Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1910 — FOOD FROM ABROAD. [ARTICLE]

FOOD FROM ABROAD.

Would the Consumer Be Benefited if Foodstuffs Were Admitted Free? The New York Sun- of May 14 ridicules the notion that any relief for the present high prices of provisions is possible by putting food products on the free list. It asks: “Where can we buy wheat, corn, oats, barley, beef, mutton, cattle, sheep, lard, bacon, butter, eggs, poultry, flour, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries and other commodities of general and daily household consumption? What country or what group of countries has these commodities to sell in millions of pounds or bushels?” •It may be that the relief would be slow in coming in some cases, but it would come. All the above commodities are grown in proportion to the anticipated demand for them. Canada, Russia and Argentina are the chief countries besides America which export agricultural products.. • They grow no more than they think they can sell to advantage. They naturally take tariffs into account before deciding how much they can grow for export. When England had a duty on wheat there was little wheat grown in Russia for export. But the taking off of that duty had the effect of stimulating the growth of wheat in all countries that were fit for it, and England continues to feed her teeming population on foreign grown wheat. Similarly the opening of our ports to foreign agricultural produce would encourage production in all countries that are tit to supply us. It is nothing but sophistry to reason that because there is no available foreign food supply when we shut our door against it there will be none when we alter our tactics and invite It. Besides, if our duties on agricultural products do not keep out food what on earth are they for? Are they to fool the farmers? •