4b4 



IHE CANADIAN HORTICULTURISI 



the discussion that follow eel that Toronto 

 dealers had asked that the tariff on fruits be 

 reduced. 



Mr. Smith urged the fruit growers not to 

 cut themselves loose from the sympathies 

 of those engaged in mixed farming by en- 

 deavoring to have the tariff increased, and 

 pointed out that the agricultural population 

 shcniki work together. Each year finds so 

 much more exported from Canada than is 

 imported that the foreign market governs 

 the price. He claimed that as far as fruit 

 growing is concerned it is impossible to in- 

 crease the selling price by increasing the 

 protection. There are few American fruits 

 that come into competition with the Cana- 

 dian product, and if the home-grown crop 

 is handled in as careful a manner as the 

 fruit from the States, Canadian growers will 

 be able to balance up later in the season. 

 The tender fruits from the States come 

 when we have none, and as soon as the 

 home crop is ripe the imported goods are 

 not wanted because the quality is inferior. 



According to Mr. Smith, a high tariff in- 

 creases the price of what is to be bought 

 without increasing the value of what is be- 

 ing sold. lie cited the case of baskets. 

 Less than three years ago logs were taken 

 across the line, made into baskets, which 

 were shipped back and sold at a lower price 

 than Canadian manufacturers charged, de- 

 spite the fact that duty had to be paid. One 

 man in the St. Catharines district was $300 

 out of pocket on account of the duty on the 

 baskets. 



It was pointed out that an export trade 

 is required for our canned goods. To get 

 this trade it will be necessary to reduce the 

 cost of production. A reduction in the 

 price would, also, increase home consump- 

 tion. The tariff on sugar hinders the de- 

 velopment of this industry. The cost of 

 sugar used in canning amounts to one-third 

 the total cost of the goods. Under a rea- 

 sonable tariff sugar would be much cheaper. 



Statistics from the sugar making countries 

 in the south show that the raw sugar can be 

 ])roduced at one and one-half cents a pound. 

 At that price over $100 an acre can be real- 

 ized from the land devoted to sugar cane. 

 1 here is no reason why refined sugar should 

 not retail at three cents, or slightly more. 

 The encouragement of the beet sugar indus- 

 try in Canada was termed a misfortune, as 

 it cannot prove a success unless under a 

 high tariff or a high bounty. 



Mr. Smith concluded by impressing on 

 the growers the fact that a decrease in the 

 price of sugar would cause more fruit to be 

 preserved and canned and stimulate the de- 

 mand for fruit, which is a health-giving 

 food. He urged that it is not possible to 

 increase the price obtained for fruit by put- 

 ting the tariff wall higher, but that such ac- 

 tion merely imposes a burden on the con- 

 sumers. 



In the discussion Mr. H. Dawson, com- 

 mission dealer, of Toronto, claimed that it 

 is well to have the consumers acquire the 

 habit of eating our tender fruits before the 

 home crop is ready for market. He pointed 

 out that our chief imports of fruit and vege- 

 tables are made in June and July, and that 

 our exports are 1,000 per cent, more than 

 our imports. The fact that the year of low 

 tariff' was the year strawberries were cheap- 

 est was referred to, and it was noted that 

 low prices mean enormous consumption. 

 P)etter transportation facilities were men- 

 tioned as being more desirable than increas- 

 ed tariff. 



Mr. J. L. Hilborn, of Leamington, 

 thought the tariff should be such that it 

 would help to even up for the duty paid on 

 certain implements that have to be used by 

 fruit growers. 



It was suggested by Mr. W. Armstrong, 

 of Queenston, that if it could be arranged 

 to admit American products free up to a 

 certain date and shut them out after Cana- 

 dian fruit is readv for sale that the Cana- 



