The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-02-16
Trade Agreement with Cana
da to Be Of Great Bene-
fit President Says.

~ b
COLUMBUS, o.. Feb. 11.-RecI-
procity with Canada viii benefit the
entire United States, farmer, manu-
facturer. railroad company, middlc-
man, warehouse man. This was the
declaration made by President TAFT
In his address here at the National
Corn Exposition.
An will he the gamer" he said.
While his speech was devoted es.
pecially to showing that the farmer
had nothing to fear, but much 10 gain,
he attempted to prove also that all
the other interests of the country
would be benefited 10y the proposed
reciprocity.
we have with pioneer energy
pushed on to the Pacific the Pres
idcnt said, and taken up all the good
land. We are now spending millions
TO regain the arid and semi-arld
lands of the great western desert.
Should We not by taking down a use
less and unnecessary tariff wall, bring
within our agricultural resources the
great plains OF the Northwest when
they can bring to us what we need
and that without hurting any of our
own people?"
The President expressed the opinion
that in addressing corn exposition
audience 1t would he particularly APP
propr,ate for him to answer the crit
ieism which had been made of the
agreement "as an attack upon the
farmer by depriying him of protec-
ton"
1T is said to be manufacturers
agreement" he continued, that is.
in tho interest of the manufacturing
classes and adverse to the farmer.
Il am Republican and the Repub-
llcan party has always advocated and
pursued policy of protection to
Americ products and manufactures.
For long time the policy had little
or no limitation. 1t was thought that
tariffs on protected products could
not be too high that If all foreign
products We're excluded competition
would stimulate production and re-
duce its cost and its price The temp
tation to destroy competition by COM
binations became so great, however.
that the party in its platform modified
its policy and imposed the limitation
that the tariff should be limited for
purposes of protection to the differ
ence between the cost of production
in this country and the cost of pro-
duction abroad with an allowance
for reasonable profit to the Ameri-
can producer.
The principle of production thus
stated takes away the justification for
any tariff whatever by way OF protec-
ton on articles imported from coun-
try where the conditions as to labor
and other circumstances are the same
as in ours and thus makes the cost of
production substantially the same.
Canada is our netghbor on the
north for three thousand miles. Her
population is English, Scotch and
French. Her soil is like ours. Her
traditions are the same as ours. Her
language is ours. Her climate is tenn
perate like ours, except that her
growing seasons are shorter and she
cannot raise corn in any great guam
titles. She has free popular govern
ment with wage earning class as in
telligent and as well paid as ours. 1t
is difficult to see in what respect her
farmers have any advantage over our
own except virgin son in the far
northwest.
How is the farmer TO be hurt?"
he asked. He then took up the effect
1t would have on corn and wheat
prices, on the value Of farm lands in
this country and on the milling indus
try in this country.
He declared that in respect to corn
the American farmer is king end will
remain so, reciprocity or no rec!pgoc-
ity.
AS TO wheat he said the domestic
price is governed by the world price
and that the sending Of any part OF
Canadas surplus through our coun-
Try instead Of through Canada 10 he
milled or 10 be exported without mill
ing viii not perceptbly or materially
affect the price of wheat for our far
mers."
Tho value Of farm lands. he said,
is affected by the proximity to mar
Eet more than by any other element
end he maintained that the American
farmer would still have the advan-