The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-13
CANADIAN TREATY
OF Benefit TO
BOTH COUNTRIES
Taft Points Out Advantages
of Mutual Exchange in
Agricultural Products.

Springfield, Ills, Feb. 13-After ar
guing that the American farmer needs
no protection against Canadian COM
petition, because the costs Of produc-
ton are practically the same in both
countries, President Taft addressing
the Illionois legislature, Saturday said
in part:
1.-THE criticism that the reciprocity
agreement with Canada Is a manufac-
turers agreement, in SO far as 1t is a
suggestion that we were prompted by
manufacturers to avoid reductions on
any Of their goods, is wholly unfound-
ed. The truth is. as between Canada
and ourselves, a reciprocity agree
ment must of necessity relate more
to agricultural products than to man
ufactures. Here we stand upon more
of an equality. In other words, the
it in mutual exchange that will come
in respect to the agricultural pro-
ducts of both.
1.-THE change in agriculture in the
older states from the raising of wheat
alone to diversified crops and the
raising of cattle and hogs is what has
increased the return per acre on land
and made the prices of the land SO
much higher. The suggestion that the
opening of our markets to Canadian
wheat and other cereals will reduce
the price Of land in Ohio, Indiana, IL
linois and Iowa, is refuted by every
table Of statistics that represents the
comparative increases of land in those
states under the influence Of the open
ing of the wheat fields of the states
farther west.
ITO let the wheat Of the northwest
come down to Minneapolis and Chica-
go viii steady the price of wheat. pre-
vent it's fluctuations. will make much
more difficult speculation, and will
furnish us greater insurance against
the short crops and high prices. 1t
will give to the United States much
greater control of the wheat markets
than it has ever had before. It will
enable milling plants to turn Cana
dian wheat into flour and send abroad
the finished product and 1t will slim
ulate the sale of manufactures and
other things that we have to sell to
Canada.
"By the bringing over of live cat
tie, the farmer who has corn will have
his raw material in abundance and
will fatten them for the Chicago mar
ket at a profit.
1.-THE increase of our population and
the reduction of our farm exports
are going on so rapidly that, unless
a great increase in production Is
brought about within our borders, we
shall soon consume all that we raise
and shall need a source of food sup
ply like that of Canada right at our
doors. We would be blind indeed
should we neglect this golden oppor-
tunity to add to the strength and vir-
ility Of our country by thus increas-
ing our self-supportfng capacity.
There are those protectionists who
hang back from an approval OF this
agreement on the ground that it is a
departure from the principles of pro-
lection, and is the opening wedge to
let in free trade. My own view is that
no step could be taken more in the
Interest of a reasonable policy of pro-
lection than the approval of this
treaty.
1.-The possible existence Of policy
depends on our abolition of the tariff
where it is not really needed under
the principle of the last Republican
platform. If we persist in retaining
it in these times Of high prices and
gradually exhausting food supply and
base our retention on protection prin-
ciples, we shall rouse an opposition
that will know no moderation and will
not cease radical economic changes
until it has removed from the statute
book the last trace of protective tar
iff."