Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-29
TAFT SPEAKS ON
RECIPR OCITY Y
PRESIDENT ADDRESSES PUBLISH.
ERs' BANQUET ON PACT PEND
ING IN CONGRESS.

New York, April 2S.-President Taft
spoke before the joint banquet OF the
American Newspaper Publishers as
sociation and The Associated Press at
the Waldorf Astoria last night.
He devoted the greater part OF his
address to the Canadian reciprocity
agreement. On this subject he said IN
part:
II am glad to have the opportunity
of speaking to body which fully rep
resents the most important agencies
for the formation of public opinion III
this country upon question which mas
now reached a critical point in its set
tlement.
THE treaty provides for free trade IN
all agricultural products; and in rough
lumber down to the point of planning
It reduces the duties on secondary food
products by very substantial per-
centa ge. and it makes such reductions
on number Of na nufactured articles
that those engaged In making them
have assured us that the reductions
will substantially increase the ALREADY
large Canadian demand for them.
Free Trade Rejected.
1--WE rendered to the Canadian COM
missioners absolute free trade IN all
products Of either country, manufac-
tured or natural, but the Canadian com
missioners did not feel justified In go
ing so far.
1T is only reasonable to infer, there
fore, that with respect to those articles
upon which they refused free trade to
us they felt that the profitable price at
which the, could be sold by our man
ufacturers in Canada was less than the
price at which their manufacturers
could afford to sell the same either TO
their own people or to us.
Hence it follows that their refusal
to agree to free trade in these articles
as we proposed Is the strongest kind OF
evidence that If we should take off the
existing duty from such articles com +,
ing into the United States 1t would not
affect IN the slightest degree the price
at which those articles could be fur
nished to the public here
Against FREQ List.
The president then tok up the pro-
posal to put flour, meat and many oth-
er articles not provided for in the
treaty on the free list without any
compensating concession from Can
ada After discussing the question IN
detail he summed up his views by say
ing:
"There are two obiections. Therefore,
to inserting in the hill confirming this
| Canadian contract additions to ou1
| free list from Canada. This first is thai
lit is concession that Is of no value 70
! those whom it is proposed to propitiate
I by adopting it. and the second rs ma
lit may involve us indirectly in doubt
FIJI obligation in respect to trade with
other countries.
More than this, these proposed graf
uitous concessions are in the nature OF
an admission that in some way or 9TH
ier we have done an injury to par
ticular class hy this Canadian reel.
1procitv agreement. / deny it. 1t is saic
that it Injuries the farmers. deny 1t.
"The effect is not going. in my judg-
ment. to lower the specific prices q
agricultural products Of our country. q
! is going to stead them. and it is soin:
to produce an Interchange of prodrcti
lat a profit which will re beneficial t.
/ both countries"
Tafts Arriv. at Washington.
Washington. D. c.. April 2s.-Presi
! dent and Mrs. Taft. accompanied b,
/ Secretary Hilles and Major Butr. aldt
to the president. a.;ived in washington
/ ihis morning after spending two busy
days in New York