Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-06

one for our interests, the time to prevent an
injurious change of policy is now.
WHO ARE TO BE BENEFITED BY THIS NEW
POLICY?
There are but two classes of persons to be
benefited by this new policy the Manitoba
farmers and the great millers. The consumer
Of -four will derive no advantage from this re-
bate, for this wheat will come into the country
under seal, and the -four will be exported
from New York under zeal. 1t can't be sold
in the United States for consumption. 1t will
add nothing to the gains of the railway COM
panes. for they, under existing customs regu-
lations, are already at liberty to haul all they
can get of it, in bond, to the seashore and
through our own territory. The conditions
of railroad competition are such that we will
get our share of the long haul from Manlto-
ba to market. English grit and English
pride will handle all it can of Manitoba wheat,
but American railways will get away with the
lions share. AS to the Manitoba farmer, let
the Dominion government take care OF him.
But there are 100000 Minnesota farmers whose
interests are to be affected by this rebate of the
tariff on wheat. AS between the English
farmer and the American farmer, let us look
after our own people. There are not to-day
over dozen of the millers in this state inter-
ested in this matter. The small millers are
not interested, for this foreign wheat can
only be handled profitably on an immense
scale. No one blames the millers for looking
after their own interests. 1t is business with
them. Neither let any one censure the farm
ers for protecting their share in this affair.
While we would be glad to zee dozen OF
our millers enriched, we are not disposed to
permit it to the disadvantage of the entire
farming population of the Northwest. One
of the prime objects of legislation is the
greatest good to the greatest number. We
would be proud to have all the Manitoba
wheat manufactured in our state, though it
benefited ever so few of our people, if it did
not iDjure so great body OF our citizens.
The pro dts of the operation cling only to the
immediate few engaged in the manufacture.
Is this not another form in which concen-
trated capital seeks to impress itself upon leg
islation, for its owniselfishness, irrespective OF
the rights of the many?
THE GREAT MILLS ARE SHOWN TO BE PROS
PERING WITH THE TARIFF AS 1T IS.
But we are by no means sure that the great
mills are suffering with even the existing
tariff upon wheat in full force. Mr.. Pills.
bury himself stated before the committee Of
congress that "the mills in Budapesth, Au g.
tria, formerly paid 20 to Is per cent. profit to
the owners; but since they came into COM
petition with us they have not paid any divi.
dends to the stockholders" II our great
mills are breaking down European mills
in the manufacture of American wheat,
surely that is great American tri-
umdh! Mr.. Pilsbury further stated be fore the
in Holland two years ago, and within the last
twelve months we have sold soc, 900 barrels to
Holland alone. We have sold more flour in
Scotland than we do in any state of the United
States in proportion to the population" This
must surely be done for profit, and not from
patriotic pride. These mills seem to be pros
pering and making worldwide fame in man.
ufacturing the wheat of Minnesota and Dako-
ia farmers at profit. Why introduce English
wheat into this American prosperity? But
let us more closely examine the relation of
these great mills to the existing tariff. There
is now tariff of 20 cents per bushel of go
pounds on wheat from Manitoba. The Min
neapolis miller goes to Pembina and buys
enough wheat for barrel of flour. At ~
bushels to the barrel he purchases 270 pounds.
He takes it to Minneapolis and grinds it, with
ference between the 270 pounds of wheat and
the 1876 pounds of flour is "A pounds of shorts,
bran or millstuff, which is left on the miller's
hands for home consumption. He has thus
far gained "a pounds millstuff. When the
miller goes now to the New York custom
house to get his drawback, he gets the rebate
on the original bill of entry. 1t thus appears
that this foreign wheat comes into the coun-
try 270 pounds wheat, and goes out of the
country 1876 pounds -four, less the "a pounds
of millstuff. The government has lost
the tariff on the seventy-four pounds, the
miller has goti free of toll. The miller then
gets this Canadian millstuff So 66 per ton
cheaper through this manipulation than he
can get millstuff for out of American wheat.
These are
STARTLING FACTS,
if the positions taken are sound, and let it be
shown wherein they are incorrect. Thus
nearly one-third of the imported wheat, in
weight, does not go out of the country at all.
1t remains as profit to the millers. No wonder
the millers of Budapesth are driven to the
wall. This millstuff remains, with all the
tariff off, to compete with American millstuff
In the next place the export miller is required
by customs regulations to put this export
flour in grain bags and to place on each bag
in stencil manufactured from Manitoba
wheat for the benefit of drawback" These
bags are all imported. But generous gov
ernment grants a rebate of the whole of the
tariff on these bags Except the smallest ex-
pense item) If the bags are again exported,
which is the case here. So the bags are freed
from duty. Now this is bad for the cooper
trace ana Inc farmers W no raise nOOp poles.
But again, the Aost of the machinery used in
the mill comes in free of duty. The silk SO
extensively used in boiling cloth is
the only silk which enters our
ports absolutely free from duty. The export
milers would appear to be pretty we'll coddled
by the government under existing laws and
tariff regulations. But this is not all. When
the export miller goes to the New York custom
house with his barrel of export -four, what
does he now get back under the present tariff?
He gets rebate of all he had paid, except 10
per cent. The government, at the rate of four
and a half bushels of wheat per barrel, refunds
him 80 per cent. per barrel of -four. This is
the actual drawback he to-day receives Now,
what he wants is The other 10 per cent. off,
This rebate, enormous as 1t is now, is actually
a premium to American millers for the manu-
facture of foreign wheat. The tariff on wheat
is thus already wiped out, save the 10 per cent.
Oh barrel OF -four. The miller wants it all
rebated except the per cent, to be on par
with crude sugar. In contrasting the situa-
ton of the -four manufacturer with the sugar
manufacturer, Mr.. Pillsbury is siDgularly un-
fortunate, for we are immense importers of
sugars, while we are heavy exporters of wheat
LET Us LIFT EQUALLY THE BURDENS OF THE
TARIFF.
In the light of this series of facts it would
Il r.