. 



EARLY FARMER ORGANIZATIONS 33 



entry into Canadian markets. This, under the 

 policy of protection to manufacturers, which 

 since 1878 had been a part of Canadian policy, 

 had been thought impossible, but in 1910 a new 

 condition, which has been mentioned before, 

 had arisen. The American cities were clamour- 

 ing for cheaper food-stuffs. A large part of the 

 American urban population was situated very 

 close to the Eastern Canadian border and was 

 looking upon Ontario as a possible means of 

 supplying their urgent food requirements. A 

 new situation had developed which made reci- 

 procity in natural products without free entrance 

 into Canada of manufactured articles a 

 thing possible of acceptance by the United 

 States, and so Hon. Mr. Fielding and Hon. Mr. 

 Paterson came back with an agreement which 

 had never before been possible of attainment, 

 and which all parties in the past had agreed was 

 to the great advantage of Canada. 



The Canadian Parliament scarcely knew what 

 to do with it. Liberals and Conservatives seem- 

 ed united in its support, and for some weeks no 

 criticism was directed towards the new arrange- 

 ment. But the protected interests took alarm. 

 Possibly the assertion made publicly by some of 

 the leaders of the Farmers' Movement, who 

 claimed that this break in the tariff wall would 

 prove the entering edge of the wedge which 



