The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-04-20
FARMERS APPEAL TO
THE PRESIDENT


Master OF National Grange Shows
That Canadian Reciprocity Will Re-
duce Value of Farm Lands and
Cause Financial Panic, Through
General Calling in of Loans on
Farms.
Concord, n H., February 2Sth, 1911
To The President.
| SIR
l regret that on the occasion of the
recent visit Of some forty represen-
tatives Of the Grange to- Washington,
for the purpose of protesting to the
Senate Committee on Finance against
the enactment of the pending Cana
dian Reciprocity Bill, it was lot
found convenient to arrange for an
interview with you, at which the OBJ
jectioms of the farmers of the country
to this measure could have been sub
mitted to you personally. l wish
now to present fer your consideration
a brief statement of the essential
facts ON which the agricultural in
terests base their opposition to the
proposed reciprocity ARA cement.
The declaration of principles of the
Republican party, as laid down in the
national platform adopted in 1908,
promised the maintenance of "a pro-
tective system based on the differ
once between costs of production in
this country and in foreign countries.
This pledge constituted a contract
between the Republican party and
tract, majority of the farmers join
ed in electing a Republican Admins
tration.
1t was clearly established by facts
submitted to the Senate Committee
on Finance that the cost of producing
the staple farm products which are
to be admitted free of duty under the
pending BILL is materially higher in
this country than in Canada CANA
dian farm lands are much cheaper
than ours; wages OF Canadian farm
labor are lower; the cost of living is
lower in Canada, owing to that cCun-
try's lower tariff taxes ON manufa,c-
tured articles; and the farmers of
this COUNTRY are compelled to pay out
annually immense amounts for fertili-
zers, which, owing to their great areas
Of virgin soil, are not required by the
Canadian farmers. For all these rea-
sons, the verage cost Of production
unquestionably higher than on Cana
diam farms. 1t is therefore, self-evi
dent that adherence to the platform
of the Republican party requires the
imposition of duties on Canadian
farm products equal to the difference
between the cost of producing them,
and of producing similar articles in
this country.
Having thus shown by applying tin
} principle laid down in the Republic al.
platform the right of the great ayr
cultural industry to protection agails
the competition of Canadian farm
products, no further argument should
be necessary to show the injustice
Of abolishing the duty on these prod
ucts, while making no reduction in
duties on manufactured articles that
will lower their cost to- the farmers.
wish, however, to ask your atten-
ton to some results of this legisla-
ton, which will not only greatly in
jure the farming industry, but the
commercial, manufacturing, financial
and transportation interests as we'll.
1t cannot be successfully denied
that the effect of this bill will be q
reduce the prices paid to large pro-
portion of our farmers for their prod
ucts This being the case, it follows
that there will be an immediate fall
in the value of our farm lands in all
sections affected by Canadian COM
| petition. 1t is estimated that the
! leans on farm lands in this country
amount to $4,000, 900 900, and large
part of these loans have been made
ON the suppostion that farming was
to continue to be as profitable in the
future as in recent years. The enact
ment of the reciprocity bill would at
once result in a general calling in OF
hundreds of thousands of loans farms
would be sold at sacrifice; the sta
J bllity of many banking institutions
would be endangered, and a panic
would ensue Eminent bankers have
recently declared that the conditions