Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-02-09

Ing Vermont with two representatives
for another ten years.
THE GRANGE AND RECIPROCITY.
When the Grange throughout the
country takes action based upon the
ascertained sentiment of the members
as the whole, few mistakes are made
but when, as in connection with the
project OF Canadian reciprocity. n few
men at the head OF the organization
attempt to decide broad principles be
fore a chance has been given the rank
and flo to speak, erroneous action Is
likely,
Granting for thu moment that the
leaders OF the Grange are correct in
their assertion that reciprocity with
Canada will cause lowering of
prices, would it be better for farmers
as a whole to have competition from
Canada alone under a republican reel
procity Arrangement or to block that
Il
vision which viii open the markets. Of
this country to the agricultural prod
ucts of the whole world? Some Of 4he
very mon who are now opposing re
vision Of tho tariff with reference to
canadian products alone, were the
most voclferous n their denunciation
OF the Taft adm Illustration AMI a re-
publican Congress for failing to revise
the tariff downward. and failure ~
this present instance VIII inevitably
create a stnl further demand for rc-
vision which Will sweep Democratic
Congress the coming year to whole
sale revieion applying to agricultural
products OF the whole world
Which win be tho better policy for
the members Of the Grange ana Of
American farmers in general. 20 accept
the narrower revision embraced in
Canadian reciprocity. or TO act SO as To
speedily find themselves in coupetl-
tion with % whole world
But President TAFT and others who
have carefully studied this whole mat
ter have warmed tho people who de-
mand this relief that they may he dis
appointed IN the expectation that
Canadian reciprocity viii reduce tho
price Of living, and in this he is
simply unfolding protection theories
The price Of wheat for the whole
world is fixed in Liverpool This is
human being of i diligence suppose
that any agreement between Two
nelghbors or two thousand nclghhols
or two million nelKhbors in any part
of the world as to trading with each
other instead Of somebody else will
change the price of wheat in Liver
pool? To ask the question is to
answer il. What is true of wheat Is
true of other products. World conji-
lions and not any trade agreement be
tween the two chief countries on the
American continent establish prices
Let us illustrate this principle. t.
Vermont were able TO const!tutionally
pass n law that no maple sugar from
New York could come into Vermont
without paying an import tax ana
New York were to say in retaliation
that no maple sugar should go from
Vermont into the Empire State With
out paying a similar import tax. we
would have an exact duplicate OF the
situation In general as between
Canada and the United States.
Now does any Intelligent person be-
lieve that this barrier between Yer
mont and New York would affect the
general price Of maple sugar through
out the country or in either of the
States making this local fight? The
price would depend upon the suppiy
and the demaLd generally ana not up
on this moro local barrier to trade as
between Vermont and New York.
Now let US carry the illustration
further Suppose Vermont wero to
say TO New York, let Us do away with
this trade barrier and let us also agree
that we will make trade relations be-
tween US such that the people Of New
York will come to Vermont for their
granite instead of going to Masga-
chusetts or New Hampshire for their
stone and other products, and such
that we can buy what wo need in iron
products ard cement and so on from
your people instead of going to Penn
sylvania for those products
Is 1t not plain that while some
maple sugar might go back and forth
between the two States, without af-
fecting the price, both States would
gain immeasurably from dealing with
each other In the various products
named in preference to lighting each
other and sending their trade to other