Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-11
Reciprocity is Topic of
Speeches on Visit to
Illinois.
Is HEARD AT CAPITAL
Again Advances Argument That
Canadian Agreement Will
Benefit All.

Springfield, Ill, Feb. 11.-Before
the Joint session OF the legislature
this afternoon President Taft made
another plea to the people of the
United States to support the pro-
posed reciprocity treaty with Can
ada. BY citing details of several
tariff schedules covered by the pend
ing agreement, Mr.. Taft undertook
to point out the exact benefits that
would come to American agricultural
and manufacturing interests. He
specified particularly the benefits
which would come TO the people Of
Illinois, but declared every state
would be beneficially affected by the
pact. Taft arrived here this after
noon after a busy morning during
which he made speeches at Cham
paign, Decatur and other points, All
in support of reciprocity.
GETS SOME ENCOURAGEMENT.
AT Monticello he was interrupted
by several voices excIaiming: I'VE
are with you and we are farmers,
81 am nightly glad to hear that.
smiled the president.
The president in his speech before
the legislature defended the pro
posed reciprocity agreement with
Canada as the logical conclusion
of the protection plank in the last
republican national platform. He
defined the protection theory as one
that should impose a tariff not ex-
Ceeding the difference in the cost OF
production in this country and
abroad and allowing fair margin of
profit for the home producer.
CONDITIONS SAME.
He argued, therefore, that mas
much as the conditions OF production
from the United States and Canada
were substantially the same" the
widest latitude was given Secretary
Knox and the commissioners who
represented the United States in Of
fering to Canada a reduction of
duties on goods and products COM
ing into this country from Canada in
consideration of the establishment of
the same duty. or freedom from duty
on similar goods going into Can
ada"
The president explained that 1t
was thought wiser on behalf of both
governments not TO make a formal
treaty but to make an agreement
between the executives by which
each. exercising his constitutional
power in his government, should sub
init the agreement in the form OF
statute to be enacted and 70 so into
force on condition that a similar sta
tute was passed by the Legislature OF
the other country" He said in
part:
EITHER CAN WITHDRAW.
This form Of agreement between
the two countries makes 1t one from
which either country can Withdraw
at will by simply changing the stat
ute by new legislation. But If the
identical statute is adopted in both
countries. as long as ii remains un-
amended in either, the agreement is
in force.
Il am q protection ist That is.
l believe that there are certain in
dustries in this country which need
the encouraging effect of tarif
upon imports from foreign countries
TO enable them 20 pay good wages
and furnish a reasonable profit TO
those who engage in them. The dif-
ference IN condition which generally
makes this tariff necessary is the
lower price OF labor in the foreign
countries as compared with the price
OF labor in our own. The country
has been on a protection basis near (
" all the time since 1861, and the
tremendous strides in industrial
progress which II has made seem 10 4
me 20 vindicate the wisdom OF the I
policy.
WAS TO LIMIT.
There was a time when leading .
republicans thought that there was
no danger of having a tariff higher
than necessary 10 protect any indus
try. II was thought that If the coun
try was made dependent on manufac-
lures behind the tariff wall the COM
petition between the manufacturers
would stimulate the reduction IN the
cost of production and thus reduce
the price
But the temptation to combine
by which the price could he control
led and thus the excessive tariff TAX I.
en advantage OF, led 10 a modifica-
Jion Of the protection theory and TO
a declaration that the protection Of
any industry ought not 70 exceed in
the tariff imposed more than the diff
ference between the cost Of produc- 4
tion abroad. the cost OF production