The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-02-17
Secretary of State, Philander c. Knox, AID
dresses Chicago Association of Commerce
on Proposed Agreement With Canada
Declares Autonomy of British America
is Secure and the Dominion is
Recognized Political Unit.

president is the result. 1t is compTe-
hensive in principle and avoids the
objection which was one cause of the
|abrogation of the Elgin-Marcy treaty
|of 1S54--that is, it is not limited to
one class of commodities. 1t is meant
for the conditions of today and the
conditions of the future.
Recognizing the condition which
exists in our own country and with
Iout undertaking to define the causes
which have led to the increased cost
|of living, the agreement seeks to give
our millions of wage-earning consum-
'ers the benefit of drawing upon the
surplus food supplies nearest at hand.
1t seeks by providing for the freest
possible interchange of commodities
across political boundary which,
when it comes to production and COM
merce is an artificial boundary, to pre-
vent those manipulations and those
speculative fluctuations in prices which
are harmful both to the producer ard
to the consumer 1t may be stated
as an axiom that the more abundant
the source of supply and the more
free the movement of products the
less chance there is of decreasing the
legitimate profits of the producer and
of increasing the cost to the consumer
by artificial scarcity.
While reciprocity agreement limit
led to natural products would be bene.
nclal, nevertheless in order that such
an agreement should be really com.
prehensive the terms should include
manufactured commodities also. This.
too, is done? Rates are mutually re-
duced on large variety of manufac-
lures. The list would have been even
larger had the Dominion reached the
stage of industrial development in
which she felt that she could include
a greater number of articles"
Special regard for "the great class
OF agricultural producers" for the
market offered by Canada to this coun-
try and the market offered by the
United States to Canada, and for "the
legitimate expansion of our manufact-
uring industries" was given during
the recent negotiations, added Mr..
Knox, in explaining the reductions on
all classes of agricultural implements.
the free admission of cottonseed oil
into Canada, the exemption from duty
of all fruits and vegetables and other
agricultural products of which some
sections have surplus at certain sea.
sons. The benefits are generally dis.
tributed in Mr. Knoxs opinion and
"a permanent injury to any producing
class is apprehended."
Speaking of the provision for free
wheat Mr.. Knox pointed out that the
transportation facilities of the United
States for handling the surplus Can.
adian crop must be taken into ac.
count, thus preventing "the demoraliz
alton of prices which results through
the dumping of larger quantities upon
the European markets, where the
worlds supply is fixed" He declared
that the free admission of grain from
Canada would meet the present situa.
tion and place the control in the hands
of the American grain growers.
"The principal complaints against
the measure" continued Mr.. Knox
come from the politicians who have
been endeavoring to persuade the
farmer that his interest in the protec.
tive tariff is based on the tariffs on
agricultural products rather than upon
the general prosperity of the country
or they are heard from some local
special interest
1T is significant how little is said
about who got the best of the bargain
The general observation is one of
qualification that the arrangement is
beneficial to both countries. The
breadth and unselfish nature of the
agreement has surprised and gladden.
ed the friends of good relations be-
tween the countries and disconnected,
these upon both sides of the line who
expected horse traders bargain.
"A generous measure of reciprocity
between Canada and the United