Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1911-02-23


Maryland's renowned fruit pro-
duets canteloupes. grapes, apples.
pears. and peaches will enter
Canada free 0f duty under the pro-
posed reciprocal tariff legislation.
Since her fruits each year arrive at
the marketablo stage many weeks
before the Canadian fruits commence
Id mature, Maryland will find the
new situation q highly profitable
one. Melons are at present taxed
Sc each by the Dominion, irrespec-
tive Or whether they be watermelons
or muskmeIOna. This duty has
proven almost prohlbitive In the
case of the smaller melon, and has
even operated to exclude the famous
Pokomoke canteloupes from the
Canadian market. Maryland fruit
growers have frequently petitloned
our Department Of State for relief
from the Canadian tariff rates on
melons and other fruits, and IL was
with these requests In mind that
the Canadian Commissioners we're
prevailed upon TO concede, with
much reluctance, the removal ofall
duties from fresh fruits entering
Canada from this country. grapes,
AS we'll as berries OF all kinds, are
how taxed &c per pound BY Canada;
Apples senb TO the Dominion are
dutiahle AZ 40c per barrel. peaches
al 81 per 100 pounds. pears at Soc
per 100 pounds. and plums at 5Oc
per busheI. Tie well-known high
quality Of Maryland s grapes, pears,
and peaches vii tend 10 give these
products an immediate sale Ia Can-
ada SO soon as the tariff barriers
shall be done away with Even un-
der the present tariff status the Unit
led States sold fresh fruits 10 Cam
ada to d value Of 81. 271 900 during
Canada's last fiscal year, paying i'm
port duties thereon TO the sum oi
1851 600
FRKE FRESH VEGETABLES.
Fresh vegetables viii DO exempt
from duty according TO the agree
ment This will give Maryland q
larger range Of markets for her
early potatoes and garden produce
onions, tomatoes, cRbbages, celery.
etc. These win fnd ready sale Ia
Canada before the iste-ripenIng
Dominion crops are gathered. Cam
ada has hitherto taxed potates zoo
per bushel, sweet potatoes or yams
10c per bushel. and other vegetables
30 per cent ad val0rem. TIE en-
tire abolition ~ these duties will
undoubtedly stimulate this branch
- y. - "a
Already we sell beyond our north.
erp border 1856. $50 worth OF vega
tables Ii their natural state each
year, paying duties on them 70 the
amount Of $242 900.
CANNED FRuITs VEGETABLES AIDED.
MaryIand's second industry Ia
magnitude. according TO the 1908
Census 81 Manufactures, Ii the can
ming OF preserving Of fruits and
vegetables, her products OF this ma.
ture being valued at sl3, DOC, 900 per
annnm. or higher. Under the pro.
posed reciprocity plan Canada offers
TO reduce her rate on canned veRe-
tables by one sixth. or from lac 70
lie per pound. and her rate on can
ned fruits by one ninth. or from 2tc
10 2c per pound. Needless to say,
these reductions will have favor
able effect upon our canned fruit
and vegetable trade with the Dcmin-
ion. Last year we sold Canada
$l25. 900 worth OF canned fruits and
vegetables.
OYsTERs, FRKsH Oh CANNED, no BE
MADE FREE.
Oysters and other shellfsh IN
any state, will be admitted into
Canada without tariff charge II the
agreement is ratified. Hitherto
American canned oysters have been
largely excluded from Canada by
the latter's present duties Of Sc per
PM package aud Sc per quart pack
age. Bulk oysters have been taxed
Zoe per gallon, and oysters in the
shell 70 per cent. I'D yalorenl. The
removal OF all duties from this char
acteristic Maryland pr0ducs may
we'll result in q prosperous oyster
traffic with Canada.
FIsH AND MEATS.
Under the proposed reciprocal
tariff Legislation fish Of ell kinds,
fresh or preserved. are TO be made
mutually free Of duty. Maryland
has additionally been one Of the
leading fish consuming States Of
this country, and fish probably form
a higher proportion OF her food pur-
chases than ID the case Ia any other
state, The United States imports
nearly "a, 100000 worth Of fish from
Canada, this amount constituting
one tenth of our total consumption.
Our present duties are to or lc per
pound upon the principal varieties
imported from Canada, including
dried and smoked fish; and the sum
collected under these rates amounts
TO nearly one bali million dollars an
nually on Canadian fish. The re-
moval Of our fish duties will tend 10
render this food staple at once, less
expensive and more abunaant.
The price Of meats in this country
viii also very probably be kebt
down BY the lowering Of the United
States rates to d uniform tax Of tie
per pound, which latter IL the mu-
tual reciprocity rate. Our PRESENT
!. duties have ranged upward from lie
per pound On fresh meats to a per
HnHa