The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-04
Sore About Reciprocity.

WlCnQraWaI rom the position taken by the executive committee said Leonard H. Healey, master of the Connecticut State Grange, when asked if there was any likelihood that the Grange, would reconsider its deterrnin- ation not to participate in the Con- nectcut fair at Charter Oak Park in September because President Taft had been invited to attend.
 CT can't see why there should be State master. You can say that the State Grange or the farmers of Con necticut have no objection to the President of the United States coming to Connecticut or to the Connecticut fair, but in view of the Presidents s position on reciprocity the Grange does not care to participate in the fair where Mr. Taft is to be a guest. Calling our action an insult to the President is an injustice to us, as can be shown later after we have an other executive committee meeting and are at liberty to enlighten the public fully on the Grange side of the situation
 MT. Hale Interviewed.
 As a representative agriculturist and a member of the executive com mittee of the State Grange, J. H. Hale of Glastonbury, the widely known peach grower, was Interviewed.
 Whats the idea of the Grange in declining to take part in the fair?" he was asked.
 "Just as matter of principle" MT. Hale said
 ''The action was taken by the exc cutive committee of the State Grange and the members of that committee know where the national as we'll as the State Grange stands in the matter and we know how about all the local Oranges in this State feel.
 '"T,he Grange in no way wants to appear as a host to President Taft, . MT. Hale said.
 The Reciprocity Champion.
 President Taft has been the cham pion of the reciprocity agreement with Canada against the opposition of agri- culturists all over the country, and if the Connecticut Fair people saw fit to invite the President and received his acceptance, the Grange, whose mem bers largely feel they have not been fairly dealt with by Taft, do not care to take any part in the fair.
 "It was planned to have a special Grange day at the fair and an effort was to have been made to get thou sands of Grangers to attend on that day when they would be sure of meet ing other Changers, and the public would have been interested also, and undoubtedly big day would have re- suited"
 Don't you think the action of the Grange puts the fair management in an embarrassing position?" asked the reporter.
 Possibly" said MT. Hale, "but the incident will draw lots of newspaper attention and the attendance may not be reduced in numbers, although the Grange stands on it's principle"
 T didn't suppose the farmers of the East felt so deeply over Taft's reel procity attitude ventured the news paper man.
 Let me tell you something said Mr. Hale
 ''The agricultural vote of the North, East and West kept the Republican party in power for years with it's high protective tariff, and the farmers were contented to take the crumbs from the manufacturers table, as it were, that fell from the good things of high protection
 til Congressman William Mckinley framed his tariff biDl, and then for the first time the need of protection for agricultural products was recog- nized.
 With the passage of the Mckinley bill began the great agricultural pros perity of the country, and now this reciprocity idea of Taft's takes away a lot of that protection and is opposed by the majority of farmers throughout the United States.
 Reciprocity may be all right. if 1t is all right, but the farmers don't see