from the north. The farmers
+! Of Iowa have been told so many times
that reciprocity with Canada would
depreciate the prices of their products
tina. many of them actually believe 1t,
and one newspaper has been extremely
/ ridiculous enough TO assert that Ca
madam reciprocity had already de-
pressed land values in Iowa by $40 per
acre. Almost any Intelligent, man who
vii. read the bill carefully can see
that these things are not true but still
the sign reads that way if you view II
from the south.
Now comes the Winnipeg Telegram,
powerful newspaper "agin' the gov
eminent in Canada and hence oppos-
ing the reciprocity pact with the con-
tention that reciprocity with the states
is going to ruin the Canadian farmers
market for horses, sheep. potatoes,
eggs and vegetables. because these
agricultural products are now higher
in Canada than in the states and must
come down when the cheap products
Of the foreigner are admitted to Canada
free of duty.
The Telegram says:
Il is evident that Canada would not
import these enormous quantities OF
cabbages, onions. tomatoes. horses.
sheep, potatoes. eggs and fruits and
pay the duty. unless the price were
higher in Canada than in the country
that they come from. The removal
Of the duty must lower the price, just
as the removal Of United States duties
on things tina, are cheaper in Canada
must lower the price of these things
there. There is no way out Of 1t.
Consequently, not only is the actual
loss Of duty loss to the revenue
tween the Canadian price and the
American price, which made the pay
ment 0 fthese duties possible. is an in
direct and invisible but perfecly real
cost Of reciprocity TO the Canadian
producer of cabbages. onions. toma-
toes horses. shepe, potatoes, eggs and
all kinds Of fruits.
The farmer is paying an enormous
price for reciprocity in this invisible
cost upon his products. His loss is
going to be very large. Whether his
gain is going 10 balance il is another
question. 1t is rot being discussed
here and now Nobody can grasp a
bushel of wheat in one hand at one
time But the farmer, when he is
told what he gets by reciprocity, is
rather foolish if he is willing to con-
slider what he gives for ii. He is not
getting It for nothing by any means.
The next question 70 discuss is wheth-
Ct what the farmer pays the country
really gains, and that will be dealt with
| in tomorrows article.
| Now this is confusing to have the
I same sign read so differently, for many
tears have been shed over the destruc-
! ton Of the market for Iowa's eggs and
butter were Canadian eggs and butter
( to be admitted TO this country free. II
an Iowa farmer should happen to be
reading the Des Moines Capitals fight
! against reciprocity with Canada and
the Winnipeg kilograms fight against
reciprocity with the state at one and
! the same time, the other members Of
/ the family would certainly be found
treating him for heat prostration. but
for time the only response from the
patient would be a wierd incoherent
lament, oh. What an SIAM