The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-02
Reciprocity Likely to Pass.

One OF the noteworthy features OF
the situation In connection with the
reciprocity measure is that while by
common consent the bill is likely TO
pass the Senate by a large majority,
as IL passed the House, the matter Is
being discussed as though there were
some hope of defeating the project
The Springfield Republican devotes
considerable space to the position Ia.
ken by Senator Page in connection
with reciprocity II begins by quot
ing its Washington correspondent as
follows:
/ have been In doubt about Canad.
ian reciprocity, and have taken pie
bescite OF the people OF Vermont and
find that at least 80 per cent, and in
deed ! might say So per cent, OF the
farmers are opposed to the reciprocity
bill. And the farmers know what
they are talking about. The extern
sive correspondence shows remark
able range of information and deep
study and considerable independent
thinking. The unanimity OF their
conclusions Is impressive. | am in
deed quite impressed, and ! shall
probably vote against the reciprocity
bill"
The Republican proceeds to show
the strength OF the different elements
of Vermonts population as follows:
The Senator may not know, but there
are, in fact, other industrial persons
in Vermont besides the farmers. He
may not know 1t, but these other per-
sons are numerous enough and econ
omically valuable enough to b, entltl-
ed to the consideration of others II
not to that of the senator. The avail
able census figures $4,000 show the
people of Vermont above 10 years Of
age to be classified by gainful occupa-
| tons as follows:
Total population 10 years old and
over 27S,943
Ian gainful occupations 1874 1898
OF which engaged in agriculture 1880
Engaged in professional service 7,O16
Domestic and personal service 23,02S
Trade and transportation 1883
Manufacturing and mechanical
pursuits $3.50
Thus a minority OF the States indus
trial population is to be found on the
farms Only about 40 per cent in
fact, are to be found there. leaving
60 per cent for other occupations.
Nearly 80 per cent of all are found
in manufacturing and mechanical pur-
suits, or not so very far short of the
number in agriculture. Fourteen per
cent are engaged in trade and trans
portation, and those so engaged, along
with those in personal and domestic
and professional service. make up a
number just about equal to the farm
ing class.
Now what did the senator hear
from these other classes, or did he
think they were worth hearing from
and did he refuse to hear from them?
RECIPROCITY would concededly help
those engaged in transportation and
related trades What did he find the
sentiment to be among them? What
is the position of the large manufac-
turing class? What of the profes-
sional and other services? If all
these classes are largely opposed to
reciprocity, how comes it that the
newspapers of the State are very gen
| any iilCh up III AdNOA vi II LUZ
with all these classes largely in favor
of reciprocity, where stands the gen
eral sentiment of the State when at
least small minority Of the farmers
are favorable?
The senator says that the opposing
farmers are showing deep study and
large information in their replies.
Will he say also that they are show
ing great satisfaction with things as
they are-with the profits of farming
under the present tariff policy of the
nation and with the progress and gen
eral prosperity of the industry in that
lState where its hard experiences and its
declining tendencies have been known
to everybody else, If not to them and
the senator? The trouble with Sena-
tor Page seems TO be that he has
traded among the farmers of Yer
mont so long and so exclusively as TO
be unable to think of any other indus
trial class worth noticing; and that
he has so far prospered himself in
this trading among farmers as to
come into the belief that they are al
so prosperous.
We believe that most people have
formed opinions one way or the other
regarding the merits of reciprocity,
and that anything which can be said
is likely to have very little effect in
changing the situation one way or an
lother.
The fact remains that public senti
ment so far as publicly expressed in
Vermont outside of editorial columns
has been largely opposed to recipro
city, possibly because, as one journal
asserts, organized effort has been
made to secure concerted expressions
of opinion in opposition to President
Tafts program.
The other fact to be taken into &C
count in this connection is that con
siderable difficulty is likely to be ex
perienced by republicans in formulat
ing a declaration of principles or plat
, forms in 1912, which will make it pos