Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-04
RECIPROCITY is F."
TEXT OF ALL TALK
President Taft the Leading Speaker
at the Meeting Held Last
Night.
SPEECH CONSIDERED IMPORTANT
Position as to Trade with Canada is
Fully Outlined,
POINTS OUT THE OPPONENTS
Are Those Who Have Benefited by
High Tariffs.
FARMERS WOULD NOT BE HUnT
shows what Has Been Accom- pItshed
by Reduction of Duties in Trading
with Cuba, Trade Having
Greatly Increased.
SPEECH CONSIDERED IMPORTANT
Position as to Trade with Canada is
Fully Outlined.
POINTS OUT THE OPPONENTS
Are Those Who Have Benefited by
High Tariffs.
FARMERS WOULD NOT BE HUnT

CHICAGO, June S,-This was Canadian
Reciprocity day in Chicago, program
under the auspices OF the Western Econ
omic society, extending the discussion OF
the subject through the whole day, con-
cluding tonight with what was one OF the
most important speeches during his term Of
office by Pres dent Taft.
Prof. H. p Wills OF George Washington
university opened the day with a talk on
Canadian Reciprocity and Commerce"
and among the succeeding speakers were
Prof T.. V. Robinson of the University OF
Minnesota and Shaier Matthews president
OF the society. who read statement pre-
pared by Ex-Governor Hoard of Wisconsin.
Taft AddreEses Conference.
President Taft addressed the conference
as follows;
THE Canadian reciprocity agreement,
providing for free trade in agricultural
products Of the two countries, and for
corresponding reduction of duty on all the
secondary food products, and for a con-
siderable reduction in a number of manu-
factured goods passed the house OF repre-
sentatives in April last, was referred by
the senate to its committee on finance and
there has been under consideration by the
committee for a number of weeks Wit
nesses in favor and against the passage OF
the bill embodying the agreement have
been heard at considerable length and we
now hope that the bill will be brought be-
fore the senate, possibly without recon-
mendation, some time during the coming
week.
The agreement had been suggested in
the necessary conference held with the rep
resentatives of Canada over the question of
the application Of the maximum and mini
mum clauses of the Payne tariff bill to
Canadian importatons into this country;
and in the course of the adjustment of that
question. in which. by reason of certain
Canadian concessions on exports of the
United states into Canada we were able
to apply the minimum tariff to Canadian
imports, 1t seemed mutually profitable to
extend the consideration of the tariffs of
the two countries, already begun. to the
point Of a complete reciprocity agreement.
THE cordial approval throughout the
country which the proposed agreement re-
ceived when II was sent to the senate sur
prised even those who were responsible for
it's making, and l am confident that fur
ther consideration of the treaty since it's
submission TO congress in January last
has only confirmed the popular judgmeng
In favor Of its adoption into law.
II the biA FanSeHs
THE question naturally arises why
should come out from Washington to Chi
cago to speak on an issue like this when
the person to be reached are so much
nearer my usual place OF residence. The
Dill Will pass, II 1t passes at all, because
OF the force Of public opinion in its favor.
The agreement has been criticised be-
ctuse it was framed as a completed docu-
ment by the State department. without
consultation with members or the house
or the senate, and we OF the administration
have been subjected to many attacks on
these grounds. The subject matter OF the
treaty, however, was OF such a character
1t covered so many different items-that IL
conferences had been sought in respect to
those items, the Individual objections by
senators and representatives would have
been so many that we would never have
reached any agreement at all.
one or the great objections TO the old
method of framing a tariff bill was that
In order to secure its passage every dis
trict had to be given something in the bill
In the way Of protection, whether Il needed
1t or not. for the purpose of appeasinR the
representative of that district and secur-
Ing his support. Hince the proposition has
been made and has received the general
approval that the various schedules of the
ttriff should be considered separately ind
that the amount OF protection 70 be fur
nished to particular product should be
determined on it's merits with reference 10
the cost of its production at home ana
abroad.
Now, the Canadian reciprocity agres-
ment in little different way involves In
It's consideration the same principle. II
calls for approval OF It as a unit, without
regard to the necessity for tariff revision,
II there be such necessity, in respect to
other schedules OF the tariff not affected
or touched by 1t.
As to Opposition.
i venture TO take that theer IS much
less real opposition TO reciprocity than has
been reported in washington for the pur-
pose OF Influencing votes In both houses.
am very hopeful that the bill will pass
the senate, and when II does pass. and
mas been agreed upon by the Canadian
parliament its actual operation will be so
beneficial TO both countries that the ar
suments against its apotion will be for
gotten or viii only be remembered as ex-
asgerated instances Of pervoited imagina-
uon' say this because l have examined