Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-05
MILLION MEMBERS
BACK OF MOVEMENT
Claim Made Pact Discriminates
Against Agricultural Class.
PRESSURE UPON CONGRESS
Campaign Outlined to Defeat Ratifi-
cation by Exerting Influence
Upon Members Through
Voters at Home.

ganization claiming membership of
100000 farmers in thirty states. has
been started to defeat the ratification
by Congress Of the Canadian reel
procity treaty. The legislative COM
mittee of the grange at special meet
ing today at the Hotel Manhattan
adopted resolution protesting against
the enactment Of the reciprocity bill,
called upon the membership to exert
pressure upon congressman from their
various districts to vote against the
measure and decided to go to Wash
ington TO map out a campaign there.
The legislative committee is compos-
ed of ex-Gov. Nahum ]. Bachelor OF
concord, chairman; Aaron Jones OF
South Bend, Ind, and T. c. Atkeson OF
Morgantown, w. Va. As soon as the
terms of the proposed treaty became
public they exchanged kilograms,
agreed upon New York as a meeting
place and left their homes without de-
lay to head off any possible campaign
that might be started for the bills en-
actment.
Mr.. Bachelor declared today that
the national body was composed OF
800 oranges, scattered throughout tne
northern half of the United States from
Maine to California. and that II was mis-
opinion that the oranges would sup
port the committee unanimously.
Favor General Reduction.
I'VE are not opposed to a general re-
duction Of the tariff Mr.. Atkeson said,
but we are opposed to any arrange
rnent which will make fish OF one IN
dustry and flesh of another. Reduce the
tariff yes. but do 1t all at once. ana
not by a reciprocal treaty with a coun-
trv which exports agricultural productS
almost exclusively. Remove the tariH
on steel and iron and manufactured ar
,icles Along with farm products ana
we won't object But we don tniHk
il fair TO compel the farmers 70 COM
pete with foreign products aNd allow
the manufacturers to derive the bene-
fits Of a high protective tarln.
Acting along these lines. We nave oe-
ciAed TO oppose the enactment of the bull
The committee issued statement this
afternoon which will he sent to every one
of the 1..G, oranges in the orGan1zation.
These have membership OF from mt!
10 one thousand farmers. we shaii ask
every member to write his representative
in Congress urging him to vote against
the bill. l think we cau defeat 1t In this
manner. but we are not goins 10 TAKE
any chances. and the committee mas ne-
cided to go 10 Washington ana Work lot
that end"
In its statement the committee says
that, acting in response to thousands OF
letters and kilograms urging it to protect
the farmers interests, the 1oiIoNlnS pro-
test Is issued:
Reasons for Protest.
The undersigned, representing the
principal organization of farmers in the
United States earnestly protest against
the enactment of the Canadian reciproc-
ity bill now pending in Congress for the
following reasons:
Il. The bill provides for the admission
free of duty of all Canadian farm prod
ucts Since Canada is the only country
from which any considerable quantity Of
these products can. under any circum-
stances. be imported. this would result in
practically free trade in everything the
farmer produces.
20 While putting farm products on the
free list, the reciprocity bill makes no
material reduction in the high tariff rates
on all the manufactured articles the
farmer buys. and therefore gives no re-
lief from the heavy burden OF taxation
imposed by these duties.
'3 The theory on which our protec-
tive policy has always been defended is
that all classes and interests are equally
entitled to protection. The farmers, how
ever. receive much less protection than
the manufacturers. for while farm prod
ucts are taxed on the average about 25
per cent manufactured articles are tax
Cd on an average of 45 per cent.
Discrimination Against Farmers.
~. The enactment Of the Canadian
reciprocity bill would still further dscrim-
mate against the farmers by abolishing
the comparatively slight protection given
tnem. while leaving the high protective
dudes on manufactures practically un-
touched.
- The Canadian farmer, by reason of
ferential trade arrangements, can buy
manufactured goods at lower prices than
those prevailing in this country. The
prices OF farm lands in Canada are also
much lower than in the United States.
These conditions give the Canadian
farmers an advantage over us, and the
free admission of their products will sub
3ect us to unfair competition.
"6 We hold that the farmers should
receive exactly the same measure of pro-
lection as is given the manufacturers and
mat there must be no reduction of duties
on farm products, either by reciprocity
or tariff revision, unless the duties on
all manufactured articles are at the same
time corre.sponGlTSly reduced.
-. To show that this reciprocity meas
IRE In not an honest effort TO reduce the
cost Of living il the interest OF the CON
sumer il is sufficient to point out that
while wheat is on the free list, -four is
taxed 50 cents per barrel, and that while
cattle. sheep and hogs are free meats
both fresh and cured, are taxed IL cents