Norwich bulletin., 1911-05-12
MEN ARGUE
 AGAINST RECIPROCITY BILL State Grange Master HeaIey and Oth-
 CTS at Washington.
Especial to The BuIletin.l

|
 CTS at Washington.
 
 | Especial to The Bulletin.) l Washington, May 11.-L A. Healey ! of Woodstock master of the Connec- | ticut state grange, appeared before the | senate finance committee yesterday in | opposition to the Canadian reciprocity | agreement. He was accompanied by 1 c. R. Potter of Woodstock and J. A. Sherwood of Long Hill. state lecturer. Reciprocity Cassed by Farmers.
 MT. Healey said that since he ap- l peared before the committee in the last 1 congress this reciprocity bill had been discussed by his organization and the more it has been discussed the more it had been ''cussed" from farmers standpoint He said he had received | hundreds of letters from the member | snip congratulating him On the stand | taken and only one letter saying he was on the wrong track. Speaking of l the resolution which passed the Con- necticut legislature, he said: Politics in Legislative Action.
 Tt has been made so prominent, | gentlemen. I wish to explain to you 1 just how that came to be passed: Just | after the reciprocity measure came be- | fore the public I have been told that | a resolution--I know that the resolu- | ton was put in--and have been told that it was put in by request before our legislature asking the endorse rnent of the treaty. The people of our state almost every year. for number l of years, have been republicans, and l a republican majority has been elected | tc the legislature and 1t was thought that it was an endorsement of a na- ] tinnsl republican adminiStra tion. | Therefore the resolution was passed, but tne sentiment among the legisla- tors of our state at the present time, l can assure you. is anything but unanimous as regards the proposed treaty."
 Important to Farming Industry. He said they had come down here neither for fun nor pleasure but were here because they were interested in question which they believed is of the most vital importance to the farm ing industries of the state. He said that although Connecticut was called manufacturing state it was also true that they were not nonenity as an agricultural state.
 Nearly All Farmers Opposed.
 MT. Healey was followed by J. A. Sherwood who after endorsing what the master had said said: 'I wish 10 say that l bring to you the feeling and expression of the agricultural people in the little state of Connecticut and l l1row that they are all opposed
 -AcdTlN dt1 ORppSeu, l S0CEil say tO this treaty which we have under con- sideration here before US Perhaps the dSiryihg interest is the one interest which will be most largely affected in our state provided this treaty is passed and that alone it seems to me is one of the reasons why we cannot agree with this bill.
 Want Boys and Girls to Stay on Farm
 We desire to keep the young man Cf fz and " Te ha1iaVa that less we make the farms reInunerative to these young men. we cannot induce them to stay there. We want the boys and girls to stay on the farms a-d not go to the large centers.
 Discrimination Against Farmer.
 Now, as has already been expressed to you. and as I said before, it is the feeling that if this bill is passed it will he a discrimination against the agricultural interest. not only of our state, but of our country. That is the one thought that I wish to leave with you today. Let US not have class legislation. If the things which they produce must go on the free list, let us have the things which the farmer has to buy go on the free list also. One of Connecticut's Leading Farmers
 C. H. Potter. who was introduced as one of the leading farmers of the state of Connecticut. made one of the pest arguments that has been heard by the committee tO date. iIe said: MT. Chairman and gentlemen of the com Tnittee, when my friend introduced me as farmer he told the truth. I am not a. public orator. and there is very little that l can add to what has been said here this morning. and it seems 10 me what l add would have very lit tle influence with you as members of this committee. Yet I want to say to you that I have come here from Con- necticut representing practically a manufacturing state, but yet we have some of the best small titled farms in the state of Connecticut that there are in the United States today, and am here representing that class of la borers.
 Locking Forward to Future. ~
 We have and our ancestors nave. la bored cn those farms for years in the past. and we are looking forward into the future when we trust our chil- dren and grandchildren will still con tinue to till those farms He quoted Q magazine article to show that 92 per, cent ot our presidents. 90 per cent. Of our governors, S3.s per cent. of our cabinet ministers. 56 per cent of eur railroad presidents 60 Der cent of our representatives in congress and 7e6 per cent of senators were born on the farm, and continued: Now gentle
 
 age of those who have had the mould ln6 of .his United States a nation that has grown from infancy to be one of the most powerful nations today, honored and respected by every known nation of the world. as coming from our tarms. is it not a fact that we should stand by those people and the descendants of those people who have reared these sons who have had so much to do in moulding this nation.
 Don't Ask for Class Legislation.
 We do not ask for any special leg lslation, but we ask that you will deal with HIS just as you would do with any other class of people; give us just the same privileges and just the same protection. We do not ask for any class legislation. We are a quiet, peaceful class of people laooring, some Of us, from l2 to IT hours day.
 As to High Cost of Living.
 Now. it has been said, and it has gone out in our papers, that this is to benefit the lab@ring class of people. Allow me to give you this Illustration: A few days ago 1 had Goung man doing some painting for me I did not obJect to him. He was a good paint CT; he was an experienced workman: | paid him s3 per day for eight hours lADor. and he was complaining of the ! h feI