The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-14
That Industries Would Benefit by
Proposed Agreement is Be-
lief of Students of the
Situation
MEANS Big SALES IN CANADA
Articles on Which Dominion Would
Lower Duties are Manufactured
Here and Business With Neigh
Dor Would Increase.

Dor Would Increase.
Apropos of the pending reciprocity
agreement between the United States
and Canada, which now holds the CEN
ter Of the stage i'm congress, there has
been naturally a good deal of specu-
lation as to what effect the proposed
arrangement would have on the
Industries of Michigan. The i'm
portant industries OF this state that
would be affected by the proposed
reciprocity agreement are as follows:
Motor vehicles. farm wagons, agricul-
tural implements cement, breakfast
foods, canned fruits, and vegetables,
fresh fruits and vegetables, salt, con-
fectionery. pickles and sauces, meats
and meat products, rough lumber,
grain and -four and slaves and stave
bolts.
Inasmuch as the number OF motor
vehicles exported into Canada past
year was at least one third greater
than the number imported from Cam
ada into the United States, it is be-
lieved that the proposed agreement
will be of great benefit to Michigan
automobile interests. Canada pro-
poses to reduce her duty imposed on
American wagons and agricultural
implements, which is one of the most
important industries of this state.
Canada is to reduce her duty on
breakfast foods and cement, canned
fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits
and vegetables and salt are TO be mu-
tually duty free. Duties on confec-
tionery and pickles and sauces are
to be lowered. All OF these articles
are largely produced In Michigan and
large quantities are exported to Cam
ada annually and IL appears that the
state will benefit by the reductions
proposed.
Meats and Meat Products.
Special interest is attached to the
provisions regarding meat and meat
products. A supporter of the recipro-
city bill discusses this feature as fol-
lows:
Under the reciprocal legislation
both countries will remove all duties
on live animals. Under the Payne
tariff food animals are taxed at vari-
ors specific rates upon entry into the
~ al, 4
alents ranging between 20 per cent
and 80 per cent ad valorem. Under
these rates the United States import
ed during the year ended June 80. 1910
approximately 100000 worth of these
animals from Canada and the mag
nltude of the Canadian supply upon
which the American consumer may
now draw without restriction is
shown by the fact that the Dominion
is able to export about s11.500,0O0
worth of food animals annually.
"The mutual rate on meats of all
kinds will be INC per pound under
the agreement. At present our rates
on meats range from hc per pound
on fresh meats up to &c per pound on
bacon and hams and 25 per cent on
other meats, (salted. smoked, etc.)
This reduction i'm the tariff protec-
tion accorded to meats should tend
to keep down the cost of living i'm the
United States. on the other hand.
the lowering OF the Canadian duties,
which have averaged higher than the
United States rates, will permit our
slaughter house interests to enlarge
their sales to Canada. These sales
in Canadian fiscal 1910 amounted 10
81, 11O, 900 in value and were taxed
sS7s,00O. The remission of duties by
Canada will amount to almost $780,
900.
Rates on Lumber.
1T is proposed TO admit into the
United States free of duty all lumber
from Canada not further manufactur-
ed than sawed. on planed or finished
lumber the rates will be reduced
From having held first place among
the lumber producing states i'm 1900
Michigan had in 1908 fallen to sixth
place. producing less than 100000 NJ
feet. on the other hand her furniture
and planning and finishing mill indus
tries have prospered. The furniture
should profit consider
ably by obtaining hardwood lumber
to some extent from Canada more
cheaply; while free raw material will
compensate the planning and finishing
mills for the reduced duties on their
product
Grain and Flour.
1T H. proposed TO allow Canadian
wheat and other grain free entry into
this country. At present wheat IS
dutiable at 25c per bushel. oats At l5c
per bushel. barley at 3oc per bushcl
and rye at i0c per bushel.
AT the present time the United
States produces sufficient wheat TO
possess a surplus for export and con-
sequently our duty on wheat does not