Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-02-22
LOCAL RECIPROCITY EFFECTS.

No policy of such mag litude as the
proposed reciprocity agreement be-
tween the United States and Canada
can be affected without producing
different results upon different sec
tions of the nations concerned, and
upon various interests in these ma,
tions Some sections and interests
may suffer slightly on both sides of
the line, while others will profit more
considerably, but following the funda
mental policy of these two great
est North American nations, of the
greatest good to the greatest number,
we must look to the sum tota' of the
benefits to be received alongside the
disadvantages of such a policy and de-
eide with these in the minds eye.
This is the bipartisan, impersonal
view, the ideal.
Vermont. b4ily border state, is
showing unusual interest in the prop
osition How will it affect Vermont?
How viii it a feet M? This is the
question Varmontars are asking.
Just what the effect will be on Yer
mont no one can foreteIl exactly. 1t
will nave a tendency to force lower
price on some of Vermont's choicest
products. On the other hand many
things the Vernonter must have in
large quantities will be made cheaper
by the treaty. 1t being granted that
most interests outside the agriculture
al field will be benefited, we will
leave all but agricultural interests out
Of this discussion.
There appears to be feeling mo
or less general among the Vermont
farmers that the treaty would bring
disaster upon them because cheap
Canadian butter, cheese, pork, horses,
sugar etc, would spoil their market.
This feeling is based on the old condl-
ton OF affairs W. have been so
effectually cut off from Canada in the
past We have not kept posted on her
progress. Montreal markets OH
butter and cheese the past year have
shown to be only two and three cents
per pound less than Boston markets,
while hogs and horses have been
higher II Canada than in New En-
gland. There remains a duty of one
cent Oh maple sugar, which will make
the Canadian product about three
difference now is not what it was {
generation ago when farm land and
labor was cheaper in Eastern Canada.
Today farm land in E astern Canada is
higher than in Vermont and labor is
scarcely any cheaper. How then, let
us ask the opponents of reciprocity,
can the Canadian farmer produce q
pound of butter cheaper than the
Vermont farmer? There is but one
answer and that is because feed, in.
vestments in cream separators, tim
Der for buildings and the cost of his
-four, clothing and other articles of
living are cheaper.
We hold then that whatever condi-
tions make it possible for the Cana
dian farmer to make money on butter
and maple sugar at from two to three
cents per pound less than the Vernon
farmer will be adjusted by the diff
ference in the cost of his now heavy
feed and living expenses, to be cut
down by free entrance into this
country Of the things keeping these
prices up.
We do not, however, anticipate any
two or three cents per pound perman
ent reduction on butter, cheese, suga
etc. Like pouring pail of waite
into pond, there will be some wave
and ripplas of ticeable size for min
ute or two, but they will all disappea
in short order and the pond will no
run over. What little surplus agr
cultural product Eastern Canada
making will spread out so thin owe
the great markets of the Unite
States that it will never be noticed
There are many other features c
this treaty that may come up fo
discussion later, that go to show thu
the Vermont farmer will not (
materially affected, even though h
products are among the first to
apparently touched, and at first tt
aspect appears serious.
On the whole We do not believe I'll
Vermont farmer will suffer, while ii
country as a whole will be great
benefited
Town meeting is only a little w
eff. Prepare to put YOUR best men