The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-10
PRESIDENT SHOWS ROOSEVELT'S
SWITCHING ON RECIPROCITY

d butlt 10 SUBSTANTIALLY no ulueIeuC6
in the cost of production Possibly
labor is slightly lower in some parts
of Canada than in the United States.
but It is also higher in some parts,
and the adoption Of free trade would
rapidly increase the cost of labor in
those parts where it is cheaper in
Canada, so that the conditions would
be the same.
! It might at first have a tendency
to reduce the cost of food products
somewhat; 1t would certainly make
the reservoir much greater and pre-
vent fluctuations. Meantime the
amount of Canadian products we
would take would produce a current
of business between western Canada
and the United States that would
make Canada only an adjunct of the
United States. 1t would transfer all
their important business to Chicago
and New York, with their bank cred
its and everything else, and it would
increase greatly the demand of Can
ada for our manufactures. / see this
is an argument against reciprocity
made in Canada, and l think it is a
good one
The proposition is to make an ar
rangement by which we shall present
to both houses of Congress an iden-
tical bill, and pass it as an agree
ment for joint legislation. In this
way we would avoid the necessity for
two-thirds in the Senate, and would
secure at once the consent of the
House, which in tariff matters is gen.
orally regarded as necessary, at any
rate. This will cause a great commo-
ton, presume. 1t will be unpopular
in New York because of certain lum-
Der manufacturing interests and the
dairy interests. 1t will be unpopular
in Minnesota because OF wheat; but
on. the other hand, free lumber will
be popular in some places, and as it
includes free paper and free wood
pulp we may count on the fairly good
support of the press.
This letter, of course, must ask
! you to regard as confidential, though
1 would be glad to have you discuss
with your colleagues on the Outlook
such a proposition, and should be
glad to hear from you as to your
judgment of 1t. l think it may break
the Republican party for awhile. AS
Elihu Root said when l talked with
him yesterday, it may be an entering
wedge against protection, although it
is not inconsistent with the principle
of protection as we laid it down in
Chicago. OF course it will be said
against it that we are taking agricul-
ture and making it suffer first before
we tackle wool and cotton. The bill
is not likely to pass that present Con-
gress, and before the new Congress
comes together l think shall be able
to make some recommendations as to
the wool and cotton schedules and
present a problem to the Democrats
which they are not likely to find an
easy one. At least it will show the
hypocrisy of some people. OF course
this is no ground whatever for intro
ducing and pressing such a measure.
l believe 1t to be right, and IL it
leads, on the other hand, to a reduc-
ton in wool and cotton manufactures
to the lowest figures and to what is a
real measure Of the difference in the
cost of production, so much the bet
ter.
l shall be glad to hear from you as
soon as you conveniently can write
on this subject, because the matter is
just at hand, and it is quite likely
that within ten days we shall reach
an agreement.
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt,
The Outlook, New York.
Copy !
Office of Theodore Roosevelt,
The Outlook, 2S7 4th Avenue,
New York. January II, 1911.
Dear Mr. President:
at once took in your letter and
, went over it with the Outlook ed
, itors. -"
1t seems to me that what you pro-
I pose to do with Canada is admirable
] from every standpoint. firmly be-
? lieve in free trade with Canada. for
J, both economic and political reasons
o AS you say, labor cost is substantially
|. the same in the two countries, so thai
l., | you are amDlv tustifad nv the Mat