The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-05-05
PRES|DENTEXPLA|Ns
RECIPROCITY
ne TO REINSTATEMENT ON
CANADIAN TRADE AGREE
MENT.
,rercia, Economical and Social
,.,sons Make Proposed Treaty Val
u.bIe to the Country, He Says, but
rx.ension of Free List Would Work
Harm.

cnoke before the JOINT odnque' VI 'no
.~,orican Newspaper Publishers Asso-
H zion and the Associated Press at
49, UaIdorf-Astoria. He devoted the
.urooter part of his address to the Can
edian reciprocity agreement. On this
cubiect he said in part:
~ am glad to have the opportunity
Of speaking to body which fully rep
uosents the most important agencies
Cor the formation of public opinion in
,bis country on a question which has
now reached a critical point in it's set
clement. The agreement is CONNER
oial one and affects the duties on i'm
norts from each country into the other,
and therefore it is difficult to say that
detailed discussion of tariff sched-
ules is not relevant and important In
considering it's wisdom. But the gen
oral commercial, economical and social
orguments in it's favor are so sconvinc-
ing that l may be pardoned if do not
dwell on specific rates.
Treaty Clauses.
"The treaty provides for free trade
in all agricultural products and in
rough lumber down to the point Of
planning.
aft reduces the duties on secondary
food products by very substantial
nercentage and it makes such reduc-
tions in a number of manufactured ar
ticles that those engaged in making
them have assured us that the reduc-
tons will substantially increase the al
ready large Canadian demand for
them.
1--WE rendered to the Canadian COM
missiOners absolute free trade in all
products of either country, manufac-
tured or natural, but the Canadian
commissioners did not feel justified
in going SO far.
A Strong Argument.
Hence it follows that their refusal
to agree to free trade in these articles
as we proposed is the strongest kind
of evidence that if we take OFF the
existing duty from such articles COM
ing into the United States it would not
affect in the slightest degree the price
at which those articles could be fur
nished to the public here.
Thus the reason why meats were
not put upon the free list in this Ca
madam agreement was because Can
ada felt the competition of our pack
ers would injuriously affect the prod
ucts of their packing houses. If that
be true, how would it help our con-
sumer or lower the price of meat in
our markets if we let their meats in
free, while they retained a duty on our
meat?
Flour Discussed.
"The same thing is true of -four.
And yet some gentlemen insist that
the farmer has been unjustly treated
because we have not put Canadian
flour and meal on the free list. And it
is proposed to satisfy the proposed
grievance of the farmers by now doing
so without any compromising conces-
sions from Canada.
This proposal would be legislation
for political platform uses, without &C.
complishing any real good.
A Serious Feature.
In another aspect, however, the eff.
feet of the proposal might be serious.
Of course, mere reduction of our
tariff, or the putting in of any article
on our free list without insisting on
a corresponding change in the Cana.
dian tariff will not interfere with the
contract as made with Canada.
But if we do make concessions,
any consideration on the part
OF Canada, after the contract has been
tentatively agreed upon by those au.
thorlzed to make contracts for ratifi.
cation in both governments, then we
are in danger of creating an obligation
against us in favor of all the foreign
countries with which we have existing
treaties containing what is called the
favored nation clause.
This clause has been construed by
our statesmen not to involve US in an
obligation to extend privilege to all
nations which we confer upon one ma
Llon in consideration of an equally
valuable privilege from that nation
But the serious question that would
arise, whether, if now that the contract
mas been tentatively agreed upon and
Is about to be confirmed by Canada
we should grant to Canada more than
inc contract requires, we could claim
mat this extra concession was not q
pure gratuity and one which was nee
7ssarlly extended to all other nations
ander the favored nation clause.
Two Objections.
There are two objections, therefore
10 inserting in the bill confirming THU
canadian contract additions to oul
lree list from Canada. The first Ii
mat they are concession that is Of
no value to those whom it is proposed
70 propltiate by adopting II. and The
second is that it may involve us In
airectly in doubtful obligation IN re
Spect to trade with other countries.
II we desire to put meal and floul
ana other commodities III the free lis,
LOT the entire world, that II one thing
uysA