Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-07
IHE FARMERS, PERL.

~ " - y -
THE FARMERS PERIL,
| Under the guise Of reciprocity con.
gress is being imrcrtured by the
wealthy manufacturing interests OF
the east to repeal the duty on farm
products, thus taking away from the
i, farmer the protective tariff he is en-
titled to on what he raises. The
advocate of this reciprocity move III
effect says: Let the farm products
raised by free trade labor and cheap
/ free trade machinery cn cheap fertile
lands Of Canada. come in direct and
favored competition with the grain,
cattle and produce raised by the
Iowa farmer and all the farmers of the
Mississippi valley.
TO tho public this is called reci-
procity-when it Is analysed it Is
found to be free trade with all the
benefits going to the Canadian farmer.
The Iowa farmer gets no compromising
balance that will have to be present to
make it reciprocity. Reciprocity
means an exchange in which both
parties are benefited, The reciprocity
that Is now proposed means a better
market for the Canadian farmer, but
where is it any benefit to the Iowa
farmer?
To the farmer of the middle west it
means lowering Of the price of his
wheat, oats, butter, milk, eggs and live
stock-and what does he get In re-
turn?
The enactment of this Canadian
reciprocity measure will certainly put
stOp to the "back to the farm"
movement.
For many years the farmer has been
a consistent supporter Of protection to
home industries, in order to build up
and develop the manufacturing indus
tries, Of the country, although. up to
the last few years, the benefits he de-
rived were incidental, because the
farms produced more foodstuffs than
the country consumed and he had to
export much, and therefore go into the
markets of the world to sell his pro-
duct. He bore his burden in order
that the manufacturing might be de-
veloped.
Now, when the industries have been
developed to point where the pro-
duction and consumption are getting
more nearly equal, when the small
protective duty he has, permits him to
realize a fair return for his invest
ment and labor, the theorist reformer
rises with the cry to reduce the price
of foodstuffs by putting the farmers
products on the free list. II free trade
is good for the farmers of the west, 1t
ought to be coed for the manu-
facturers of the east. If Canada. under
the guise Of reciprocity, is to be al
lowed to ship in her grain and live
stock, then let us have the same
brand of reciprocity with Germany,
England, France, Belgium and Hol-
land, and let them ship to the Amer
lean farmer, duty free, their manu-
featured products # it is such elegant
sauce for the goose, 1t ought also be
equally pleasant to the gander.
If the United States did not have
lands, climate and facilities for sup
plying all her wants, there might be
some excuse for this move, but this
country has all these. There are mil.
lions of acres of unframed fertile soil
that is capable of producing wealth
beyond human comprehension, and
what is now being farmed, is capable
of producing double what 1t Is now
doing. 1t Is easy to see that we nave
only scratched the surface Of our
agricultural possibilities. The people
are just now beginning to develop the
idea of intensified farming in this
country, but this effort will die with
the enactment of this so-called recl'
procity deal
Do not think it won't cheaper farm
products. These would be professors
and philosophers who say that the
great and consuming capacity OF our
rapidly growing country will absorb
all the immense crops of the millions
of acres of Canada without ripple,
speak theory that actual facts dis
prove.
When it was announced that there
was a possibility of free trade with
Canada, wheat instantly took big
drop on the Chicago market, and the
papers are full of the violent declines
that have taken place in butter, eggs
and poultry. If suggestion OF free
trade will cause such stir, "nat
would the reality do?
For the past ten years under protec',
ton for all. the United States nave
grown and developed at an unpar-
alleled rate, During this time cur
powers have grown enor-
The question arises: Can our
agricultural production keep pace:
The manufacturer who says protection
is good for him. but not for the farmer,
says NO. But the facts and figures
say Yes Last year. in spite of
short wheat crop, we will have mil
lions of bushels of wheat for export,
and we have produced the biggest
corn crop in our history. The ware
houses show the biggest surplus ever
known of butter, eggs and poultry.
In the face of these facts can any
one say we are unable to produce
enough for our needs?
Let Trade Flow North and South.
Advocates Of this free trade prop
uganda say that trade should flow
north and south as well as east and
west AS a free trade theory this is
correct. AS applied to real reciprocity
within its limitations, this would be a