Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1911 — CONGRESS GETS CANADIAN TREATY [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS GETS CANADIAN TREATY

Taft Submits Message With Request for Enactment. TREATY BASED ON BROAO UNES Free List Includes Food Commodities, Dairy Products, Lumber, Wood Pulp and RawQ Material — Other Decreases.

Washington, Jan' 27.—The administration’s reciprocity agreement with Canada was submitted to congress with a special message from the presi dent urging its prompt enactment into law. The agreement was presented concurrently to the Dominion parliament in Ottawa and within a few days a bill will be introduced in the legis lative bodies of both governments designed to make the terms of the agreement effective. - On the basis of dollars and ceDts Canada seems to have a little the better of the agreement. How ever, President Taft points out in bis message that the benefits to the United States cannot Le computed in this way. The agreement was received with mingled emotions in the house ard senate and its fate at this time is un certain. The New Englanders are disappointed with the agreement and the greatest danger of opposition seems to be from that quarter. Senators Lodge and Crane of Massachusetts, decline to comment upor. the agreement, hut Representative Gardner, Senator Lodge’s son-in-law, came out with a statement against the agreement President Taft’s message in part follows : “The guiding motive in seeking adjustment of trade relations between two countries sd situated typograpbi cally, would be to give play to productive forces as far as practicable, regardless of political boundaries. While equivalency should Jbe sought in an arrangement of this character, an exact balance of financial gain is neither imperative nor attainable. No yard stick can measure the benefit to the two peoples of this freer commercial intercourse, and no trade agreement could be judged wholly by custom house statistics. “We have so increased in population and in our consumption*cf food products and other necessities of life, hitherto supplied largely from our own country, that unless we materially in crease our production, we can See in the future a change in our economicposition from that of a country selling to the world for food and.natural prod ucts of the farm and forest, to one consuming and importing them. “The Dominion has greatly prospered. It has an active, aggressive and intelligent people. They are coming to the parting of ways. They must soon decide whether they are to regard themselves as isolated permanently from cur markets by a perpetual wall, or whether we are to be comercia! friends If we give them reason to take the former view, cab we complain if they adopt methods denying access to certain of their natural resources except upon conditions unfavorable to us. Should we not now, therefore, before their policy has become too crystalized and fixed for change, meet them in a spirit of real concession,* facilitate commerce between two countries and thus increase the natural resources available to our people? “In the reciprocal trade agreement, numerous additions are made to the free list. These include not only food commodics, such as cattle, fish, wheat and other grains, fresh vegetables, fruits and dairy products, but also rough lumber, wood pulp and raw materials useful to our own industries. Free lumber we ought to have By giving our people access to Canadian forests, we shall reduce the consumption of our own which, in the hands of comparatively few owners now, have a value that requires the enlargement of our available timber resources.

“Natural, and especially food, products being placed oiH the free list, ;h? logical development of a policy of reciprocity in rates on secondary food products or foodstuffs partly manufactured is where they cannot also be entirely exempted from duty to lower me duties in accordance with the exemption of the raw material from duty This has been followed in the agreement which has been negotiated. As an example,'wheat is made free and the rate on flour is equalized on a lower basis In the same way ljve animals made free the duties on fresh meatjs and on secondary meat products end on’canned meats are substantially lowered. Fresh fruits and vegetables being placed on the free list, the duties on canned goods of these classes are reduced. “This has made it difficult to extend the principle of reciprocity to pany manufactured commodities, but after much negotiation, we have succeeded in doing so in various and important measures. “My purpose in making a reciprocal trade agreement with Canada has been not only to obtain one which would be mutually advantageous to both countries, but one which also wouuj be truly national in iis scope as applied to our own country and would be of benefit to all sections. “The entire foreign trade of Canada in the last fiscal year, 1910, was $655,000,000. The imports were $376,000,000 and of this amount the United States contributed more than $223,000,-