The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-01
spending marked increase in OF
manufactures exported"


spending marked increase in our
| manufactures exported"
President Taft holds that a COM
mercial agreement with Canada "by
which we shall have direct access to
her great supply of natural products
without an Obstructing or prohibitory
tariff is not violation of the protec-
tive principle because that principle
does not call for a tariff between this
| country and one whose conditions as
to production, population and wages
are so like ours, and when our COM
| mon boundary line of 5000 miles in
| itself must make a radical distinction
between our commercial treatment of
Canada and of any other country"
The president says that the Cam
adams soon must decide whether they
| are to regard themselves as isolated
| permanently or whether we are to
| be commercial friends. If we give
| them reason to take the former
view," he adds. can we complain if
| they adopt methods denying access
| to certain of their natural resources
except upon conditions quite unfav-
| orable to us? A notable instance of
such a possibility may be seen in the
conditions surrounding the supply of
pulp wood and the manufacture Of
| print paper, for which we have made
| a conditional provision on the agree
ment, believed to be equitable. Should
we not now, therefore, before their
| policy for change, facilitate commerce
between the two countries and thus
| greatly increase the natural resources
available to our people,"
AS TO the effect Of the treaty would
nave on the cost Of living in the Uni
ted States. the president says:
Il do not wish to hold out the pros
pcct that the unrestricted interchange
Of food products will greatly and at
cnce reduce their cost TO the people
of this country. Moreover, the pres
ent small amount of Canadian surplus
for export as compared with that of
our own production and consumption
would make the reduction gradual.
The price of staple food products, es-
pccially of cereals, is much the same
the world over, but a source OF supply
as near as Canada would certainly
help TO prevent speculative fuctua-
tions would steady local price move
ments and would postpone the effect
Of a further world increase in the
price OF leading commodities entering
into the cost of living, if that be in
cvtable.
MY purpose i'm making a reciprocal
trade agreement with Canada has
been not only to obtain one which
will be mutually advantageous to both
countries, but on fhich alos would
he truly national in its scope aS APP
piled to our country.
AS an illustration il has been found
possible To obtain free entry into
Canada FOR fresh fruits and vegetables
IA matter Cf special value To the
South and to ia" Pacific coast i'm dis
posing of their products in th,r sca-
son. II also has been practicable to
obtain free entry for the cottouSCed
oil of the South--a most important
product with rapidly expanding
consumption u the Dominion.
This trade agreement if "nt,rrd
in,o, will deepen and widen the
sources of food supply in contiguous
territory and win facilitate the move
mcnt and distribution Of those food
stuffs."
President Taft concludes his mes
sage by expressing the earnest hope
chat the measure will promptly he
enacted i'm law"