New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-04
Mr.. Taft's Speech.
The President said in part.

WV az OpStN''
The President said in part.
In beginning what ! have 70 ssv 7
desire TO express my sincere gratitude
10 the members OF the Western Econom
ic Society for giving me an oppor-
tunity to address on this import3n, cub
iect so distinguished and Intelligent
company.
The Canadian reciprocity agreement.
providing for FREQ trade in agricultural
| products OF the two countries. ana
orrcspording reduction of duty on all
secondary food products, and for con
siderable reduction in . number Of mani
! facturod goods, passed tho House of
Reprcs natives i'm April last was 70
ferred by tho senate 10 its Comnliite"
on Finance. and there has been under
consideration by tho committee for
number of weeks. Witnesses in favor
and against the passage Of the bill em-
bodyin@ the agreement have been heard
at considerable length. and we now hope
that the bill will De brought before the
Senate. possibly without recomme nda-
tion. some time during tho coming week
The agreement had been suggested IN
til nee, Ssarv conferences held with the
representatives Of Canada over the queS-
ton Of the application Of the maximum
and irimum clause Of the Payne l3rih
bill TO Cana dian importations into this
country. and IN the course o1 the 3d-
iustmcnt OF that question, IN which. by
reason of certain Canadian CONCESSIONS
on exports Of tho United states into
Canada we were able TO apply the mini
mum tariff 10 Canadian imports. II
seemed mutually profitable 10 oXtsnd IN"
consideration Of the tariffs ~ the two
countries. already begun. TO the point
Of a complete reciprocity agreement.
commissioners who had expert knoTl-
edge of the subject We're appointed, and
after Investigations and study and CON
fcrences that covered an entire year an
agreement was finally reached "hich
has been embodied I'm the bill which has
rassod the House and is pending IN the
Senate.
Cordial Popular Approval.
The cordial approval throughout the
country which the proposed agreement
received when il was sent TO the Senate
SURPRISED even those who were resrons''
BILE for it's making: and an, oorhoent
that further consideration of t'e treaty
since its submission TO Congress. IN Jan
usry last. has only confirmed the popular
judgment in favor OF its sdopton 'n'o
law.
Tho treaty is pending in Washington,
snd the decision must be made in the
Senate Of the United States. The oues-
tion naturally arises why ! should como
out from Washington 70 Chicago mat
ter of thousand riIes--to speak on sn
issue like this, when the persons to bs
reached are so much nearer my usual
place Of residence. The bill will pass. "
il passes at all. because OF the force o'
public opinion in it's favor.
The agreement has been criticised be-
cause II was framed as completed doc
ument by the state Department, without
consultation with members Of the House
or the Senate. and We OF the admins
,ration have been subjected 10 many at
tacl<s on this ground. The subject mat
tor OF the treaty. however, was or such
character-it covered so many different
i,ems-that If conferences had been
sought I'm respect to those items the IN
diyidual objections by Senators and Repe
rosentatives would have been so many
that we would never have reached an
agreement at all.
ono OF the great objections to the old
,,othod Of fra ming a tariff bill was that
I'm order TO secure It's passage every dis
trict had to he given something IN the
hin IN the way Of protection. whether II
needed it or not, Tor the purpose OF ap-
nea sing the representative OF that dis
trict and securing his support. This
roothod was obviously calculated ~ pro-
duce a bill drawn not with view 10 the
PROTECTION. but FOR many industries that
did not need il at All.
Schedules Considered Separately,
Hence the proposition has been made
ond has received the general approval
that the various schedules Of the tar'h
should bc considered separately. and thar
the amount OF protection to be Furnished
To a particular product should be deter
,i,oJ ~, its merits with reference 10 the
cost OF its production at homo and
abroad. Now the Canadian reciprocity
n agreement in a little different way in
volyes in it's consideration the same prin-
clple. II calls for approval OF II as a
urit. without regard 10 the necessity for
tariff revision II there he such necessity.
in respect 10 other schedules of the farin
not affected or touched by H.
I venture 70 think that there is much
less real opposition TO reciprocity thsn
has been represented in Washington Tor
the purpose Of influencing votes N both
houses. I am very hopeful thst shs bill