St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-01
Reciprocity With Canada.


President Taft sent to Congress
last week a reciprocity arrangement
which has been negotiated with the
Canadian government and with it a
message urging the passage of law
that would put the arrangement into
effect on the part of the United
States. At the same time the ar
rangement was laid before the Cana
dian parliament at Ottawa and it is
confidently believed that if the legis-
lative branches of the two govern
ments enact the arrangements into
law the trade between the two
countries will be much more liberal
and larger than in the past. This ar
rangement will not be submitted in
the form of treaty as two-thirds
vote of the senate in its favor would
be necessary but it will go before the
two houses of congress as change
in the tariff law of this country. In
this way the president hopes to
speedily accomplish his purpose.
One great object in the negotia-
ton of this arrangement has been
to make reduction in the cost of
living possible. Raw food products
of nearly all kinds, including fish and
dairy products, go on the free list,
and as well cattle, sheep and other
animals. Canada let's our cotton oil
in free and we let in free Canadian
rough lumber; and pulp and paper
under certain conditions; and tin
plate as also does Canada, Secondary
or partially manufactured food pro-
ducts, such as fresh meats, canned
vegetables and provisions, have their
duties reduced on both sides, and
there is mutual reduction of duties
on a variety of manufactures such as
vehicles, cutlery, sanitary fixtures,
clocks and watches, leather goods
and plate-glass. Canada reduces her
duties on agricultural machinery to
the United States level, and there are
scattering reductions otherwise as on
coal from the United States.
The presidents message makes
plain that the changes in the tariffs
have been arranged with the view of
~beneftting both countries to as large
an extent as possible and the i'm
portance of completing these ar
rangemepts while each country is
willing to act fairly in the matter.
This arrangement is not sure of
becoming law. The changes proposed
in tariffs are sure to effect some To-
caIities very seriously and they will
naturally oppose such a program to
the best of their ability. 1t seems
as though the arrangement will be
especially severe on the agricultural
interests of the country. Until
comparatively a few years ago the
farmer of this country has had to
meet the competition of cheap land.
There has been a much larger pro
duction of farm products than the
country could consume and the farm
could get for his produce. All of
this time he has been buying tools,
supplies and clothing protected by
the tariff. Of late years the con-
sumption of farm products has come
nearer to the production and with
the tariff in force the farmer has
been protected from the competition
of cheap lands in Canada and so has
been getting better prices for his
products. The arrangement made
by Pres. Taft removes this protection
and places the United States farmer
at the mercy of the over production
of Canadian cheap lands regarding
price for what he has to sell. At the
same time it does not give him the
opportunity to buy things he needs
free of duty. He can not go into
Canada and buy his farming tools
free of duty but the Canadian can
bring his farm products in here free
of duty to sell. 4 OF course in any re
ciprocal arrangement each side must
give some but We shall hardly ex-
pect to see the agricultural interests
of Vermont very enthusiastic for the
proposed change.