Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-02-07
MILLION FARMERS
START PLAN To KILL
RECIPROCITY BILL
Legislative Committee of Ma
tionaI Grange Will Go to
Washington to Map Out
Campaign Against Treaty


NEW YORK, Feb. 4-The machinery
of the National Grange, an organization
claiming a membership Of 100000 farm
ers In 80 states, has been started to de-
feat the ratification by congress OF the
Canadian reciprocity treaty. The Leg
islative committee of the grange, at
special meeting today at the Hotel Man
haitian, adopted resolution protestin6
against the enactment of the reciprocity
bill, called upon the membership TO ex-
ert pressure on congress men from theiE
various districts to vote against the
measure and decided to go to Wash
ington to map out campaign there.
GIVES OUT STATEMENT
Gov. n. J. Blanchard, of Concord,
chairman of the legislative COMMITTEES,
declared today the national body was
composed of 1900 oranges scattered
throughout the northern half Of the Uni
ted States from Maine to California and
that it was his opinion the oranges
would support the COMMITTEES unani-
mously.
I'VE are not opposed to a general re-
duction of the tariff said Mr.. Atkin-
son, of the committee, but we are OPP
posed to any arrangement which VIII
make fish OF one industry and flesh Of
another Regulate the tariff, yes, but
do 1t all at once, and not by reciproc-
ity treaty with a country that exports
agricultural products almost exclusives
ly. Remove the tariff on steel and iron
and manufactured articles along with
farm products and we won't object. But
we don't think It fair. to compel the
farmers TO compete with foreign pro-
ducts and allow the manufacturers 20
derive the beneft OF a high protective
tariff.
WRITE REPRESENTATIVES,
Acting along these lines, I'VE have
81 H.
bill The committee issued a statement
this afternoon which will be sent to
every one of the 1900 oranges In the or
ganization. These have a membership
of so to 1000 farmers each. We shall
ask every member to write his represen-
tatives in congress. urging him to vote
against the bill. think we can defeat
It IN this manner, but we are not going
to take any chances and the COMMITTEES
has decided to go to Washington and
work for that end.
In its statement, the committee says
that acting In response to thousands OF
letters and telegramS urging it to pro-
tect the farmers I'M tests. the protest
is issued
REASONS a GIVEN
present principal or ations Of farm
ers in the United earnestly pro
test against the enac1 guenf OF the Cana
dian reciprocity bin. now pending in
congress for the following reasons:
81 The bill provides for the admission
free OF dut yof all Canadian farm pro-
ducts. Since Canada Is the only country
from which any considerable quantity or
these products can under any circum-
stances be imported, this would result In
practically free trade in everything the
farmer produces
80. While putting farm products on
the free list. the reciprocity bill makes
no material reduction in the high tariff
rates on all the manufactured articles
the farmer buys. and therefore gives no
relief from the heavy burden Of taxation
Imposed by these duties.
g. The theory on which our protec-
tive policy has always been defended In
that all classes and interests are equally
entitled to protection. Tho farmers, how
ever, receive much less protection than
the manufacturers. for while farm pro-
ducts are taxed on the average about Is
per cent, manufactured articles are tax
ed on an average of about IS per cent
WOULD HURT FARMERS.
"a. The enactment of the Canadian re
ciprocity bill would stin further dIscrim1
mate against the farmers by aboiishinR
the comparatively slight protection now
given them, while leaving the high pro-
tective duties on manufactures practi-
calIy 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 ars
also much lower than in the United
States. These conditions give the Cana
dian farmers an advantage over US and
the free admission OF their products VIII
submit us to unfair competition.
50 We hold that the farmers should
receive exactly the same measure OF
protection is given the manufacturers
and that there must be no reduction OF
duties on farm products, either by reci-
procity or tariff revision, unless the
duties on all manufactured articles are
at the same time correspondingly reduce
ed.
u. To show that this reciprocity meas-
ure is not an honest effort to reduce the
cost OF living IN the interest Of the con-
sumner, 1t Is sufficient to point out while
whea is on the free list, flour is taxed
50 cents per barrel, and that while cat
tie. sheep and hogs are free, meats, both
fresh and cured, are taxed Ia cents per
pound for the benefit Of the meat trust
Cove Qoninrnni4,, EA.to&