Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1895 — TWO GREAT STAPLES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TWO GREAT STAPLES.

HOW FREE TRADE WORKS THEIR RUIN. Wool and Barley Growers Find by Bitter Experience that a Low Tariff la Beautiful in Theory Only—Some Startling Figures. ■ r The Wool Growers’ Appeal. It is now conceded on all hands that the Gorman-Brice-Wilson tariff act of August 28, 1594, Is a failure fts a revenue measure. Under it the government, ' In a time of peace, is issuing bonds to meet current expenses. President Cleveland-will of necessity ask Congress in Decetober to increase the revenue. The present law, with its inadequate duties oil farm 'products- and free wool, is an Invidious and odious discrimination against the agriculturists of this country. The sheep farmers have lost by free wool more than $100,000,000 in the decline in value of sheep and wool. Congress now’ has the pow’er to incorporate In any revenue bill that may be passed provisions for duties on w’ool and other farm products, as amply protective as the present duties for the most favored of the manufacturing industries. You are urged to organize and-demand that Congress incorporate jn any reyenue bill that may be passed such protection for our industries. Let them be made a condition of any increase of revenues. There is no reason why Congress should, yield to the President in denying us this measure of justice. If he will veto any such bill or will not permit it to become a law’ wfthout his signature—as he did the present tariff law’—let him take the consequences. Now’ is the time to urge members of Congress to do justice to the agricultural industries of the country. r WILLIAM LAWRENCE, President of the National Wool Grow-—r-ersl Association. - ■ • —— Beilcfontaine, Ohio. , Barley Growers. In 1832 a duty of 15 per cent ad valorem was placed upon foreign barley, and it was fixed at 20 emits a bushel in 1842. It was subsequently lowered to 10 cents; but advanced to 80 cents in 1890;- and the result was* that our -tmports of barley fell off from 10,000,000 bushels to less than 2,000,000 bushels. The 30 per cent rate given barley in 1894 is only 14 cents specific. The production of barley in the United States increased nearly US per cent in the past twenty years, from 32,000,000 bushels in 1873 to G9,5G9,000 bushels in 1593. The result has clearly proven that our protective policy in favor of this important agricultural product w T as wise In the interests of the farmers who were annually increasing the domestic output. By Increasing the duty on barley in 1890 we lost only about half a million of revenue, Jn return for which our farmers' Increased their products ir).ooo.ooQ.jbu9liels over the average tot eight years. This increase in one year was worth at least $0,200,000, making the loss of revenue of trilling-compara-tive importance. The tendency was Jo draw farmjgjs away from wheat ants corn,lust as the raising of beets for sugar would draw them away from cotton in Kentucky, Georgia. North and South Carolina and Alabama. The gain in domestic barley product, since the extra encouragement given it in 1890, ought to have guarded It. Was the duty lowered In 1594 in the Interests of Russian and Canadian producers? It certainly was a piece of legislation that the farmers cannot regard with favor. This subject was of concern to those who framed our first tariff law in 1789. At that time, when the subject of placing a proper rate of duty on ale, beer uind porter was under consideration, Mr. Fitzsimmons thought the. manufac-' tore of those liquids “highly deserving of encouragement,’’ ns calculated to improve the morals of the people as fostering home manufacture. Mr. Lawrence favored a duty on them high enough to give a decided preference to American beer, as it “would tend to encourage agriculture, because the malt and hops consumed in their manufacture were the produce of our own soil.” Mr. a Siunlekson favored a protective duty in order to increase the manufacture and lessen the price, and Inasmuch as the raw material was produced in this country, the agricultural interests would be advanced. Mr. Madison moved a duty of 8 cents on beer. IJe did not think this would give a monopoly, -but hoped it would be such encouragement as to .Induce the manufacture to take deep root in this country, in which case it would produce the collateral good (agriculture) hinted at by Mr. Sinniekson—the Increase of barley and hops. Not a word was said about revenue from agricultural products. That was never a consideration with the true Democracy. Revenue and Deficiency. IMcase Inform me the entire amount -of money received by the United States for tariff ditties on Imports under the McKinley bill. Also under the present •“Goriuan-Wllson” bill up to date. J. M. IRWIN. The tariff duties received through the •custom house department during fortyfive months of the McKinley tariff period—from Oct l, 1890, to June 30, 1894 —were as follows: McKinley tariff period. Amount. 1890, Oct. 1 to Dec. 31... $50,200,288 42 1891, Jan. 1 to June 30.. 97,021,543 05 IS9I-2, July 1 to June 30. 177,330,944 S 4 1892-3, July 1 to June 30 . 203,142.070 81 1803-4, July 1 to June 30. 131,807,758 88 Total receipts, forty-five monthe $005,575,200 00 Monthly average....... $17,005,774 51 During ten months of the Gorman Mtarlff period—from Sept. 1,1894, to June

30, 1895—the custom house receipts stood thus: Gorman tariff period. ~ Amount. 1594, Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. . $48,990,850 H 9 1895, Jan.. Ito June 30.. 82,081.483 58 Total receipts, 10 mos.. .$131,075,330 27 Monthly average $13,107,533 03 It appears that the average monthly receipts from customs during the McKinley tariff period was $17,005,774.51, as compared with average monthly receipts of $13,107,533.03 under the oGrman tariff. The MclJinley tariff supplied $3,898,240.58 more revenue every month than the Gorman tariff has done. The McKinley tariff was a revenue raiser. The Gorman concern is a tariff for deficiency. Don’t Trust the Free Trader*. The Reform Club or the Tariff Reform Club, more properly the Free Trade Club, of New York, lias for years fought American interesta and American prosperity by the assistance of the

Importing classes. Recently this organization has devoted considerable effort to the currency question, and some of the matter issued has found its way With an entering wedge to the columns of Republican newspapers, this free trade organization has naturally gone back to the advocacy of the “policy of destruction”—namely, free trade. We earnestly ask all protection editors*-to scrutinize every paragraph received from this agent of foreign interests. It is not safe to use matter that is Issued by the Reform Club upon any subject. Beet Sugar Success. Among the very successful sugar beet farmers on the Chino ranch in California are the Gustafson Brothers, Louis, Victor and Charles. There is a signal example of what perseverance and industry will accomplish in the sugar beet business. The Gustafson Brothers went to Chino four yeara ago without capital and commenced farming on their own account, doing their work thoroughly. Tiie result is they have been successful in every crop they have planted. They bought twenty acres of choice land west of Chino for $175 per acre, and on this they made the last payment in 1893. They have a clear deed of their twenty acres to-day, and they have paid for it from beets raised on the land. They camo to Chino, ns Mr. Gustafson said, “without a dollar,” and they now own a piece of land that is not excelled in California. They kept a carefully itemized account of their expenses on the twenty acres of beets in 1593, including their own work, which they counted at $1.50 per day, and which amounted to $275. That much should be added to their net profit, as it is their personal earnings from labor on their crop. They harvested from twenty aerqs 43G tons, for .which they received an average of $4.50 per ton. The figures are: Gross returns, 430 tons $1,002 00 Plowing 20 acres.. 40 00 Harrowing twice... 12 00 Seed 30 00 Seeling S 00 Thinning 80 00 Cultivating twice.. 12 oft Weeding 20 OO Topping...., 108 00 Plowing out beets.. 40 O.t Hauling to factory. 174 00 Tear and factory expenses 00 20 Total expenses. $584 00 Net pr0fit.....*..... 1,877,40 Total $1,002 00—51,002 00 Net profit per acre.* . 08 87 * We Need Good Wen. A good word has been said for our American consuls by Englishmen. At a recent meeting of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, which bad been ask-

ed for suggestions whereby the British consular service would be improved In the interests of commerce, it was stated that “American consuls did a great deal more in this direction than our own (English) did.” It Is gratifying to know that there has recently been an improvement in the commercial value of our'consular reports. Manufacturers need reliable Information in these foreign competition times. ~~ Where Free Wool Works Well, It is interesting to know that free wool ie of benefit to somebody. The monthly circular of Messrs. Goldsbrough, Mort & Co., Issued at Melbourne, June 24, said: 'The present position of the wool market is certainly promising, and the indications are all in favor of an improvement Id values for the ensuing season. General activity is reported in manufacturing districts ofEnropn and America and a good demand for wool prevails, while the production of the last

and the ensuing Australasian clip point tos very moderate increase in supplies. The American demand promises to ho very prominent during the ensiling Australian An quantity has beer! purchased o 2 tiieir account during the recent London sales and our American correspondents anticipate that a largo business may be expected in direct importations. Below the 1892 Record. Bradstreet’s record of bank clearings for July shows an increase of over a billion dollars as compared with July, 1894, but it tvas still over a hundred million dollars below the record for July, 1592, Protection and Prosperity, Immigration is increasing again. This is in anticipation of the return to power of the party of protection, which always restores prosperity to the United States. Charlie Not in It, From 1893 to 1895 Grover I. touched overoo,ooo,ooo people for over $300,000,000. What would Charles 11. think of such a record as that?—Telegram, Worcester, Mass. One Horse Concern. The Herald (N. Y.) is not a searcher after truth—it Is tied down to an idea, and it permits nothing to interfere with that Idea.—Textile Manufacturers’ Journal. Capturing tho Markets of the World

Protection for Farmers.

Free Trade for Farmers.