Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-02-09
National Organization Has about
100000 Members in 80 States
Ready for War.
OPPOSES PARTIAL FREE TRADE
Declares the Farmers Are Made
to Bear Whole Burden while
Tariff Protects the Man
ufacturers.

New York. FEB. 5-The machinery Of
the National Grange. an organization
claiming n membership of 100000 farm
ers in 80 States. has been started to de-
feat the ratification by Congress of tho
Canadian reciprocity treaty.
The legislative committee Of the
grange, at a special meeting yesterday
st the Hotel Manhattan, adopted a reso-
tuition protesting against the enactment
of tho reciprocity bill, called upon the
membership to exert pressure upon con
gressmen from their various districts to
vote against the measure and decided
10 go to Washington to map out cam
paign there.
Tho legislative committee is composed
Of three members. ex-Gov Nahum J.
Bachelor of Concord, n. II, chairman,
Aaron Jones of South Bend, Ind. and r
c. Atkeson of Morgantown, w. Va.
AS soon as the terms Of the proposed
treaty became public they exchanged
kilograms, agreed upon New York
meeting place and left their homes
without delay to head off any possible
campaign that might be started for the
bilrs enactment.
Mr. Bachelor said that the national
body was composed of I, 800 oranges scat
tered throughout the northern half of
the United States from Maine to Cali
fornia, and that 1t was his opinion that
the oranges would support the commit
tee animously.
REASON FOR OPPOSITION.
I'VE are not opposed to a general re-
duction OF the tariff M. Atkeson said
"but we are opposed TO any arrange
tol, x,,iI ,,olya Och, of in
dustry and flesh Of another. Reduce the
tariff, yes: but do 1t all a once, and
not by a reciprocal treaty with a coun-
try which exports agricultural products
almost exclusively.
Remove the arff 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 prod
ucts and allow the manufacturers TO
derive the benefits of a high protective
tariff.
Acting along these lines, have
decided to oppose the enactment of the
bill The committee issued a statement
this afternoon which will be sent to
every one of the 800 oranges in the
org uization. These have a membership
Of from 50 to 1000 farmers. We shall
ask every member to write his repTesen-
tative in Congress urging him TO vote
against the BILL ! think we can defeat
Il in this manner but we are not going
to take any chances, and the committee
has decided to go to Washington and
uoyl- from that end.
FREE TRADE IN FARM PRODUCTS.
The committee issued the following
statement yesterday:
THE legislative committee of the ma
tionaI grange, an orga nization of farm
ers with local branches in 80 States,
having about 10000 members, met in
this city to-day to take action on the
proposed Canadian reciprocity arrange
ment. Acting In response to thousands
Of letters and kilograms urging them
TO protect the farmers interest In this
matter. they have issued the following
protest:
THE ndersigned, representing the
principal organization OF farmers in the
United States, earnestly protest against
the enactment OF the Canadian reel
procity bill now pending in congress for
tho following reasons:
Il The bill provides for ths admission
free OF duty of all Canadian farm prod
unts. Since Canada Is the only country
from which any considerable quantity
VI these products can under any cir
eumstances be imported. this would re-
yult in practically free trade IN every
hing the farmer produces
'2. While putting farm products on
Jhe fres list. the reciprocity bill makes
40 material reduction in the high tariff
rates on all tho manufactured articles
the farmer buys. and therefore gives
no relief from the heavy burden of
taxation imposed by these duties
GET SMALL END OF LOAF.
"a The theory on which our protective
policy has always been defended Is that
all classes are equally entitled to pro-
lection. The farmers. however, receive
much less protection than the manufac-
turers. for while farm products are tax
ed on the avera &c about q per cent.
manufactured articles are taxed on an
average of about As per cent.
"a. The enactment OF the Canadian
reciprocity bill would still further dis
crimjnete against the farmers, by abol-
ishing the compare lively slight protec-
ton now gwen them, while leaving the
high protective duties on manufa ctures
practically untouched.
D. inc 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 are also
much lower than in the United States
These conditions give the Canadian
farmers an advantage over US and the
free admission OF their products will
subject us to unfair competition.
20. We hold that the farmers should
receive exactly the same measure OF
protection as is given the manufactur.
ers and that there must be no reduc-
ton of duties on farm products, eithe,
by reciprocity or tariff revision, unless
the duties on all manufactured articles
are at the same time correspondlngly re,
duced
- To show that this reciprocity