The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-06-14
THE BIG STICK.

THE BIG STICK.
Among the political gossip that
comes from Washington is the intima-
ton that members Of the United States
senate resent the in~sistence of Presi.
dent Taft that the Canadian trade
agreement be ratified without change
In any particular. Without imputing
to the president any motives other than
what he believes to be for the good of
the American people, these Q nstors
reserve the right to think for them.
selves and to form their own conclu.
sions. From their point of view, the
so.cslled reciprocity pact comedies to
Canada greater advantages than
would accrue to the United States, and
they would prefer to equalize the con.
ditions.
These views are not confined to men,
bers OF congress, but are shared by q
large number OF American citizens who
ore not satisfied that the presidents
optimistic expectations will be realiz.
ed. The fact that the Canadian au.
thorities practically dictated the terms
OF the agreement, and refused their
assent to propositions that contem-
plated large benefits to American In
dustries, does not commend the
measure to acceptance without ques.
ton. We are not prepared to sur
sender American markets to Canadian
products without reciprocity upon up.
proximstely equal terms.
The attitude of the president In this
matter is the subject OF pertinent com.
ment by the Billings Gazette to this
effect:
President Taft may be absolutely
right In his contention that reciproc.
ity with Canals 10 most desirable, but
he will find 1t exceedingly difficult to
persuade the farmers of the northwest
OF the alleged fact. 1t may be a. he
ssys, that the objection to confrms-
tlon of the treaty OF agreement comes
from men who are interested in Ger.
tain manufactures, such ss print pa
per, who sre using the names Of the
farmers to bolster up their cause, but
che president fails to note that in
practically every instance the men
Who are mentioned are Independent
paper manufacturers who would be
put out of business for the benefit OF
the Intern ational Paper company
which today controls practically the
entire paper industry OF the world and
which controls the output of Canadian
mills.
The fact remains that northwestern
Canada 10 rapidly becoming one OF the
greatest wheat growing regions OF
America and that with the tariff
taken from the grains, Canadian wheat
will food the American markets to
the great damage of the farmers of
the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota.
1t is a ~fallacy that the price Of wheat
is fixed in Liverpool. That was true
In the days when America produced
more wheat than 1t could consume.
Today we hardly raise enough to NEE,
the demands of the local markets, and
consequently the price of grain is ab.
~solutely fixed by the great exchanges
at Chicago and the Twin cities.
1t has frequently happened tha1
grain prices at Liverpool have beer
much lower than were those in Chi
cago. and frequently the opposite hal
been true. II the price of wheat tt
the farmers of America was fixed b,
the going price in Liverpool, it woult
not matter how much tariff wa
placed upon grain, but the ~undeniabl
fact that Chicago prices are slmos
Invariably higher than Is the price q
Liverpool would divert the Canada,
wheat from Liverpool to Chicago, an,
the American farmer would have T.
submit to . competition which he i
not prepared to meet.
President Taft In the matter of rec
iprocity 10 Q special pleader and not
Judge. he he's enlisted under tn
banner of reciprocity and ~uen,
u HE mind 10 not open to the areu
ments against his pet measure mad
By the men who feel the force OF th
blow when protection against the pre-
ducts Of the shesp lands Of the Car
adss 10 stricken down.