The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-03-09
AN ANTI-FARMER ADMINISTRA-
TON.

Between the devil and the deep sea,
or between Mills and big-headed Villas,
the farmers and seed growers of the
Northern States can have but little
choice. Villas in his postal treaty was
badly over reached bv the far more
brainy Kanuck, whose Canadian con-
stituents can send their garden seeds to
American consumers at just one-third
the postage the American scotsman can.
By the terms of this convention each
country's mail is to be carried through
and distributed In the various sections
at the rates which are the domestic
rates of each country without the pay
ment of anything additional to bring the
rate up. This convention affected the
matter of seeds quite materially. By
the American postal rates it costs II
cents per pound to send seeds through
the mails. The Canadian rate Is but
cents per pound. The result is the Ca
madam seed growers can ship their seeds
in here tor 4 cents per pound, while it
costs II cents per pound for seed grow
ers in this country to get their products
to consumers within their own limit. 1t
is said that one enterprising firm has
found out that it can ship its seeds to
Canada, pay the tariff there, and re-ship
them to this country under the Cana
dian postal laws, and get them to its
customers at a less price than if shipped
directly to them.
Mills tariff bill is equally hostile to
the farmer of the Northwest; is cum
nIngly drawn to place them on level
with the Queens subjects in Canada.
The deceptive characters of the bill
crop out in all parts of the ought to be
Inflated document and evidently were
intended to deceive. Take, for instance,
the chemical schedule which, in the ex-
listing law was intended for seeds and
vegetables which are edible. In the new
bill the words mot edible" are stricken
out. The result Is that under the con-
struction of this law which the trade
would be certain to give, all oats, rye,
barley, wheat, and every cereal pro-
duct can come in from Canada free.
The words mot specially provided
for" are also omitted, as we'll as the
words mot edible" 80 that there can
be no doubt that this provision of the
schedule admits Canadian cereals free
OF duty and is another vital blow to the
farmers all along the border, especially
In the cereal-producing States of the
Northwest. The farmers of Minnesota,
Iowa. and Illinois, for instance, are thus
not only to have the duty stricken of
the growing industry of fax, but of oats,
rye, barley. wheat. corn, and wool. The
bill goes further than this and makes
everything that is raised on farm that
is edible, duty free, from hens egg to
a beef creature. The provision under
which beef is to be imported free OF
duty is hid in the vague phrase "meats,
game and poultry" which occurs in one
of the clauses of the free list.
The members of the senate finance
committee who have gone over the bill
and carefully compared it with the ex-
listing schedules say that it will let in
beef free. But the Democrats of the
ways and means committee pretend
that they don't know whether the reduc-
tons in the customs rate will result in a
decrease of revenue.
A careful analysis of the bill will show
that the rates on sugar are inaccurate
and deceptive. Calculating the sugar as
graded and estimated as last year on the
Mills basis will show an apparent de-
crease of $1l SOC, 600, but with the same
increased rate of consumption as last
year, which is ommitted in Mills COM
putation, and the decrease would be
only about $5,0OO,OO0. AS the Spanish
nation levies import duties on all sugars
exported from Spanish ports this would
swell the Spanish not the American sur
plus. Mr.. Mills makes no change on
any grade of molasses below FIVE pounds
which leaves all the lower grades mostly
used by the poorer classes as they now
stand. That's only an evidence of the
hollowness of Democratic professions of
love for the poor. Mills tariff bill like
Villas postal treaty seems peculiarly and
specially calculated to benefit English
subjects, English tinplate trusts and the
Spanish treasury at the expense of the
Northern and Western farmer.