Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-03-31
From Presidents
Message
On Canadian
Reciprocity
IN my annual message of Dec. 6

i'm my annual message Of Dec. 6.
1910, | stated that the policy of
broader and closer trade rela-
lions with the Dominion Of Can.
ada which was initiated In the adjust.
ment Of the maximum and minimum
provisions Of the tariff act Of Aug. 3.
1903, had proved mutually beneficial
and that it justified further efforts for
the readjustment Of the commercial
relations Of the two countries.
On the eth Of the present month two
cabinet ministers came to Washington
as representatives of the Dominion
government, and the conferences were
continued between them and the sec.
rotary Of state. The result Of the ne
gotiations was that on the Dist inst. a
reciprocal trade agreement was reached.
One by one the controversies result
ing from the uncertainties which at
tended the partition of British terri.
tory on the American continent at the
close Of the Revolution and which we're
inevitable under the then conditions
have been eliminated, some by arbitra-
ton and some by direct negotiation.
The path having been thus opened
for the Improvement of commercial re-
lations, reciprocal trade agreement is
! the logical sequence of all that has
been accomplished in disposing Of mat
tiers Of diplomatic and controversial
character The identity of interest Of
two peoples linked together by race,
language, political institutions and geo.
graphical proximity offers the founda-
ton.
The guiding motive in seeking ad-
justment Of trade relations between
two countries so situated geographical
~ should be to give play to productive
forces as far as practicable, regardless
Of political boundaries, While euuiva-
lency should be sought in an arrange
ment Of this character, an exact bal
ance Of financial gain is neither imper-
alive nor attainable. No yardStick can
measure the benefits to the two peo-
pies Of this freer commercial inter-
course, and no trade agreement should
be judged wholly by custom house sta
tistics.
We have reached stage in our own
development that calls for a states
manlike and broad view of our future
economic status and its requirements.
We have drawn upon our natural re-
sources in such a way as to invite at.
tention to their necessary limit. This
has properly aroused effort to conserve
them, to avoid their waste and to re-
strict their use to our necessities. We
have so increased in population and in
our consumption Of food products and
the other necessities Of life, hitherto
supplied largely from our own country,
that unless we materially increase our
production we can see before US a
change in our economic position from
that Of country selling to the world
food and natural products of the farm
and forest to one consuming and i'm
porting them.
Ought we not, then. to arrange COM
mercial agreement with Canada, If we
can, by which we shall have direct ,ac-
cess to her great supply of natural
products without an obstructing or
prOhibitory tariff? This is not a vio-
lation Of the protective principle, as
that has been authoritatively an
nOunced by those who uphold II, be-
cause that principle does not call for
tariff between this country and one
whose conditions as to production,
population and wages are 30 like ours
and when our common boundary line
OF 5000 miles IN Itself must make a
radical distinction between oCr CON-
mercial treatment Of Csnada end Of
any other country.
The Dominion Los gsC~tly Vonper-
ed. 1t has an active. aggressive and
intelligent people. They are coming
to the parting Of the ways They
must soon decide whether they are to
regard themselves as Isolated per-
manently from our markets by per.
petual wall or whether we are to be
commercial friends. II We 2lFs them
reason to take the former view can we
complain If they adopt methods deny.
ing access to certain OF their natural
resources except upon conditions quito
unfavorable to us? A notable instance
Of such possibility may be seen In
the conditions surrounding the supply
Of pulp wood and the manufacture Of
print paper. for which We have made
q conditional provision tn the agree
ment, believed to be equitable.
The entire foreign trade Of CsnAla
in the last fiscal year, 1910, WA e66S,.
100000. The imports were kSfacO0,-
600, and Of this amount the United
States contributed more than 3223, 0O0..
600 The reduction in the duties I'M
posed by Canada will largely increase
this amount and give US even large:
share Of her market than we now en-
Joy, great as that is.
Since becoming a nation Canada has
been our good neighbor, immediately
contiguous across a wide continent
without artificial or natural barrier ex-
cept navigable waters used In COM
mon.
She has cost us nothing In the way
Of preparations for defense against