The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-02-24
THE OWOSSO TIMES
REP. FoRDNEY TALKS OF TREA
TY TRADE.
oes Further Into Canadian Reel
prooIty Measure and Its
Possibilities.

oeS Further Into Canadian Keel
prooity Measure and Its
Possibilities.
Washington. Feb. 90 Congressman
Fordney on being questioned about the
hill of Congressman Mccall to ratify
the proposed trade agreement with
Canada. expressed his regret that the
bill had beenrushed through the house
with limited discussion and no oppor-
tunity to make amendments.
Mr.. Fordney said:
''The only consolation in this matter
to me, is the fact that a majority of the
Republicans voting on this question in
the house last Tuesday evening, voted
against the measure, and it was only by
Democratic votes that the bill passed
the house. If the Democrats had op-
posed the proposition as they oppose all
measures conforming with Republican
principles Of protection to American in
dustries, the bill would have been over
whelmingly defeated.
FAhMEtSS CONrlDcNCE Mlof LACrD1
1.-THE benefits to be derived by the
people of the United States by this bill
seem 80 distant and vague and the dis
astrous results so certain that I opposed
It with all my might in the COMMITTEE
and on the floor of the house. 1t is true
Canadian rates of duty on many manu-
featured goods coming from the United
States, will be lowered. but as rule,
such reductions of duty are small COM
pared with concessions we are to make
to Canada, and to make the matter
worse, it has been stated in the Cana
dian parliament that no advantage
shall be given to the United States in
the Canadian market, that shall not be
given at once to England and her pos
sessions. So, at best, United States by
this treaty can only hope to be placed
ON an equal footing in Canadian mar
kets with free trade England. Under
such conditions, the possibility of in
creasing our exports to Canada does not
seem to justify the placing of all farm
products on the free list, which this
treaty proposes to do. To me it seems
to be proposition to sacrifice the well
fare of the farmer in an uncertain hope
to give some benefit ito the manufac-
turer. and IL is my candid prediction
that if the treaty becomes effective the
farmers will show their resentment at
the polls two years hence. The farmers
heretofore, have supported the Repub-
lican party because that party prom
Used them protection to agricultural
products, sand should Canadian farm
products now be admitted into the
United States absolutely free of duty. it
seems as though that confidence of the
farmers in the Republican party has
been misplaced.
WHEAT PRICES AFFECTED.
'.Friends of the measure claim the
treaty will not lower the price of farm
products in the United States, but 1
cannot conceive that this claim is cor
rect. In fact. I have just received
telegram from Lewiston, Montana, stat
ing that this price of wheat had drop
ped over twelve cents per bushel in the
Minneapolis markets since Canadian
reciprocity has been announced, and the
party sending that telegram blames the
fall directly to reciprocity agitation.
On receipt of this telegram immedi-
ately telegraphed to friends in st. Paul
for information, and am advised by
wire that since January 25th, the day
before President Taft submitted the
proposed treaty to congress, the price of
wheat has steadily declined from $1.06s
per bushel to 96fc per bushel, drop of
Dsc. If this is due to agitation, it seems
20 me to be most conclusive evidence
that the enactment of the treaty would
result most disastrously. l firmly be-
lieve If we remove the present duty of
CSC per bushel on Canadian wheat it
will cause a most serious and far reach
ing loss to the farmers of the north
western states. This will be best un-
aerstood when we consider that the
production of wheat in the United
States for 1909 amounted to over $780,
100000 bushels, and If this treaty re-
duces the average price but ten cents
to the farmer, it will cause a loss of
over $73, 900, 900, and what is true Of
wheat is true of nearly every kind Of
farm product
CITES CUBAN RECIPROCITY.
"when Cuban reciprocity was pro.
posed, opposed 1t strongly, but the
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