The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-02-17
PRESIDENT TALKS0N
RECIPROCITY
SPEAKS AT NATIONAL CORN Ex.
POSITION ON CANADIAN
AGREEMENT.
Six Months Trial Will Demonstrate
Soundness Of Principle lnvoIved-No
Need for Protection, He Declares,
Where Nations Have Such Identical
Labor and Living Conditions.

LABOR ana Living ConoitionS.
Columbus, O., Feb. 11.-President
Taft inaugurated his two days speech
making campaign in favor of Canadian
reciprocity at the National Corn Expo
sition in this city.
Taking advantage of the agricultural
character of the exposition, the Presi-
dent addressed his appeal particularly
to the farmers and sought to demon
strate that the argument that reci-
procity with Canada would adversely
affect the farming interests of this
country is not sound.
The President reached here from
Washington shortly before 2 o'clock.
He is suffering from severe cold and
sore throat and brought his physician
with him. 1t was something of an
effort for the President to speak.
1--WE have with pioneer energy
pushed on to the Pacific" the Presi-
dent said, "and taken up all the good
land. We now are spending millions
to reclaim the arid and semi-arid lands
of the great West desert. Should we
not, by taking down useless and un-
necessary 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 opin-
ion that in addressing a corn exposi-
ton audience, it would be particularly
appropriate for him to answer the
criticism that had been made of the
agreement, "as an attack upon the
farmer by depriving him of protec-
tion''
Il am Republican" said the Presi-
dent, land the Republican party al.
ways has advocated and pursued a
policy of protection to American prod.
ucts and manufactures. For a long
time the policy had little or no limi-
tation. 1t was thought that tariffs
on protected products could not be too
high, that if all foreign products were
excluded, competition would stimulate
production and reduce it's cost and it's
price.
Modification Of Tariff Idea.
"The temptation to destroy compe
tition by combinations became Sc
great, however, that the party in its
platform modified it's policy and i'm
posed the limitation that the tariff
should be limited for the purpose OF
protection to the difference between
the cost of production in this country
| and the cost of production abroad
with an allowance for a reasonable
profit to the American producer.
"The principle Of protection thus
stated takes away the justification fol
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 neighbor on the
north for three thousand miles. He,
population is English, Scotch anG
French. Her soil is like ours. He1
traditions are the same as ours. Hell
language is ours. Her climate is tenn
| perate like ours, except that her grow
ing season is shorter, and she cannot
raise corn in any great quantities.
Same People, Wages and Soil.
"She has free popular government
with wage-earning class as intelligent
and as4well paid as ours. 1t is diff
cult to see in what respect her farm
ers have any advantage over our owr
| except virgin soil in the far North
west"
He then took up the effect it would
have on corn and wheat prices, on the
value Of farm lands in this country
and on the milling industry in this
| country.
He declared that Gin respect tc
corn, the American farmer is king and
will remain SO, reciprocity or no reel
procity."
AS to what he said the domestic
price is governed by the world price
and that 1.-THE sending of any part Of
Canada's surplus through our country
without milling will not perceptibly
or materially affect the price of wheat
| for our farmers"
The value OF farm lands, he said, is
affected by the proximity to market
more than by any other elements. and
he maintained the American farmer
still would have the advantage in this
respect. He predicted great increase
/ in American milling as q result of The