The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-19
Reads Statistics Covering Whole
Field Of Production Before Senate
Finance Committee-Ssys rs Per
Cent of Michigan Favor It.
In Reply to Fire Of Questions He Says
He Has No Interest in
Print Paper.
ORION . special corre.ponaent.)


to present their arguments for the
reciprocity treaty with Canada. Presi-
dent McRae who acted as chairman
of the delegation spoke before the
committee as follows:
The farmer Is opposed to reciproc-
ity with Canada because he believes
the agreement will reduce the price
OF his product. From the tables com.
piled by Nhe bureau Of trade relations
Of the state department II appears
that the United States will remit
duties to the amount of $4,850. 900 by
the reciprocity agreement, and Can
ada will remit duties to the amount
OF $2,560,0O0 or this $780, 900,
more than $1,600,000 comes from du-
ties on lumber. and nearly $780, 900
accrues from duties levied on imports
of fish. This leaves a balance OF 81
100000 which the farmer might al
lege would be taken out Of their
pockets.
There must be subtracted from
this $2,750,000, the duties levied on
pulp, fertilizers, whistles, tobacco,
salt. railroad ties, wooden slaves,
cedar posts, mica and coke. The pitt
fully small amount left, when COM
pared to the great agricultural COM
munities of the United States, leads
one to ask. why all the opposition?
Both Canada and the United
States are wheat exporting nations.
European mills have had access to
the Canadian wheat supply, and have
been enabled to wrest from the
American miller large percentage
OF his export trade. The increase In
Canadian mills In the last ten years
has also been startling. In 1900 Can
adas export of -four was til, 900 bar
rels; in 1910 1t was 3,064,000 barrels;
In 1900 the United States exported 49,
zoe, 900 barrels; in 1910 United States
export of -four had fallen to 9,041,0o0
barrels.
The wheat crop OF the United
States has been practically stationary
throughout the past ten years, rang
ing from 550,000 600 bushels to $780,
100000 bushels annually. The pres
ent production of Canada is from 100,.
000, 900 bushels to 150.000,000 bushels
1t is safe to assume that Canadas
surplus wheat In the immediate fu-
ture will range from 40,000,O0O
bushels to 100, 900 900 bushels. II will
find a market somewhere-and Will
compete with whatever surplus Uni
ted States may have to sell. The Ca
madam surplus will be less OF a price
depressing factor II handled through
American mills than IL dumped di-
trectly into the markets OF the United
Kingdom and Europe.
Canadian corn raisers can never
be serious competitor OF American
farmers because the restrictions OF
climate and soil are too great a
handicap.
"Tf the entire $2,750,0O0 OF tariff
duty which may be removed from
farm produce by the reciprocity
agreement were to be taken from the
price OF the American wheat crop
alone next year, II would mean re-
duction Of about one-third of cent
bushel.
I'm 1910 United States brought
from Canada goods to the amount Of
$97, S92,6S4. or this amount $45,7S8,-
TAG was already free, leaving $50 ,103.-
93S dutiable. or this $52,103,938 now
dutiable, this agreement removes, or
reduces the duty on SO per cent Of
the total The movement of some
farm produce from the United States
to Canada is greater than from Can
ada to the United States. and hence
the American farmer himself bene
fits by the change.
This remission OF the duty on lum-
Der amounting to $1,600,000 means
more to the American farmer than
he has been willing to concede. The
enterprising farmer who cares to i'm
prove his buildings will profit more
h.,t har Nf hn m IN In I'M.
Der that goes into his new house or
barn, than he might lose by the one
third of cent bushel reduction i'll
the price of the wheat crop"
I'm 1890 the export trade of De-
troit was $5,422, 1896; In 1900 exports
amounted to $17,669, 535; 1910. $40,-
970,509 In other words, Detroits ex-
ports for last year were eight times
as much as in 1890. These figures
mean that Detroit manufacturers are
today securing the civilized world and
bringing back $40,970,509 year to be
paid largely to Michigan workingmen,
who In turn furnish market for
Michigan farm produce. IL this 800
600, 900 OF new money now brought In
to Detroit by the enterprise OF her
manufacturers were to be suddenly
cut of, It would be an infinitely
greater disaster to the farms of Mich.
gan than the removal OF $2,750,0 900 OF
tariff duties on Canadian farm pro-
duce.
THE total production OF beans in
| the United States for 1910 is given as
| 5,064. 490 bushels.
Bean culture approaches a natural
monopoly. There are three localities
on the North American Continent
| where the soil and climate combine
to produce the highest quality OF
white beans. Livingston County, and
the adjoining counties In Michigan. is
one region. The state of New York
contains another region. Ontario pos
sesses the third. Each OF these areas
Is, when compared to the United
States, SO small as to be almost In.
significant. II Is true that beans are
raised in other parts OF the country.
but Michigan beans are literally the
standard of the world. II the duty
we're 81 bushei the bean raising
area OF the bean industry could not
! be materially increased because
climate and soil conditions absolutely
rule. The tariff could not stimulate
bean production beyond the limita-
tons OF nature.
"one year with another the Ameri.
can bean crop IL too small TO meet