134 '^^^^ CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



potatoes. ]\Ir. Taft proposes to wipe that all out with one 

 stroke of the pen, and you farmers, when you huy a plow, a 

 threshing machine, a harvester, a suit of clothes, a sink for 

 your kitchen, anything on earth that is manufactured, must 

 pay an enormous protective tariff. We bought a kitchen 

 sink a short time ago in New Haven, and they charged us 

 $19, and we couldn't get it for less. That means 19 bushels 

 of wheat, three barrels of fllour, 38 or 40 bushels of potatoes. 

 Now Mr. Taft says after this potatoes can come in here from 

 Canada, and hay and all those things, free, but he doesn't 

 take any protection off that sink that we wish to buy, or the 

 clothes we wish to buy. 



Now in Canada, wages are cheaper. A hired man costs 

 in Canada $20, where you pay $30. The hired man goes out 

 to buy a suit of clothes at 20 per cent or 30 per cent, or 40 

 per cent cheaper than you do. 



If you should go to Canada and try to bring a hired man 

 to the United States, the United States would immediately 

 fine you $1,000 for bringing that man into this country to 

 work for you. I had a friend who barely got out of paying 

 a $1,000 fine for trying it. You couldn't hire a preacher to 

 come, you can't get a hired man to come, or a farmhand, 

 short of $1,000 penalty to come to this country. 



Now, I recollect I was a boy during the civil war, and 

 we had a great many patriotic citizens in those days, good 

 and bad, we had patriots who were willing to send all their 

 wife's relations into the army. Mr. Taft and the manufac- 

 turers are willing to sacrifice every farmer in New England, 

 if thev can get potatoes for their operatives a few cents 

 cheaper. 



Now I want to warn you farmers that they are growing 

 apples up in Canada, the government helps them, they sub- 

 sidize ships, they subsidize refrigerators, they subsidize cars 

 and granaries. You build a refrigerator in Canada under gov- 

 ernment specifications and they will pay a certain part of it 

 to store apples in, or potatoes, or butter, or cheese. I am 

 surprised that the farmers of New England have not been 



