Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 273, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1913 — REPLIES TO ARTICLE ABOUT NEW TARIFF [ARTICLE]

REPLIES TO ARTICLE ABOUT NEW TARIFF

W. R. Nowels Quotes Orange Judd Farmer in Support of Democratic Canadian Policy. .* .• » . ... Rensselaer, Ind., Nov. 14, 1913. Mr. Geo. H. Healey: I read your -clipping from the Northwestern Agriculturist in relation to the injury that would accrue to the American farmer on account of meats or beef being put on the free list. I leave you a copy of the Orange Judd Fanner and invite your attention to page 5. I also enclose clipping from same paper, the live stock market in which you will note that others as well or better posted than the Northwestern editor take a different view of the subject. I also invite your attention to page 10, 'headed encouraging features in wool. I think itwrong to needlessly alarm people about which many do not understand, for purely political purposes. Very truly, W. R. NOWELS. The clipping which Mr. Nowels refers to is published herewith: “Comparatively few cattle from Canada have come jacross the line since the new tariff law went into effect. The number is indeed so small that It is almost a negligible quantity. From eastern Canada something like 15,000 head of low grade thin stuff is reported to have •been Shipped to the states for finishing. From the western provinces up to November 1, probably 100 carloads would cover the number of live animals which have been received. Some dressed beef from the Canadian branches of American packing houses have been sent in. Altogether there is little danger of any serious competition from Canada. That country is just as short of cattle proportionately as .the United States, and moreover the number is small. Last July the three prairie provinces reported-only 921,000 beef cattle. If much meat is sent to this country a like amount will have to be shipped back or Canadians will have to pay more for their (stuff. As it ik they are already paying about 1 cent more than under the old law. Further than this, the cattle sent over are not high grade, neither are they finished. They belong to the stacker and feeder class and have to be sent out into the country for finishing. There has been no change in prices in this country because of Canadian imports so that the. farmers are not harmed in the slightest. If the feeders are enabled to secure stuff for their lots at a little less price this country will be benefited. As a matter of fact, at presen the United States is receiving greater benefit than Canada.”

It is not probable that the publishers of either of these great agricultural papers would intentionally set about to deceive their readers. It is not probable either that they will permit their partisan beliefs to lead them into unconscious misrepresentations. This being the case both articles may be regarded as fairly authentic, except for the possibility of misinformation. Mr ; Nowels is a firm believer in the democratic policy of a low tariff or free trade and naturally takes Vgleam of hope at anything that loMjs like a support of the measure that recently placed Canadian and other farmers in competition with the fanners of the United States. Peculiarly Canadian free trade as provided by a democratic congress is receiving the endorsement of many who threw up their hands in horror at the provisions of the Canadian reciprocity as passed by a republican congress. The Orange Judd Farmer may not be entirely accurate in this matter, and judged from a paragraph in last Saturday’s Chicago Journal, the conditions are very different from the report madg in Orange Judd Farmer. It is known that the Chicago Journal is'ft democratic paper and therefore it would be very cautious not to piisrepresent the effect of the new tariff measure. The Journal says: ‘Thousands of pounds of fre9h meats which are now on the “free list” have been imported from Canada by Chicago packers since the new tariff law went into effect. Importations of meat products from various countries of Europe have also increased largely. Another article of food that dealers are now importing more heavily, is cheese, the cluty on which has been reduced 50 per cent.” There is an acknowledged scarcity of .cattle the world over that is suflieient to maintain the price irrespective of duty conditions between countries, and yet wherever cattle are admitted free there is sure to be a difference in price that will to some extent affect the United States farmers. If this were not the case there would be no issue and the tariff might as well be maintained as not. In other and later years, however, when the neglected cattle interests of Canada are revived because of the market afforded by a gratuitous democratic legislature, American interests will suffer in that dilection. With respect to grain admitted either free or at greatly reduced duties, there has already occurred an injury to the American farmer, and nothing to offset it by way of reciprocal advantages. The tariff

as passed by this democratic special session lias been in operation oniy a few weeks. Its real prdof will come in the months and years to Come. The Republican is convinced that it will prove deleterious to the farmer and to all agricultural tenters. \. . The Republican regards Mr. Nowels one of Its best friends and we are pleased to have him defend the action of his party through-the columns of this paper. 4 - Vs