Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-06

fLONE1Uu@4 from rage Oue.l
its adoption viii be forgotten. or win
only be remembered as exaggerated
Instances OF perverted imagination. 1
say this because I have examined the
arguments and compared them with
the actual statistics. and also because
OF similar experiences that the people
Of the United States have had in re-
sDect TO their adoption OF partial re-
ciprocity with Cuba. and OF complete
reciprocity with Porto Rico and the
Philippines
Under reciprocity with Cuba. which
reduced the duties on each side 20 per
cent our trade with that country has
doubled. Under complete reciprocity, or
free trade with Porto Rico, our trade
with that island has increased nearly
fifteen times. under reciprocal relations
with the Philippine Islands, our mutual
trade has nearly doubled in less than a
year: and set, in the case OF each OF
these changes. there was vehement dis
cussiOn. bitter opposition. and wild
prophesies OF disastrous results.
For ten years I engaged in the
struggle for Philippine free trade. and
for ten years / was regarded as the
enemy OF the agricultural interests OF
this country. engaged in the raising OF
beet and cane sugar, and yet, since the
extended free trade to the Philippines,
1 have not heard q single complaint as
TO the effect OF that feature OF Payne
tariff bill.
a careful analysis Of the arguments
pro and con. over the Canadian recip-
rocity agreement viii convince any fair
minded economist who Is well Informed
as to conditions in both countries. that
six months after the agreement Is
a. - wx-sfE - MA NJ from
any quarter.
From what source does the opposition
proceed? In the first place. il comes
from two classes OF the business inter-
ests OF the country. those who own and
control the lumber supply OF the United
States. and those who are engaged II
the manufacture OF print paper. and OF
whom the largest manufacturers own
much OF the spruce wood supply OF the
United States from which print paper
Is made. And the second class opposed
10 the treaty are those who claim to rep
resent the farmers and agricultural in
terests OF the country.
IN the consideration OF those three
classes OF opponents TO the treaty.
should premise that one of the great rea-
jects Of She treaty. one Of the great rea-
sons for its making and submission TO
congress, was the conservation OF our
natural resources. II Is perfectly evil
dent from the satisfies. that our general
lumber supply. and our supply of spruce
wood for paper making. are being rapid
" exhausted. and that the effect OF the
diminution OF supply and the increase OF
demand. Is TO put too high a price upon
the rough lumber and wood pulp Under
the Payne tariff bill. rough lumber Is
dutiable at sl-z5 Under the reciprocity
agreement that duty is removed. 1 sub
NIT that as lumber is essential to all
classes. farmers and merchants. as the
price has gone far beyond what Il ever
was in the past. and as our supply Is
being exhausted. we ought, when we can,
TO enlarge the sources from which our
people may secure II at reasonable prices.
The report OF the chief OF the bureau OF
corporations shows that the control of
lumber in the United States is in COM
paratively few hands. and that they
are so friendly 10 each other that the
possibility Of a monopoly is neither re-
mote nor improbable, unless we bring 20
the markets of the United States the
relatively inexhaustible supply to be
found IN Canada
TApTrE M DApEp