The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-26


,sv NJ an enslen Id The loiantrs Is only -sl.so
Der day, without stations" or any otner al
40 and this will certainly not pay for
\. -, a;,,nar and wine at the regimental mess
Tho ,ybole system is bad. Now and then
q deserving private soldier works his way up
20 a commission, but this is rare, and he is
mt into regiment where the officers, exer-
cisipg economy, live upon their pay; there
are two or three such. Mr. Gladstone esti-
mated that the value of the commissions in
the British army was so large that it would
take from $35,0O0,OOO to S4O,OOO,OOO for the
State to buy them up. He introduced plan
Tor doing this which was determindly opposed
by the senior officers of the army, and by the
aristocracy in general.
What will be the immediate result or what
course the House of Lords will take, it is inn
possible to predict. But this thing is certain
that their opposition to this measure has led
Gladstone, urged on by the people to deal this
ancient body tue most singing blow since the
House of Commons in Cromwells time voted
that the House of Lords was worse than use
less. 1t is predicted that the next popular
movement will be to abolish the body that
sets itself as the barrier to progress and the
champion OF aristocratic privilege.
EVER since we read "Perce's" account of
her interview with c. P. Kimball, Esq, we
have been deeply impressed with the profun-
dity of that gentleman's views of political
economy. In fact we have never seen any
thing deeper" His reply to his fair interlo-
cutor when she asked him if Carriages are
protected was in these ever memorable words
1t is so claimed. There is duty of IS per
cent. on foreign carriages; but as there are
none imported to this country, 1t really
amounts to no protection at all.
In other words, the duty on carriages is SO
high as to be absolutely prohibitory and gives
Mr.. Kimball and other manufacturers undis-
puted possession of the American market
while not dollar of revenue goes into the
treasury! Assuming the correctness of the
Democratic doctrine that the rate of duty is
the measure of the increased cost to the con-
sumner of the products of American industry
the people pay to manufacturers tax of 81
per cent. on all the carriages sold in this
country, amounting in the aggregate to many
millions of dollars. This, says Mr.. Kimball,
is "no protection at alp Verify, Mr.. Kim
ball might teach pig.iron Kelly himself the
elements of political economy to say nothing
Of the salt and coal monopolists. These
views on the tariff comport well enough,
after all, with the position of gentleman
who, when his accomplished eulogst finds
him Sitting in his glass-partitioned, luxuri
antly- carpeted, prettily-furnished office, sur
rounded by a large number of waiting men, ;
declares that he comes before the people s'as
a laboring man and mechanic"
THE HAY PANIC.-The efforts being made
by interested parties to keep up and raise the
price of hay by cries of short crop ani
consequent scarcity of winter fodder for cat
| tie is most senseless and wicked. 1t is tru
that the hay-crop OF Maine the present yea
will be diminished from last year, but the pc
centage is not as great as has been represent
ed. We have taken some pains to ascertain
the precise condition of the crop in this vcin
ity and in some other parts of the State, b
| conversation with farmers and others pract
cally acquainted with the facts; and the re
| suit of our inquiries is that on well-kept Ian
the decrease is from 10 to 20 per cent, Will
infew instances have the figures reached S
low as so per cent. and then only on oil
| worn-out land with thin soil. We estimat
therefore that the hay crop of Maine for tn
| year 1871 will not fall off from last year
| product more than 25 per cent. .4gt
But admitting the truth of the alarmist.
| predictions, there is no reason for an exhorb
tant price. The law Of compensation apple
here in the abundance and cheapness of corr
Fifteen bushels of corn, which can be bougI
for $12, with a ton of hay, is fully equal IL
stock to two tons of herds grass. A the pres
ent high cost of hay in this market 1881 tn
use of corn practically reduces the cost O
iood to $22.50 per ton. The corn crop of tn
West is unfailing and there is no prospee
that the price at the East will advance; bu
on the contrary it is likely to drop. Our ad
vice to farmers is to feed more corn and wiz
ter the young stock, which is sometimes sol
in the fall through necessity, when it is not
for beef, and the loss of which on the farm
A-~----- -rr--IJ i.---ss VIC UWIe
/
The Argus comes out in defence of Conn
troler Connolly and Mayor Hall, saying tina
Ill IT. L .