Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-12
CUMMINS FOR The AGREEMENT
Iowa Senator Speaks for Reciprocity
Before Union League Club,
SAYS ATTITUDE NEVER IN DOUBT
should lie Made Co Free List and
Declares Canads's Consent
~ Unnecessary.

NEW YORK, Feb 11.-Seuator Albert
r Cummins of Iowa spoke In advocacy
Of the Canadian reciprocity agreement be-
for the Union League club OF Brooklyn
tonight Commenting upon the fact that
some curiosity had been expressed as to
what was his position would be upon the
proposed trade agreement the senator
said that seemed strange to him that
after having advocated Canadian reciprO-
city in every part of the country for ten
years, when most of its present advo-
Gates were denouncinE It." that his at
titude should be in doubt
II went down i'm defeat for It more than
once" said Mr.. Cummns, "and I think
have the same courage Of conviction now
that 1 had then
II am for reciprocity with Canada, but
am not for every trade arrangement that
may be proposed under the name OF rect
procity just as I was for the system of
protection I'm 1909, but was not for the
Payne-Aldrich tariff law.
VIII Not Affect Farmers
Il am not one Of those who believe that
the free admission of agricultural pro-
ducts into the United states from Canada
will materially eject our farmers, but
do believe that while We are admitting
free the things which the farmer sells
we should also admit free some OF the
things the farmer buys
The objection I have to the arrange
ment Is not that II istoo free, but that
it is not free enough. l do not expect to
ask Canada to change her duties further
that prescribed in the agreement, bue
do expect to insist that with regard 20
imports from Canada into the United
States there shall be admitted free Of
duty timber and lumber I'm all their forms,
Including timber, however sided or
squared, laths, shingles. sawed boards,
planks, deals and other lumber, planed or
unplaned finished or unfinished: coal in
all its forms iron ore of all kinds, iron
or steel in all its forms, lasgs, wooden
and cotton cloth. clothing, boots and
shoes, carpets, furniture, meat in all its
forms, flour and all such things
Unnecessary to Ask Canada.
1t is not necessary to ask Canada to
agree to these additions to our free list.
for they will not be reciprocally free and
we put them upon our free list solely for
our own good end to equalize among our
own people both the advantages and dis
advantages Of the treaty To me It seems
absurd to admit Canadian wheat free and
nit Canadian cattle and hogs free and
charge a duty on Canadian meat; to admit
Canadian dairy products free and keep our
duties on Canadian iron ore and Canadian
coal; to admit Canadian poultry. vegetables
and fruits free and collect burdensome
duties on laths, shingles and planed boards;
to admit Canadian hay, rye, oats and
barley free and still levy heavy duties on
Canadian iron and steel
IF it required the consent Of the
Canadian government to extend our own
free list 1t might be claimed that we
should wait until another time. but it
does not. and I for one do not intend to
allow the steel trust, the met trust the
lumber combination and other excessively
protected industries to join all hands
around and say, now we have taken a long
step forward in reducing tariff duties: let
us have peace and quiet for the next
decade. On the other hand, I say that now
Is the time to make things right between
ourselves and Canada and II the friends
of reciprocity will stand firm we will win"