The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-02-09
GRANGE TO FIGHT
RECIPROCITY IDEA
National Organization Seeks De-
feat of Canada Agreement.
CARRY WAR TO WASHINGTON
Farmers Declare That They Are Dis
eliminated Against, While the
Manufacturers Are Favored
by the New Pact.

New York, Feb 8.-The machinery
ton claiming a membership of 1,000,-
600 farmers in 80 states, has been
started to defeat the ratification. by
congress of the Canadian reciprocity
treaty.
The legislative committee Of the
testing against the enactment of the
reciprocity bill, called upon the men,
bership to vote against the measure,
and decided to go to Washington to
map out campaign there.
The legislative committee is COM
posed of ex-Gov. Nahum j. Bachelor
of Concord, chairman; Aaron Jones Of
South Bend, Ind, and T. c. Atkeson
OF MOrgantown, w. Va.
Text of the Protest.
In its statement the committee says
that acting in response to thousands
of letters and kilograms the following
protest is issued: go,
THE undersigned, representing the
principal organization of farmers in
the United States, earnestly protest
against the enactment of the Canadian
reciprocity bill, now pending in con-
gress, for the following reasons:
The bill provides for the admission
free of duty of all Canadian farm
products. Since Canada is the only
country from which any considerable
quantity of these products under any
circumstances can be imported this
would result in practically free trade
In everything the farmer produces.
See No Relief From Burden.
while putting farm products on
the free list the reciprocity bill makes
no material reduction in the high tar.
If rates on all the manufactured arti.
Giles the farmer buys, and therefore
gives no relief from the heavy burden
of taxation imposed by these duties.
The theory on which our protec.
tive policy always has been defended
is that all classes and interests equal.
ly are entitled to protection. The
farmers, however, receive much less
protection than the manufacturers. for
while farm products are taxed on the
average about 25 per cent, manufac
tured articles are taxed on an average
of about As per cent.
Claim Further Discrimination.
"The enactment of the Canadian re.
ciprocity bill still further would dis.
criminate against the farmers by
aholshing the comparatively slight
protection now given them, while leav.
Ing the high protective duties on
manufactures practically untouched.
The Canadian farmers. by reason
Of their lower general tariff and their
preferential trade arrangements, can
buy manufactured goods at lower
prices than those prevailing in this
country. The prices of farm lands in
Canada are much lower than in the
United States. These conditions give
the Canadian farmers an advantage
over us and the free admission of
their products will submit us to unfair
competition.
Ask Similar Protection.
I'VE hold that the farmers should
receive exactly the same measure OF
protection as is given the manufactur,
ers, and that there must be no reduc.
ton of duties on farm products, either
by reciprocity or tariff revision. unless
the duties on all manufactured arti
Giles at the same time are correspond
ingly reduced.
TO show that this reciprocity meas
IRE is not an honest effort to reduce
the cost of living in the interest OF
the consumer, 1t is sufficient to point
out and while wheat is on the free list
flour IS taxed so cents a barrel, and
while cattle, sheep and hogs are free,
meats, both fresh and cured, are taxed
IA cents a pound, for the benefit OF
the meat trust !" -----L