The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-04-27
Western Farmers Delighted
Over Way Advocates Are
Forced to Admit It
DEMOCRATS QUOTE LARGELY
FROM PRESIDENTS STATEMENTS
Canadn Would Not Give Free Trade
in Many Things--Insisted Upon Free
Trade For Things Which She Pro.
duced in Competition With Us.
(By H.. E. c. Bryant. }

(By H, E. c. Bryant.)
Washington, April 27.-Western
congressman, who oppose the pas
sage of the Canadian reciprocity bill,
are delighted with the report Of the
ways and means committee on the
farmers free list bill which is un-
der consideration now, for, they say,
it virtually admits their claim that
the bill that passed the house last
week is unfair to the farmer.
Some paragraphs cited follow:
"The advantages of the agreement
are greater for the people Of Canada
than for the people Of our own coun-
try. As the president said in his
message Of Jan. 26. 1911: .tRecip-
rocity with Canada must necessarily
be chiefly confined in its effect on
the cost of living to food and forest
products
"In fact, action on the Canadian
agreement involves the necessity Of
further and immediate action in re-
moving number Of duties on i'm
ports from other countries, in order
that justice may be done to the great
army of our agricultural producers,
who in the Canadian agreement are
to have the alleged protection remov-
ed from their products without a
corresponding or reciprocal removal
Of the protective duties most burden
some on the commodities they must
purchase as necessary to sustain
their lives and industries. AS a be-
ginning in the correction Of this in
Justice. against which our farmers
properly protest, the bill herewith
reported, has been framed.
"By this measure agricultural tools
and implements of every kind are
placed on the free list, in order to
remove or to prevent any possible
discrimination against our farmers In
the prices Of these necessary articles,
and to place them on an equal foot
ling with their competitors elsewhere
in the world"
Canada Is Our Competitor.
The committee report quotes from
Mr.. Taft's Atlanta speech to show
that Canada would not give free trade
in many things, and the Democrats
who oppose the treaty cite the same
to show that they are right. The
president said: when we entered
upon the negotiations. authorized
the secretary Of state and his COM
missioners to offer free trade in every
thing, but this Canada could not
grant us. because she has .protec-
tive system and she was afraid of
the competition Of our better organ
ICED industries"
The report says: Practically all
that our people eat can be provided
by our farmers, but very large part
Of it is not and can not be- eaten in
the form in which 1t leaves the farm.
The meat packing and distributing
business of the country is thorough
ly organized and is being exploited
by q combination of great packing
concerns commonly known as the
beef trust The existing duties on
meats and meat products are for the
advantage of this combination only"
The treaty, anti-reciprocity con-
grcssmen argue. is unfair in that 1t
takes the duty of Of cows but keeps
1t on meat and other products Of the
beef trust.
'It is we'll known that this trust,
through the strength Of its organiza-
ton and position in the markets. in
jures the producers Of cattle and 9TH
er animals used for food by forcing
down prices; and also oppresses the
consumers Of meats and meat pro-
ducts by establishing and maintain
ing high prices for these articles" !"
the report states, thus the trust con-
trols tho market both in buying and
selling, and the result is substan-
tial addition to the cost of living
from which all the people suffer"
LAS our population has increased.
our exports Of foodstuffs and food
products have declined and imports
increased; under these circumstances
duties on these articles have become
heavier burden on the people,"
The treaty protects and aids the
trusts at the expense OF the farmers
by giving them cheaper raw materi-
ais.
The report continues: In the
Canadian reciprocity agreement, cat
tie and ell other live stock, including
swine. sheep and lambs and likewise
wheat, rye, oats. barley, buckwheat
and corn, are placed on the free list.
With the removal of duties on i'm
ports of these articles from the only
country from which real competi-
tion could be expected. our farmers
are openly and avowedly placed in a
free market as to foodstuffs and food
products in the forms in which they
leave the farm. Representative or