Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-02-16
Secretary of Agriculture Tells
the Farmers How Reciprocity
Will Be of Benefit.
FAIR BARGAIN IS OFFERED
Canada Will Open Doors to Our
Fruits-Free Seeds and Free
Barbed Fencing Wire
O. Boon.

Washington. Feb. 9.--"The pending
reciprocity treaty with Canada Will
go some distance toward meeting the
demands of tho people at the last
election without interfering with the
policy Of protection as applied to the
whole world"
This is the declaration of James
Wilson, secretary of agriculture, in
an answer on behalf Of the Taft adj
minstration to the National Grange $
opposition to the agreement. Tho
answer is in :he form of an open let
ter addressed to the Legislative COM
mittee of the National Grange, Goa
cord. n. II.
Secretary Wilson argues that the
cost of production in the United States
and Canada is more nearly Identical
than it is between the Unitel States
and any other country, that the same
difficulties with regard to farm labor
exist on both sides OF the internation-
al line and that the Canadian and
American farming methods are vr-
tually the same.
TREATY NOT ONE-SIDED.
letter. giving our markets for meats and
grains to the Canadians with nothing IN
return. We 90 into the Canadian woods,
ninety millions or more OF US, for timber
products things very much needed
The southern States have a new
market for their cottonseed oils. which
viii he valuable to them, Canada opens
her doors t. our fruits, which will give
10 our orcnardists growing market for
Il cir products. Fish comes into the Uni
ted States free which will mean quite as
much to our people as the opening Of
our markets TO Canadian poultry pro-
ducts. We are to have free trade in
seeds, which Is we'll, because many seeds
are more valuable coming from northern
ATTITUDES. We do not grow enough flax
to make our oils and will derive benefit
from the free Introduction Of fiaxseed.
Free barbed fencing wire Will be boon
to our farmers.
at is said that a tariff bill or re-
ciprocity treaty or any movement tow
erds modification Of our trade relations
with foreign countries should consider
the manufacturers at the same time It
considers agricultural products, and that
Justice requires the lowering OF the
duties on products OF the farm, but
whether we shall make any OF them
| free, and the extent to which the duty
on manufactured products could be re-
| duced with safety. depends entirely up
| on whether the reduction of the duty
on manufactured goods would let in
| foreign goods to such an extent as to
interfere with the employment and
| wages of our WORKING pCOulp
WHEN FARMER is LOSER.
when the workingman loses his Job
In the factory, the farmer loses his GUS
toner The Payne tariff act reduces
duties on n great many articles, and
We have been having heavy importa-
tons since the passage OF that act
| That may do no harm and a reduction
Ct the amount of protection given To
some other manufacturers may do Nc
harm, indeed, may be Justified but
whenever these reductions go SO far as
to permit very heavy importations oil
goods in those classes, the factory stop,
and the farmer loses hts market.
Reciprocity with Canada must be con
| sidered from n viewpoint omewhat differ
ent from that of a tariff act affecting ou
commerce with the entire world local.
! es in both Canada and the United state
will be opposed from real and imag,nar!
reasons. But the development Of eithe
country as a whole calls for first consid
Grafton from its statesmen.
"Our relations with the people Of Can
ada are different from our relations wit.
any other people. For many years W,
welcomed them to our country. in lat
! IN al
pie to their lands.
I'VE had reciprocity with Canada no
many years ago. That was abrogate,
more through temporary sentimental con
celebrations than from any other cause
Since that time tho Canadians have beer
rapidly building up their country oioni
all ines
CANADIANS AS MUCH OPPOSED.
There IS Just SIS much opposition II
localities there now t. letting in Ame3i
can manufactured goods st lower rate
as there is In localities on the Americas
| side to letting in Canadian farm product
at lower rates or wthop: duty. II tn!
reciprocity treaty becomes the law o
both countries, our relations with Canadi
| VIII become more intimate. and our trad
| wi.h her win extend and increase Tn
trains that bring farm products to III
United States will take farm, orchar
and manufactured products back. and W
VIII become more and more one people
developing along similar lines AM
experimenting each other In man,
respects the raw material that come
from the Canadian farm will be manu-
featured in the United States and wha
is not needed will be sent TO foreign coun
tries, If this is desirable on the part o
Canada, IT certainly should be desira bl
on the part OF the people of tho Unite
States"