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The Signal, 1911-9-19, Page 4sl 'ITrofinAY, 8srrttrsea It, 1911 TAB ' SIGNAL , U11DF.RICH, (27AR O HOW CAN RECIPROCITY BENEFIT BOTH PRO- DUCERANDCONSUMER? This is a question that seems to puzzle a good many people. There isereally nu mystery about it, however. In the first place, about $',500,000 in duties col- lected by the Canadian Government is remitted by the Reciprocity agreement, while about twice this amount is remitted by the United States Government. This makes a total amount of about $7,500,000 in duties now collected at the bor- der which under the new arrangement will be divided among producers and con-- sumers on both sides of the line. In addition to this a vast amount of money is now wasted in unnecessary railway freights. When people are allowed to satisfy their wants in the nearest market the long railway hauls in many cases will be done away with. Producer and consumer will divide the money thus saved. Take the case of eggs. In winter, when the Canadian hens -are not laying, the consumer will be able ,to buy imported eggs ; and. in summer, when our poultrymen have a surplus of eggs, they will be able to ship them to the States and get a good' price for them. The same with fresh fruits and vegetables. The season in Canada lasts only a fe•w months, but the duties are on all the year round. Take the duties off, and our producers will have the great United States market for their surplus products, and when the season for Canadian fruits and vegetables is. over our, consumers will be able to import at cheaper prices than are now pos- sible. But there is a still more striking illustration of the manner in which Reciproc- ity will benefit both producer and consumer. It has been found after inveitigauon that of every dollar paid by the consumer only 40 cents„ is received by the pro- ducer. The rest goes to the middlemen. le middlemen are necessary --our storekeepers, the railways, the millers, the bu ; and dealers in all kinds of goods are doing a proper and legitimate business ; , - some classes of middlemen art getting too big a share or the profits. Y ou win see the point more clearly if you re- member that the farmer grows wheat, not hour; hogs, out bacon; rrurts anti vege- tables, not canned goods and so on. !he canners comolne, for anstaace, is max- ing big profits on watered stuck by keeping down the price of the raw material purchased frorii the growers, and by keeping up the price of canned goods. -the he - og combine is another instance. It nas been shown in court that the 'dvm. Da-'ies Co. of Toronto has been making profits averaging over 50 per cent. a year over a period of thirteen years. how fly keeping Lilt price of hogs just as low as it can, and by keeping the price of the proouets of the poik factory as high as possible under the tariff. ,,Hogs bring a higher price In Luhalo than in 1 oronto, but you can buy the bacon from the higher-priceu Lugs in buttaio cheaper than you can bny' the bacon from the lower-priced hugs in ! taunt°. You can buy Lanaulan bacon cheaper in Englana than you can in Lanaua. Why ? because there is a free market in England, whereas the packers are piuttcteo in this country. Rec- iprocity by opening the country to competition %III compel the packers to pay higher prices for the hogs ; and by reducing the duties on the tactoly products will give the wn- sumers cheaper ham, bacon, etc.. 1 he same ray with ml.„is of all kinds. '1 here is a 'tremendous difference between the prices paid to the lainlet, and the prices charged the to nsmen. Fane, again, the ease of the mutters. '1 hey w in have to pay more tor wheat, and they will certainly not be able to charge any more, it as much, tor tiour. They wilt have to meet the United States pullers in buying ',wheat ; anti th tariff on flour is slightly reduced. 1 he same way with many other things. 'the Iiic rulnate prohts of the monopo- listic middlemen will be cut down, and the producer and col.sumer will divide the benefit. But there is still another way in which both producer and consumer will benefit. With the restricted market in Canada our lartns aro not pouncing to anything like their full capacity. Give our tarrners'the immense market 1) Ing almost at tneir doors across the border, and with very little extra expense they win be able to raise and sell much greater quantities of 41 kinds 01 goods. l his win tie good business tor them, and it oils be good also for the consumers un the town. It will uu away with the periods or scarcity when prices of foods go up to almost prohlbttne piges and when housekeepers are aut,ost at their wits' end to make ends meet. Then there are many kinds of goods raised on the tarn), for which the farmer will get better prices under reciprocity, without affecting the expenses of the ordinary househoia. If the farmer gets more money for his hay, for his oats, for his barley, tor his horses, what difference does it make in the house expenses ? A hook might be written on this subject ; hut we hope this the reader that by voting for Reciprocity he is helping to benefit .timers. is sufficient to convince both producers and con- M �t V Mn Fielding Says Reclprad+ New Health and Strength — eWorkingmen "t claim W �e • moderate, rosaor� sane sad rational tree -trader, Non Mr. W. 8. Fielding at Digby, t t am not prepared to do anythin4 �trtke down any legitimate ('and, interest. 1 determined that if manufacturer were Lair and rea- _ of Goderich sonable they should have my support." A Voice. --"But they are fighting you in return." "It may be." continued Mr. Field- _a:.44/tFiCesaw lag. "that some of the manufacturers have made us a poor return; sons! AP` • J •L have unwisely let themselves be guided by political alarmists. and some have even put up funds to defeat us. But all that cannot alter our posi- i tion. we sought to be guided by the Interests of Canada as a whole. "1t may be. continued the Minister, "that we will lose a seat here and then. because some manufacturers, aalatakenly and unwisely, 1 think, op. pose W; but for every seat we lode ire will pick up two or three from the formers and fishermen." "That's right." shouted • farmer. •. "Why should the President of thg Bank of Commerce undertake to tell the fanners It will Injure their loyal' i send tehlr produce to the United when he sends his money to all Street to get ten and fifteen pet It gent!" asked the Minister of Finance, "We'll show him." said a fisherman, "Yes," replied Mr. Fielding, "there are thousands of Conservatives who IVO willing to follow the old flag of 111,r John Macdonald. not the new flag Of eighteen millionaires in Toronto - "Beefy roc ity," Mr. Fielding con I Waded. 'means new lute, new health, MOw strength and new hope to the time Provinces. Come, every one. t1 you, Conservatives and Liberals' and help us to get it." i A. H. CLARK' • Liberal t* dtdate in South Kaes; Ilif RFSULT IN CAM Reciprocity Meana Five Hundred Dol. tars a Year t0 Farmers James R. 'Anderson, Treasurer of he Eastern Ontario Dairymen's As soclation, 1s .campaigning for Dr. Mon ley Currie, Prince Edward County, "1 am no traitor," he said. 'to the Conservative party, bt t the leaders of the Conservative party today are traitors to the principles of that party, It L not only in this county, but lit ether counties, you will find huddreds aad thousands of Conservative farm. Ors who will vote for the movement. If we can have reciprocity In farm products 1t means 9500 on an average per year to each one of u■ farmers, igbtsan Liberal millionaires of To. raaton have turned their backs upoy 19is pact for the sake of their owl( poheta, and we should look upon thl as one of the best evidences that roc* prootty 1s In the interests of the farmer. "In Kingston, mets who have been In close contact with the American and who have voted Conserve - toe years, have told me that they Aatteoded to vote ter reciprocity. They is the American farmers right aoroul the River 8t. Lawrence 1.1 Nat tont dollars a ton mors for their hay than tM Ceosdian farmers around Kin, MIN ani on Wolfe Island. These =rilabout Kingston and on Wolfe told me that for every delta' Itftq earned off the farm the Amen, Oen farmer got a dollar and a this has been the case for then. Jean. What better evidence b want than that' and this Is the ecce of the farmers themselves" H, R. tMMtR$ON Vsseet neediest.. rn West ftg ss Sweet th• '.nets by .sane fn. Pecdprer- OA*K OANUQI 'Poor old Nurs.ey, ahs GUN Oinks I'm a foie aver) t(ms a oMw, btgf a horse co Boake a deaf for Workingmen, do not allowY ourselves to be deceived by the Otalk of factories closing down if Reciprocity carries. Such talk is only for election purposes. The Reciprocity agreement does not touch manufactured articles, except in a very few instances. As proof of this, we ask you to read the agreement for yourselves. We also call your atten- tion to the statement in this issue signed by nearly all of the manufacturers of Goderich, who not only say that their businesses are not injuriously affected by the Reciprocity agreement, but that they expect to be benefitted by the general increase of prosper- ity throughont the country following upon the adop- tion of the proposed policy of Reciprocity. True, the managers of the Western Canada Flour Mills Co. are making a big kick. And why ? Because under the present conditions they are mak- ing immense profits by reason of being able to keep down the price of wheat and, keep up the price of flour. Reciprocity will mean that they will have new competitors in the buying of wheat, and a slightly reduced protection on their flour. The duty on flour is reduced from 6oc to .5oc a barrel --a re- duction of roc. Awful, isn't it ? The United States has reduced its duty on flour from $1.2o to 5oc----a reduction of 70c., making the two tariffs equal. Is there anything unfair about that ? And they talk about not having a market for their by-products, while the farmers complain of the high prices which they are forced to pay for these by-products. THE ONLY THING that will happen to the milling cor- porations is that their enormous profits will be some- what reduced. They will still be able to charge Canadian consumers of flour more than, they charge the consumers in Great Britain, where there is a free market. They will still be making bigger profits than are made in any ordinary business, and they would no sooner shut down their mills than you would give away a gold -mine. Workingmen should bear in mind that employ- ment and wages depend upon the law of supply and demand, not upon the size of the profits which their employers are making. Reciprocity will ad- vance the general prosperity of Canada, giving the farmers and other producers more money to spend and helping the development of the country in all directions. There will be a greater demand for the products of Goderich factories (including flour), and a correspondingly increased demand for labor. Have the workingmen of Goderich noticed that or- ganized Labor in Canada is taking a strong stand in favor of Reciprocity, and that the Labor candi- dates in this election --Peebles in Hamilton, Richards in Toronto, Verville in Montreal- are all on the Reciprocity platform ? We venture this prediction : That in three months from now, in three years from now, the factories of Goderich (including the Western Can- ada Flour Mills Co.'s entire plant) will all be hum- ming away as merrily as ever, but with increased staffs and bigger payrolls.