Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-08-29
FARMERS AND THE TARIFF.

lfany farmer has really been deluded into the
belief that the Tariff Of 1912 has shut him out
from Great Britain as market for his grain. we
commend to his notice the following extIact from
London letter, written just before the sailing of
the last steamship. That the Democratic railers
against the Tariff may not impugn its authority,
on the plea that 1t was written for Wing Tariff
Journal, we deem it proper to say that we copy
it from the Boston Post:
LONDON, July, II, 1874.
"lhe tone of some of the new spapeIs enlisted
In The interests of land proprielors indicates tina,
there Is some alarm Oh account of the recent
large lmporlaIons of foreign corn, and particular.
~ wheat. The complaint is that the regular mil.
ing consumption is supplied by foreign wheat,
ana mat British grown wheat, though offered at
prices below the expenses of production, is driven
out OF market; and it is amented that foreign
wheat, after paying duty of seventeen shillines
per quarter, still leaves profit to foreign land
proprletors; this is said TO be proof, beyond all
disPntatlon, that the existing corn laws arc not
suhcientiy protective 10 native industry.
"it is, TO doubt, quite certain that England.
with the present rates levied by the land proprie-
Tors upon the agrcultursts, cannot compete with
foreign countries. and particularly America. i'm the
growth oil corn, If price is demanded of the con-
suineTs That VIII pay these extraordinary profls-
IL Is not that the real expense Of producing the
ticle is so much greater here, but that enormous
profits are to be paid by the producer in shape OF
labor, and by the consumer in gold-both of
which classes of people not able or willing to
bear the burden. These profits, il is SEEN 90 "a
swell the golfers Of the land owner and TO deirav
lie expenses OF government. The high price of
land, which is source OF increase 10 the expense
OF producing over that Of America is perhaps.
balanced by the low price OF labor; so that the
assertion thai high tariff on foreign grain is ne
cesSary 10 protect home agricultural industry is
graiulious; 1t may in fact be necessary TO the
yeiuihS 10 Tie land owner the present profit upon
home products.
But in relation TO another branch of tho sub.
Jec,, though there appear to be large mporlations
IL does not seem that, with the present duties and
prices, large profits can accrue TO the American
shipper or land owner by direct shipments. Good
American wheat will average about fifty shllinos
the quarter at the corn exchange. Subtract iron,
ihS seventeen shiIiings for duty, and tbiriy-nine
shllIings per quarter, abou, 81 &c per busheI is
lett The seller. Now, it will he seen that ont of
THIS are to be paid the expenses Of transportation,
commissions, &c.
Here 1t is shown that American wheat is mar
italy excluded from Great Britain, not by the A.
merlcan tariff, but by the British; not by protec-
ton TO American manufacturers, bot by protection
to British landlords; not by want of means in
England TO pay for it, but by the prohibi,ve du-
y OF seventeen shilings sterling OF each quarter.
That duty would still be levied, though British
fabrics, admitted duty free, were flooding our land
and destroying our mechanical industry and the
farmers woull be even less able TO pay for them
than they are now, because they would lose the
home market now provided by our manufacturers.
~. y. Com. .adU.