The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-04
OPPOSITION TO
RECIPROCITY
PRESIDENT TAFT Scores Lumber Trust
and Paper Makers For Their
Selfish Attitude in the
Matter.
BUSY DAY IN CHICAGO
Address Before Western Economic
Society Was Last Public Ut.
tcrancc In Favor Of the
Proposed Treaty.
t(,ate CITY Leased Wire Service

[Gate City Leased Wire Servicel
CHICAGO, June 3.-Expressing his
belief that the senate would have an
opportunity to act on the Canadian
reciprocity agreement during the com.
ing week, President Taft tonight made
his final public appeal for ratification,
charging that the lumber and print la
per trusts are foremost in opposition. (
Before great throng in Orchestra
Hail. President Taft as the guest of
the Western Economic society, dec'ar-
ed the bill, If passed at all, would
lass because OF the weight of public
sentiment in its favor and not because
Of the desire OF the senate to ratify It,
Tie presidents attack on the lumber
and print paper trusts for the opposi-
ton to the ratification to the treaty,
was scathing.
Il venture to think that there is
much less real opposition to reciproci-
ty than has been represented In Wash
ngton for the purpose of influencing
votes in both houses he said.
! am very hopeful that the bill will
lass the oeuate, for its actual opera
ton will 90 SO beneficial to both couu-
lies that 'he arguments against its
adoption viii be forgotten, and will
tnly be rem embered as exaggerated IN
sysnces of Imagination. say this oe-
canse hasc examined the arguments
With actual statistics and also becalse
Of similar experiences American pen
pie have nfd in respect to the adop-
tien Of partial reciprocity, with Cuba,
and complete reciprocity with Porto Ri
co ard the PHILIPPINE Islands.
From what source then does this
opposition come? In the first place,
1t comes from two classes of the busi-
ness interests of the country. those
who own and control the lumber sup
ply Of the United States and those
OF print paper. and of whom the
largest manufacturers own much OF
the spruce wood supply of the United
States from which print paper is made.
and the second class opposed to the
treaty are those who claim to repre-
sNht VIC ldi HlciS ubO oi -
tefests Of the country.
The reciprocity agreement removes
the duty on lumber | submit that as
lumber is essential to all classes and
the price has gone far beyond what 1T
ever was in the past, and as our sup
ply is being exhausted. we ought to
enlarge the sources from which our
people may secure it at reasonable
prices. The report of the chief OF the
bureau of corporations show the con-
troll of lumber in the United States In
comparatively few hands, and that
they are so friendly to each other
that the possibility of a monopoly is
reither remote nor improbable, unless
We are able to draw from the mex
haustable supply to be found in Can
ada
The president then proceeded to
froye, by means of the report Of the
tariff board on pulp wood and print
paper, that the average cost of pro-
duction of print paper in the United
states is $500 more a ton than the
cost of production in Canada. He de
clared this SIS difference was due to
the cost of pulp wood in the two coun
Tries and that If pulp wood was ad
mitted to the United States free OF
duty, this difference would be over
come and both consumers and paper
manufacturers would be vastly bene
fitted.
The third class OF opposition, the
president continued. ARE those VINO
calm vociferously to represent the
Wnole farming interests of the Unitec
states. This is a much more formid
aole opposition than the special in
.efests to which have referred, ant
u ls but natural that these specia
interests should be found cooperating
WIN those who claim to represen
.ne farming interests In arousing the
'driners to the horrors and disasters
'hat are to follow reciprocity.
The president then discussed the eli
iect reciprocity would have on thu
armer, declaring that only grains ex
ported from Canada to the United
e'ales in FLY Quantity will be wheat
oa.'ey, rye AID oats. The prices ol
Sc he declared, were fixed in t.,
M.id marE.a without regard to th'
taliff.