Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-08
THE TARIFF.
Its Influence on Agricul.
tural Pursuits.
EASTERN FARMERS OPINIONS.
1t is Generally Conceded That q
Revision is Necessary
Duties Proposed.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. |

New York, February T. Some
time ago the Tribune Of this city ir.
vited an expression and opinion by
individual farmers, agricultural socie.
ties and oranges, regarding the influ-
ence of the tariff upon agricultural
industry, and the changes in the
tariff desired by farmers. The result
was several thousand letters which the
Tribune submitted to a committee
OF which the Hon. Warner Miller of
New York was chairman, and the fol-
lowing, members: Cyrus G. Carpen-
ter, John T. Rich, w. G. Noise, Ed
ward Burrouh, j. D. Lyman, w. M.
Grosvenor, Hon. j. III. Hale, of Con-
necticut, and James Wilson, of Iowa.
This committee was charged with the
work of making up the consensus OF
the farmers of the country as shown
by the letters received. Its report il
signed by all except Hale and Will
son, the farmer having, however, ap-
proved of all the findings on which
the document is based. and the latter
being beyond reach in Texas or Mex
leo. The report will be published in
the Tribune tomorrow. 1t is accom-
panied by
THE FOLLOWING PETITION,
Which embodies tha findings of the
committee and which the farmers and
farmers organizations who favor its
propositions are requested to sig" and
transmit to Congress or to the Tribune
for forv arding. The petition is fort.e
more effectual protection of agricul-
ture, and reads:
To the Speaker of the House.
"The undersigned respectfully pray
that agriculture may be more effect,.-
ally protected by pre- venting fraudulent
Importation of cattle On the pretense
that they are for breeding only; by q
duty Of 20 cents per bushel on barley,
with a proportionate increase of the
duty on malt; by duties of rs cents per
bushel on potatoes and onions, 81 per
hundred on cabbage SO per ton on hay,
10 cents per pound on hops, 20 per
ce. on beans and peas, s cents per
dozen on eggs, 30 per cent on
fowls and poultry, and on veg
etables, in their natural state or
| in salt brine, not otherwise provided
for; with no removal or reduction OF
the duties ON market garden products
now dutiable by such increase; such
duties on fax and on wooden goods as
will efiectually encourage the separa-
ton of fibre and the manufacture ol
goods; by abolishing all duties on
sugar, with a bounty to home pro-
ducers; by preventing the importa-
ton of leaf tobacco suitable for wrap
pers at the duty imposed on other
leaf tobacco, and repeating all Internal
taxes on tobacco; by restoring to
wool growing the substantial protec-
tion enjoyed under the tariff Of 1867,
modified to meet the later forms OF
foreign competition and invasion"
THE REPORT PROPER
Is quite long, giving statistics as to
the manufacturing growth in the
United States during the past fifteen
years, and showing that protection
brought immigration and with it a
home market for agricultural pro-
ducts, which permitted the vast farm
development of the country. The
following excerpts give the spirit Of
what the committee found in the
letters. "a great quantity of these
letters express the conviction that the
tariff, Notwithstanding its defects and
omissions, has contributed powerfully
to the growth and welfare of agficul-
ture, though few are hostile or in
different. With scarcely an excep-
ton the letters received all point out
that the tariff should have directly de-
Tended the industries of farmers in
ways in which it has not. 1t should
shield them as completely as any
branch of manufacture from the
spasmodic and destructive competi-
ton which cheapness and degrade
ton of labor in other lands perm it's -
Two hundred and seventy nine OF
the 1926 farmers who refer to the duties
of sugar ask for abolition of the duties.
Fraudulent importation of cattle
for slaughter across the northern and
southern boundaries on pietenSe OF
breeding purposes should be effect
ually prevented. Last year $4,000
head were brought in from Mexico,
professedly for breeding, and many
more from Canada, though American
producers have for years been unable
to get living prices. Besides that
there were 73 900 head imported at the
low duty of 20 per cent. Over 49,
600 900 bushels of barley were inn
ported during the calendar year,
while in 1886 the home production
was $4,000, 900 bushels. The regions
in which barley may he most profita-
bly, grown have their prices fixed in a
great market which Canadian pro
ducers can reach by water, while
most of our own producers cannot
The duties on potatoes and market
garden products which can bt
brought here in ballast in almost un
Limited quantities, should be large
lenough to insure q fair defense for
the producers.
i RAILROAD PROG RESS.