The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-09-07
Terse Tariff Talks.

Farmers compose the largest industry
of the country, and they have most in
teresI in equitable tax laws. They re-
ceive the smallest per cent. OF profit on
capital invested and the least reward
for labor of any legitimate industry Of
the land.
They are protected in the product of
their farms by the presen. tariff, and
that protection is not charged by the
Mills bill except as sugar and rice, on
which the tariff duties are reduced, and
as wool, hemp and fax, which are made
free in the interest of the msnufactur-
ers and consumers. and the cEief con-
sumers are farmers themselves.
The so-called sheep industry in Penn
sylvania does not average five sheep to
each farm in the State. and the entire
wool crop of our farmers is worth about
S1.250, 900. There is practically no
able bodied labor in sheep growing, and,
therefore, no labor to protect; and the
consumption of wooden goods in Penn
syivanIs amounts to about $50. .000, 600
per annum. the major part OF which is
consumed by farmers.
Free wool would, as testified before
Congress by experienced wooden manu-
facturers o. all parties, cheaper woolens
~ pei OCut- W CsJucumCIo duo ~
per cent. on the consumption OF woolens
in Pennsylvania would be about s12,
100000. The farmers alone pay more
than five times as much in needless
taxes on woolens as the value OF the en-
tire wool crop of the State aud the
wooi-growers as a class, exclusive of the
other wool consumers of Pennsylvanis,
would gain more in cheap woolens than
they would Lose by free wool. In point
of fact, the farmers of Pennsylvania are
overtaxing themselves by taxing WOOL
Everything of Importance that the
farmer uses on or about his farm and in
and about his house, is still subject to
high war taxes except tea aad coffee.
Everything he wears is taxed from 80
70 so per cent. every implement he
uses on his farm, from hand rake to q
threshing machine. Is highly taxed
everything used in his house, from q
broom or tackhammer to a stove, table
or piano, is highly taxed. His house is
lighted by from 60 20 100 per cent.
taxed glass he drinks from a 60 per
cent. taxed pitcher and q so per cent.
taxed goblet, and every implement of
tinware in his kitchen is highly taxed;
although not a ton of tin plate is pro-
duced in the country.
" uCu uc 5lc6l LOT MS DlOWS,
harrows, etc, he is the victim Of the
steeltrust that is created BY high war TAR
i'll duties when he writes a letter. he is
the victim Of the envelope trust that is
created by high war tariff duties when
he buys pair OF rubber shoes, he is the
victim of the ru bier trust that is created
by high war tariff duties when he buys
salt for his table or stock or to preserve
his meats, he is the victim of the salt
trust that is created by high war tariff
duties when he binds his wheat he is
the victim Of the cordage trust that is
created by high war tariff duties when
he bags his grain he Is the victim of the
lute trust that is created by high war
tariff duties when he bales his hay,
be is the victim OF the cotton-tie trust
that is created by high war tariff duties
when he builds or repairs his house,
barn or shed, he is the victim OF the
lumber trust that is created by high war
tariff duties il be buys oil to paint his
house, barn or fense, he is the victim of
the linseed oil trust that is created by
high war tariff duties. and so on indefi.
n:tely is he taxed by oppressive laws and
lawless trusts created and protected by
oppressive laws. until he is the mere
slave of banded and protected monopo-
lists.
The farmer wants legitimate labor
protected in our protective industries to
diversity our pursuits and consumers
but all taxes imposed upon the necessa-
ries of business and of life beyond the
actual protection of the wages OF labor
IL our shops and mills is extortion upon
the farmer and workingman aud all
laws which create and protect monopoly
trusts and combines, are oppressive on
all Legitimate labor. The present tariff
taxes are Al. 10 per cent. on the articles
taxed ; the Mills hill proposes to reduce
these taxes about per cent. leaving the
largest protection 10 industry ever be-
fore given except under the extreme
necessities OF war. There is no free
trade, nor the semblance of free tarde.
about reducing our tariff taxes to 40 per
cent. and there is no channel of industry
so largely interested in tax reduction as
the farmers OF Pennsylvania .-Phila.
Times