Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 241, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1912 — AMERICAN FARMERS ARE NOT “BUNCOED" [ARTICLE]

AMERICAN FARMERS ARE NOT “BUNCOED"

buy farm implements cheapER THAN CANADIAN FARMER* CAMPAIGN LIE IS NAILED • —— Investigation by State Department Gives Facts and Figures, and Michigan Manufacturing Firm - Adda Evidence. “Farmers Buncoed by the High Tariff,” to the title of a publication tmdustriously circulated among farmers by the Tariff Reform bureau of New York, a free trade annex of the Democratic party. It asserts that American-made farm implements are sold in Canada at a 'lower price than they are obtainable by American farmers. The purpose of the statement is to prove that the American farmers are made to suffer through the operation of the protective tariff laws. The statement is false. Pkrwa, planters, cultivators and other farm implements made in the United States cost twenty-five per cent more in Canada than In this country. The free trade advocates who try to mislead the American farmer do not know, apparently, that there is a so-called anti-dumping law in Canada whereby an American manufacturer cannot sell in that country at a lower price than at home. Official Facta and Figures. m addition to this, they are also Ignorant of the fact that the United States government, through its board of trade relations in the state department, has made a thorough investigation which disproves the false assertion. It issued under date of May 16, 1910, a document entitled “Comparison of Prices of Agricultural Implements In Canada and the United States,” which shows that Canadian farmers pay more for American farm machinery than is paid by the American farmers. Here are some of the figures: M-lnch, steel-beam walking plow— price hr North Dakota, $22; price la Manitoba, ML

H-tnch sulky plow with lift—price Is Ohio, S4O; price in Ontario, $56. 16- North Dakota sulky plow—ivies in North Dakota; $62, price in Manitoba, SOO. 17- spring tooth harrow— price la Ohio and Michigan, sl7; price tn sss. 8-foot, 16-inch diek harrow—price is North Dakota, S3B; price in Manitoba. $45. 10-foot, to single disk Kentucky drillprice in North Dakota, $125; price Is Manitoba, $l4O. Riding cultivator, portable axto-price in Ohio and Michigan, S2B; price in Ontario, S3B. Hay loader, rake bar—price to Ohio and Michigan, S6O; price in Ontario, $76. First grade farm wagon—price In North Dakota, SB6; price in Manitoba, slo*. Evidence Offered With Proof. Evidence to the same effect is given by the Gale Manufacturing company of Albion, Mich., which was specifically charged by the free trade advocates with selling goods more cheaply to Canadian farmers than to American farmers. The secretary and general manager of the company, under date of August 80, 1912, wrote to the Tariff Reform elub denying the charge and threatening to sue for damages unless the are sertion was promptly retracted. The firm also wrote to the Republican are ttonal committee as follows: “Plows, planters, oußivators and other farm machinery made in the United States cost 26 per cent more in Canada than in this country. You can stand on this statement, and if it is challenged we can produce proof." The proof mentioned in this letter consists of letters from retail dealer* throughout Canada quoting the prioes at which the products of the Michigan factory are sold to Canadian farmers. These figures agree substantially with those given in the government publication. For Instance, a planter which sells in Detroit for (40 oosts $45 in Windsor, less than a mile away across the Detroit river, and a cultivator which sells in Detroit for 880 cannot be bought in Windsor for less Gun 836. As soon ns free trade statements are subjected to the oold analysis of investigation their falsity is shown. It is an old proverb that a lie will travel seven leagues while truth tog putting on its boots. It is important, therefore, that farmers who hare heard the untruths at the free traders should promptly learn the real facto la the case.