Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-04-19
AGAINST RECIPROCITY
Farmers Should Unite Against the
Movement Says Iowa
Homestead.
CANADA VS.. UNITED STATES.
Passage of Reciprocity Act Will
Work Hardship on Iowa Farmer
and Should be
Defeated.

| The American farmer should take
careful heed of the Canadian reci-
procity situation. The facts are
| these: Some weeks ago President
Taft sent a message to congress stat
ing that Secretary of State Knox and
the Dominion officials at Ottawa had
entered into reciprocal trade
agreement by which certain items,
which are now paying duty, would
be admitted from Canada into the
United States free, in return for the
free admission into Canada from the
United States of certain other ar
ticles, which are now paying duty
to the Dominion. The president
recommended that congress take the
necessary action TO legalize this
tentative agreement. After consid-
cradle discussion the lower house of
congress voted in favor of the resi-
procity agreement. An analysis of
the vote shows a majority of the
democratic members in favor and
majority of the republican members
OPT osed. The matter came up for
discussion in the senate and Presi-
dent Taft used his influence to Sc
cure a vote, but filibustering tactics
were INDUCED in, with the result
that the senate adjourned the fourth
of March without the matter having
come to vote. President Taft i'm
mediately called an extra session of
congress to convene Tuesday, April
4th, the principal matter to come up
for settlement being this Canadian
reciprocity agreement. The lower
house in the present congress
is strongly democratic. The upper
house is slightly republican. 1t will
be necessary for the agreement to
be introduced in the form of a new
bill and to go through both houses,
regardless of having passed the low
er house at the former session.
The Homestead believes that the
farmers interests are at stake in
this matter more seriously than
they have been for many years, for
the reason that farm products are
the only ones placed on the free list.
1t believes that the proposed agree
ment will benefit Canada and the
Canadian farmer at the expense Of
the United States and the American
ent from a number Of recent hap
penings. Hardly had the reciprocity
agreement come up for discussion in
the last congress before the Cana
| dian magazines bore large and far
ing advertisements offering land
/ bargains and stating that the immin-
ence of reciprocity with the United
States was already increasing land
values. Under date Of March 21st
one of the conservative members of
the Canadian parliament from the
province of Alberta is quoted in the
daily papers as saying: THE agree
ment for reciprocity in farm pro-
ducts will give the Canadian farmer
wide market, therefore, | am fav-
orably disposed toward the pact.
The member did not add that the
market would be in the United
States and at the expense of the
American farmer. On January 2Sth,
after the country had had a report
of the likelihood of congress passing
the agreement, wheat went up one
and one-half cents in Winnipeg and
went down five cents in Minneapolis,
making a difference of about six and
one-half cents a bushel, resulting
from the possibility of opening the
American market to the Canadian
wheat grower. The effect on the
| price of barley was even more no.
ticeable. Owing to the very light
crop raised last year barley, up until
the announcement of the proposed
reciprocity treaty, advanced steadily,
selling at 81 per bushel in Milwau-