The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-07-18

dotted with the wool clip of Europe, and
the imported article would soon equal the
home Professionalism the price of wool
will be only one.half of what it now is.
Can farmers afford to raise wool for one
half the present price Let them answer
Take potatoes, The exports amount to
but one.third of one per cent, almost
nothing. This again shows that the home
demand is as great as the homo supply,
then the prices will advance. But sup
pose the supply becomes double the de-
mand by the importation of foreign po.
tatoes free Of duty, must not the prices
fall 10 one-half the present rates? Can
farmers afford to raise potatoes for one.
half the prices they have been bringing
for the last three or four years?
Take hay. Only one twenty. of
one per cent. is exported. The supply
only equals the demand. If from those
sunny chimes Of Europe, Asia aud Africa,
where labor is cheap, and grass grows
luxuriantly and hay is plenty, tho foreign
article Is brought here In great quantities,
must not the price declinep From the
amount OF labor repaired, the high wages
paid, the cost of tilling and feitilizing
the land, can farmers afford to raise hay
for one-half the present prices ?
Take oheat. About go per cent. of the
crop is retained for home consumption.
Over 40 per cent. Is exported. We raise
then nearly twice as much wheat as we
need. The supply is greater than the de-
mand. The price, consequently, must be
lower than when supply aud demand are
equal. But IL the foreign demand is great
then prices will go up, and every bushel
here will be spared that the farmer can
spare, and the result will DO the same as
If the supply here only equaled the de-
mand, or was less than the demand, viz:
good prices We muet have market for
our surplus wheat. There are countries
that do not and cannot raise enough for
their own supply. They must import
from other wheat growing countries. But
suppose that Russia with it's vast tracts
OF land where the soil is almost of mex
haustible fertility, and where all the
cereals (not only wheat, but rye, barley,
oats, buckwheht, corn and potatoes), are
produced 10 such abundance as not only
to meet the home consumption, hut leave
large surplus for export, should supply
these nations. and still having large
surplus left, she puts II upon the Ameri-
can market. This, together with our own
surplus, will so glut the market that
wheat will become exceedingly cheap.
Russian wheat being admitted free, and
the American market being still better
than the European, how long will it take
before wheat will be worth fifty cents q
bushel or less? Taking into consideration
the amount Of labor and expense to Sc
cure the wheat for market, the small aver
age yield even under the best cultivation,
can farmers afford to raise wheat for less
than q dollar q bushel? Is there any
money in 1t ? How then can they afford to
compete with Russia and keep themselves
from bankruptcy?
There Is but one way to avert this
catastrophe and that Is TO protect home
industries. This is an agricultural coun.
try and for some generations to come
must continue to be such. Until it is
over populated like some Of the foreign
countries, our agricultural products will
be largely in excess Of the demand. For
this surplus we must find a market, or
stagnation of business will follow. II we
must compete with foreign nations and
they be allowed free entrance with their
goods, they can always undersell us, and
our farming industries will be paralyzed.
Can any farmer be blind as to what Is for
his best interests and highest prosperitys
PRoTEcT HOME INDUSTRIES
Wages, To the laboring man this Is a
very important item. He wants to get
the maximum of wages for the minimum
Of work, whilst his employer wishes to
secure the maximum Of work for the
minimum Of wages. Let us compare some
foreign countries with the U. s. Take
the year 1884. For weekly wages, black
smiths received In Austria, 1918; In
France, 5.si; in Germany, 400; In Great
Britain, 1857; In United States, 400.
BrickIayers for same countries respective
ly: 1856; STA; All; z56; 20 90. Car
psnters, $40; $40; All; 1855; 1900.
Farm laborers, 8 so; $40; 800; 400;
500. You will see from these prices that
the laboring men Of The L. s. received
from two to TIRES times the wages Of the
same class Of people 10 these foreign coun-
tries.
Now, 10 order to know whether these