The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-06
WARNING TO FARMERS.
leading editorial under

III ledulIS EDITORIAL unuer the
heading, Farmers Should Unite
Against One-Sided Reciprocity, the
Iowa Homestead makes a careful
analysis of the proposed reciprocity
treaty and points out that those who
are saying that competition with the
Canadian farmer in an open market
will not injure the western farmer
are taking very superficial view of
the matter. The Homestead states its
own position in the following para
graph:
The Homestead believes that the
farmers interests are at stake in this
matter more seriously than they have
been for many years. for the reason
that farm products are. the only ones
placed on the free list. 1t believes that
the proposed agreement will benefit
canada and the Canadian farmer at
the expense of the United States and
the American farmer That this is
so is apparent from number of recent
happenings. Hardly had the reciproc-
lty agreement come up for discussion
IN the last congress before the Cana
dian magazine bore large and fEaring
advertisements offering land bargains
and stating that the imminence of re-
ciprocity with the United States was
already increasing land values. Under
date of March 21st one of the conser-
Sative members of the canadian par
lament from the province of Alberta
IS quoted in the daily papers as say
ing: The agreement will give the
Canadian farmer wide mark eft
therefore, | am fayorably disposed
toward The pact The member did
not add that the market would be in
the United States and at the expense
OF the American farmer. On January
18th, after the country had had a re-
port OF the likelihood of congress PASS
ing the agreement wheat went IN one
and one-half cents in Winnepeg and
Went down five cents in MINNEAPOLIS.
making difference of about six and
one-haf cents a bushel, resulting from
the possibility of opening the Ameri-
can market TO the Canadian wnear
grower The effect on the price of
barley was even more noticeable
Owing TO the very light crop raised
last year barley, up until the announce
ment Of the proposed reciprocity treaty
advanced steadily, selling at 81 per
bHshel in Milwaukee. Chicago and
Buffalo and 95 cents in Minneapolis.
Today there is practically no barley
market and barley is almost unsalab,e
at decline OF anywhere from twelve
to twenty cents per bushel. The
president of one of the leading com
mission companies of Milwaukee calls
attention to the fact that barley is in
no sense food product and there
can be no excuse for putting this on
the free list il the only objects in this
reciprocity treaty are TO cheaper the
trade with Canada. The KEY to the
situation is this: The barley imported
IS used in the manufacturing Of matted
liquors and not in the manufacture Of
food products. so that the removal Of
the duty is simply to the benefit Of
the brewery interests Of the country
and not in any manner TO the interest
OF the food consumers"
The Homestead is not political
newspaper but a great agricultural
journal, one of the greatest in the
country and the warning It sounds
should receive the thoughtful consid-
Grafton Of the farmers OF Iowa and the
West. II the proposed reciprocity
means anything II means lower prices
for western farm products. II fs a
direct blow At the prosperity Of the
farmer and as such should be oppos-
ed by ali who have The interests Of
this greatest Of our industries AT heart.