The Butler weekly times., 1884-09-17
Maine and Kansas.

, the ISSUE pt IJiOttN(iCIi 10 american
labor The people. he asserted.
knew that the Marrisou bill. enact
ed into law, would seriously cripple
if not entirely destroy tie leading IN
dustrial interests OF Maine; that il
would reduce the wages of every
laboring man .and stop every new
manufacturing enterprise in the
state"
All that the Morrison bill propos-
ed was to reduce the present average
tariff of IS per cent. 10 about 10 per
cent, and admit few raw materials
free OF duty; and TO say that this
would "serlously cripple If not en-
tirely DESTROY the leading industrial
interest, of Maine" is too silly to
provoke any thing but derision.
Mr.. Blaine appears SO preoccupied
with the industrial interests OF Maine
that he torgets there are other states
that have industrial interests. There
is Kansas, for example, strictly
| agricultural state, as Maine is man
ufacturing state. Mr.. Blaine thinks
the farmers of Kansas ought to be
take d for the protection of the manu-
| ctures of Name, and that any re-
| duction of the tribute would be a
hardship on Maine. Is he right?
Is 1t just and taIr that farming IN
Kansas should be taxed to build up
and support manufacturing in Maine?
Let us see.
Maine has a population OF 64S 900
and a taxable wealth of $I73,ooo,-
900; Kansas has population of l.
900, 900, and IA taxable wealth OF
$IoS, ooo,o 900. Maine, therefore,
with less than sever-tenthS OF the
population of Kansas has seven
tenths more wealth. Maine has
$4,000 persons engaged in manufact-
uring work and $50 900 capital
invested. These $1,000 persons
take S5I, 900. 900 worth of raw ma
terials and work them into manufact-
used products worth $50. o.ooo--
an increase of $40. 900. This
divided bv $1,000, the number of
workmen, gives an average product
OF $500 to each worker. Kansas is
farming state. 1t has $4,000
farms, worth, with then live stock
and implements, S. ,ooo.ooo
The number of persons engaged in
tam work is zoo, 900 and the value
Of all crops raised is $50, 900, 900.
This aggregate crop value divided
among zoo. 900 farm workers gives
$25c per hand. Therefore, while
IN Maine yields $500
per hand, farming IN Kansas Yields
less than one halt as much, $,52 per
hand. Manufacturing in Maine IS
more than twice as productive as
farming I'D Kansas.
AS stated above. che $4,000 work
ng people III Maine earn, each. $500
4 wear. But thev dc. not getit The
otal wages paid them IS SIS. 500
300, or about S257 per hand. But
what then becomes oil the balance
S3oo per hand:> 1t goes to the man !
employers land 1t amounts {
n the aggregate to SI4. 900, ,o0o, or
. per cent. on their aggregate cap
tai OF $4,000, 900.
The capital inve sted in farming in
Kansas ls. as we have seen. S235,-
90, 900. the number Of faroi work 9
RS IS co6. 900. and the entire crop is :
worth $4,000, 600. Estimating The i
wing OF each worker AT the IoN price :
t $500 i wear. and we have a total /
Or the 2oo, 900 persons OF Sa4I, ,2oo.- (
90 which, taken from the tolal crop L
alue (a52, 900. ooo) leaves SIo,Soo.- :.
90. This Is The whole pct profit of II
Kansas farmers for one v.-s,r. and Is +
My about + IL per cent. on their RI
,tai capital of S235. .ooo, 900. a =,
Mr.. Blaine thinks it verv fire c
ing to tax the meagre 4 II per !,
ent- profits of Kansas farmers to a
astain the IS per CENT. profits nt =