The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-02-10
SECRETARY WILSON ADDRESSES
OPEN LETTER 10 NATIONAL
GRANGE BOARD.
WILL REDUCE PRICES
Pending Agreement viii Go Some Dis
tance Toward Meeting the Demands
of the People, as Expressed at the
Last Etection-Reeiprocity viii Open
Doors Of Dominion Of Canada.

Washington, Feb. 9.-"The pending
reciprocity treaty with Canada VIII go
some distance towards meeting the
demands of the people at the last
election without interfering with the
policy of protection as applied to the
whole world.'
This IL the conclusion of James
Wilson, secretary of agriculture, In
answer on behalf OF the TAFT admin
istration. to the National Oranges
declared opposition to the agreement.
The answer Is In the form Of an open
letter made public tonight. addressed
To the legislative committee Of the
National Grange. Concord. II. II.
Secretary Wilson argues that the
cost Of production IN the United
States and Canada III more nearly
identical than IT Is between the Unit
cd States and any other country. that
the same difficulty with regard To
farm labor exists on both sides of the
international line and that Canadian
and American farming methods arc
virtually the same. Secretary Wilson
says. I'm part:
Prices Have Been High.
Prices for the necessities OF life
have been high and wages and sal
aries have not kept pace with the in
crease. There was demand for
lower tariffs in the last election BY
the population Of the towns.
THAT interest carried the election
by default. new congress was
elected along the lower tariff lines,
IL II had any instructions from the
people
This treaty II not ones sided. Civ
ing our markets for meats and grains
to the Canadians with nothing IN re-
turn. We get in the Canadian woods
timber products. things very much
needed, as our home supplies are so
much reduced that prices have gone
up markedly In the past few years.
The southern states have new mar
ket for their cotton seed oils, which
will be valuable to them.
Canada Opens Doors.
"canada opens her doors to our
| fruits. which will give to our or
| chardsts a growing market for their
products. Fish comes into the United
| states free, which will mean quite as
much to orr people as the opening
OF our markets to Canadian poultry
| products. We are to have free trade
In seeds. which is we'll, because many
! seeds are more valuable coming from
northern latitudes.
I'VE do not grow enough flax to
make our oils and will derive beneflf
from the free introduction of flaXseeh
| Free barbed fencing will be boon to
our farmers.
"The Payne tariff act reduces
duties on n great many articles and
we have been having heavy importa-
tions since the passing Of that 80
! That may do no harm and rednc-
tion of the amount of protection
given to some other manufactures
may do no harm; indeed. may be
Justified; but whenever these rednc- :
tions go SO far rs to permit very
heavy importations of goods In those
classes the factory stops and the
farmer loses his market.
Our relations with the people ol
Canada are different from our re-
lations with any other people. In the
first place, they are a kindred people
and their territory runs from sea &c
sea along our northern border. W.
had reciprocity with Canada not many
wears ago. That was abrogated more
through temporary sentimental con
siderations than from any othel
cause.
"If this reciprocity treaty becomes
the law of both countries, our re
lations with Canada will become more
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