Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-22
Protection 10 Farmers.

Petitions and memorials asking
Congress 10 accord the same protec-
ton TO those engaged in agricul-
ture that is given manufacturers
are being sent 10 Washington. One
memorial asks for duty OF half
cent pound on potatoes and onions,
fifteen cents q POUND on turniTs,
one half cent pound on cabbage
and sauercraut. five cents 4 dozen
on eggs, etc. Some bean growers in
New York want = specific duty OF
fifty cents bushel on beans. Com
plaint is made that the duty on
wheat and oats is So small that the
farmers get no benefit, and that il
should be- largely increased.
Il is astonishing, in view
of all that has been
laid and written, how profoundly
ignorant the masses are ON the ef-
feet OF tariff laws. There are grain
growers who really believe that q
duty Of fifty cents or one dollar q
bushel on wheat would make the
business profitable. a man OF any
intelligence knows that a tariff tax
on foreign xheat, whether small or
large, is no benefit to our farmers.
Ii might prevent the importation Of
wheat from Canada, bat this would
not benefit farmers on this
side of the line, because the
price on both sides is determined
in Liverpool, where both find
a market for their surplus.
What benefit accrues to the farmer
by imposing n duty Of twenty-five
cents 4 bushel on potatoes? We had
a duty Of fifteen cents, and three
years ago when there was general
failure OF tine potato crop, thousands
OF bushels were imported from HOl-
lard and Germany. The duty was
collected, but the only way that our
potato growers were affected was
that they were compelled TO buy
with the duty added 10 the price.
They had no potatoes TO sell, but
were purchasers \ duty of hlty
cents Iushel on beans might en-
able our bean raisers to get >
bushel for their crop, but rs beans
are consumed principally by the
poor, the tax would be levied mainly
upon wage earneTs for the benefit
of the bean growers. A duty of
five cents a dozen on eggs
to protect American hens from COM
petition with the pauper hens Of
other countries. To prevent Ger
many from flooding our country
with sauerkraut We must protect
our Dutch cabbage growers by i'm
posing 4 duty OF half cent a pound
on the imported luxury. Our far
mers ought to have learned long
ago that they are not benefited by
duty on agricultural products, and
they should give consideration to
the articles they buy and not to
Whist they sell as a means of saving
and a source OF profit. They should
concern themselves in getting the
tax of their farm implements, their
hardware and their clothing, instead
Of seeking the imposition Of tax
on wheat, potatoes, cabbage aud
eggs. If they couli combine aud
organize an egg, or bean, or kraui
trust, they might get under the shell
ter of the tariff law and rob their
countrymen, but unfortunately they
are two numerous and too widely
scattered to avail themselves OF this
thieving device. We wish that some
Of the farmers alliances which are
passing resolutions in favor OF n
tariff to protect farmers would for
mulate 4 schedule aud let Us publish
il in the Enquirer. We are sure it
would greatly interest our readers
CiacinRati Inquirer.