The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-05-16

Cummins, OF Iowa, undoubtedly !
leader in his party, is merely one de
tail. and necessary detail of tn,
policy which he thinks may rende
criminal trusts innocuous, and brinl
prices down to the consumer while
not decreasing the earnings of tn,
actual producer-in brief, equalizins
the burden which now falls TOT
heavily on some and far too light,
upon others. Senator Cummins is /
strong believer inthe theory thai
reciprocity with Canada will be {
long step in the right direction.
Il believe 1t is wise to deal with
Canada In an agreement separate
from our agreements with the othei
nations of the world" said he, '.foi
many reasons, chief of which, OF
course, is that in several important
details we are really one country
Geographically, but an imaginary
line divides us, for the Great Lakes
and the ST. Lawrence really are links
and not dividing barriers. We
should, T am convinced. have a tariff
agreement with the Dominion drawn
quite Independently of our agree
ments with all other nations, and
modelled in way to fit the special
details OF the situation. 1t seems to
me that this is obvious, and the
really surprising thing is that II was
not so arranged long ago. The con-
dftions governing production. in al
most every line. but particularly in
agriculture. are so nearly identical
in Canada and the United States,
that the rules which we apply. and
rightly, to the products Of other ma
lions which compete with our own
products. should not apply between
US an the Dominion.
II shall go much farther than 10
say that when an agreement provid-
ing for trade reciprocity with Cana
da Is signed, / shall express the firm
belief that between the United States
and Canada there should be absolute
free trade in all things. To this, |
should make no exception. believe
absolute free trade with Canada
would be to our advantage, helping
US 10 solve some of the most perplex-
ing problems now besetting us, es-
peciafIy those grown out Of the in
crease In the cost OF living. which
now fails heavily Upon our poor and
moderately prosperous. Absolute
free trade With Canada would be a
simple proposition, entaiiing one
brief law, attainable by one conclu.
sive argument. Any reciprocity
a0eement must embody many de
tailed arguments concerning many
many items, in each one of which
some especial interest viii be in
volved. and thus. recip 'ocity is GER.
tain 10 be won, IL IL is won at all
only after a long and tedious war Of
words.
aBut Canada win not give us free
trade. at present, for very obvious
reasons. First, she takes from US
az present, practically three-fifths o.
her imports, and to give US free
trade would destroy large part o.
her revenue.
Second, In most manufactured ar
ticies Canada cannot possibly com
pete with us, at present. although
she Is doing everything she can {,
stimulate the growth Of manufaet
ures within her borders. In case o
q free trade agreement these effort
would at once cease to be fruitful
Her people. finding that they coIls
secure manufactured articles from
Us. who have already developed on
Industries 20 a higher degree, woull
cease to encourage their fellow
countrymen In their efforts 70 de
yefop manufacturing In Canada. an'
Canada, would, undoubtedly, be
therefore, q heavy loser. One detail
OF her progress would be serIousl.
ffampered. Her manufactures ar
just beginning to become importan
aud there are many Canadians whl
argue. and not without some logic
that free trade with Us would crusl
them IN their infancy.
Therefore, We must be conten
with something less than absoiut
free trade with the Dominion. ]
leaves Us very pretty problem 70
solution. ] thoroughly believe tina
reciprocity will come, that some scr
OF progressive agreement, adyan
taEeous 70 both countries will. er
long, be reached. bot, inasmuch a
free trade Is, for the reason / hay
pointed out. impossible. we mus
reach the reciprocity agreement Wit
great care. In considering what "
can give Canada IN relation to wha
she can give us, we must be scrupu
lously cautious In our efforts TO b
fair 70 our own people, and must no
put one great class Of our producer
In full composition with those 0
Canada, while retaining protectiy
duties which will prevent others Q
our people from being forced 10 NEE
30 full and drastic a trade rivalry.
This means, assume, that gu
reductions must be general, not sDes
lal. or at least, that when we are con
sidering what duties to reduce or /
remove IN consideration OF redu,
tions In Canadian dulles. We mus
be careful 70 put our Manufacturer
side BY side with our farmers an
show paTtiaIiiy neither to one elias
nor the other The danger that on