The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-08-04
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA

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Congress Of the United States, and
passed without any of those amend
ments that were offered and pressed
by legislators whose purpose was to
kill it. The adoption of any one
of those suggested additions would
have been fatal. All were rejected
in the Senate last week by MAORI
ties of about four to one, majorities
including many who would vote for
them if they should be brought for
ward as distinct and separate propo-
sitions, but who clearly perceived
the insincerity, selfish motives and
sinister designs of their advocates.
The work on this side of the boun-
Diary is done. There have been OBJ
struction and delay at Ottawa as
well as at Washington, and Cana
da's- Parliment has not yet been
permitted to vote upon the argu-
ment. It is known that if final
action should be taken it would be
favorable. But obstruction may
compel the Government to lay the
issue before the people at a new
election. The result of such a test
can be predicted with confidence,
for we believe the agreement has
commended itself to a large majority
of Canada's voters.
| Here the most formidable opposi-
ton has been that Of agriculturists
who were misled. Advocates of un-
Just and excessive protection assured
them that thev would suffer greatly
by the removal of the present duties
on grain and other farm products
imported from Canada. These false
teachers were aided in hidden ways
by the agents of lumber and paper
trade combinations that were en-
abled by other duties to extort high
prices from the American people.
They were also greatly assisted by
insurgent Senators who had repeat
edly in public addresses argued in
favor of reciprocity and had, in the
tariff debate of 1909, asserted that
the duties on grain and other farm
products were Ineffective. The evil
dence of their inconsistency has re-
Gently been held up before the peo-
pie. Their purpose was to prevent
confirmation of the agreement be-
cause it was the work of President
whom they disliked.
We do not believe our farmers
will be hurt by this reciprocity: In
our judgment the entire country
and the American people as a whole
will be benefited by it. Assuming
that the selling prices Of our farm
products will be reduced, these Sena-
tors have urged that compensation
should be given to the farmers by
amendments providing for the free
admission of Canadian manufac-
tured goods. If it were true that
in justice they should have compen-
sation in reduction of prices and
manufactures, it could not be OBJ
tanned that way. Canada's manu-
features are small and weak COM
pared with our own. They have
been created and sustained by the
protection of tariffs or the testimula-
ton of bounties. Free trade with
the United States in manufactures
would crush them out OF existence.
Could our farmers gain anything,
then, by imports of manufactures
from Canada? If they ought to
have compensation, with respect to
manufactures, for this reciprocal re-
moval of duties on farm products
which we do not admit-they can
obtain it only by downward tariff
revision effecting imports OF manu-
features from all parts of the world j.
The full economic effect OF this
reciprocity cannot be measured ex-
actly. Probably it will not per-
ceptibly reduce the cost OF living In
our country. twill tend, however,
to prevent an increase in the cost,
to steady the prices of food, to make
the cornering of supplies more diff
cult, to aid the people of both coun-
tries when a crop is short on one
side of the boundary and abundant
on the other. The need of such an