The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-06-09
WILSON ON
RECIPROCITY
CANADA is ONE OF OUR BEST
CUSTOMERS"
FAvoRs CANADIAN AGREEMENT
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson, Ad.
dressing the Detroit Board Of Com.
meree, Makes Strong Argument
in Favor Of Canadian Reciprocity.

dressing the Detroit Board Of Com.
meree, Makes a Strong Argument
in Favor Of Canadian Reciprocity.
Detroit Mich, June S.-Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson, addressing the
board of commerce here on the Ca.
madam agreement, today said recipro-
city is movement for more markets
for the products of diversified indus
try from field and factory, an enlarge
ment of the policy of half century
that has made our home market, and
brought the farmers customers nearer
the field.
Canada is our second best custom
er now" said he. I'VE have sold to
her in the last five years about five
hundred million dollars forth of goods
than we bought from her, mostly fac
tory goods. We feed the factory peo-
pie from our fields. There is no pros
perity for the farm if other industries
languish. The American watchword
should still be more factories and
more diversified industries, as it has
been for half century. The farm
will feed the factory"
Secretary Wilson said that fifty
years ago the American farmer had
no home markets, to sell his surplus
product. He arranged for home mar
ket by protecting all diversified indus
tries. This brought him to the home
market, the best in the world But
now population has outgrown produc-
ton from the farm in some cases and
threatens to outgrow it in others
"The Canadians see the advantages
that are coming to the United States"
continued Mr.. Wilson, land look at
them just as our people look at the
advantages that will come to the Ca
nadians. Wise men look at both
sides.
''In the development of regions with
climate and soils so comprehensive
and varied as are found on both sides
of the line that divides us from Canad-
ian, the interests of all classes of peo-
pie must be taken into consideration;
the producer because he creates
wealth, the consumer because he
makes a market for it, and the car
rier because he takes it from the field
to the market. In the making of this
treaty the chief executive and those
associated with him have considered
the interests of all classes of the COM
munity."
Mr.. Wilson told how the homestead
law gave the rich glaciated soils of
the Mississippi valley to the farmer
with the result that the eastern farms
were neglected when the young peo-
pie left them and went went to help
build up the great states in the Mis-
sissippi valley.
The statesmen of that day regard
ed it wise to extend civilization over
the country" said he. mo man of
| intelligence can be found to condemn
the statesmen of fifty or sixty years
ago who opened up these lands to
settlement. And yet it was injurious
to some eastern farmers who were not
able to accommodate themselves to
the changed conditions, which never
theless, put 1t in their power to fur
nish many things for the growing fac
| tOTy IOWHo VI Tie SdSIclh tudt
enabled them to maintain their farms
in excellent fertility. The American
farmer brought about the building Of
the American factory because he want
ed home market. He has voted
steadily for half a century to give
protection to the extent of the differ
ence in cost of production between
this country and any country that de-
sres to sell in our markets. Was
that right or wrong?
"The question pending with regard
to reciprocity thus seems to be up to
the farmer. Is he willing to have the
government enter into trade agree
ment by which the development Of
the United States and the develop
ment of the Canadian people shall be
furthered, or is it desirable to limit
our intercourse with the Canadians to
the actualities of the present day?
1T should be remembered that Can
ada is one of our best customers.
More than one-half of everything we
sell goes to English speaking people.
If we can extend that trade so that the
business of both countries will in
crease, it is a contamination devoutly
m no wished nv both ~