The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-09-19
How the Farmer is Plundered In the
Name Of Protection.

4NdAuO VI AVuCObkUu
We have received from Mr.. VIM. Pinkney
Hamilton, one of the proprietors of the New
York american Mail and Export Journal, {
letter concerning an editorial article in TIL.
4Egss of September 9th, in which it was
shown that manufacturers have two prices
for agricultural mplements-one price fol
the home trade and lower price for the for.
eign trade, the latter, in some cases, being
one-half the price charged the American
dealer.
We cheerfully note the alleged errors in
plains. He says:
In the first place, The american Nail and En-
port Journal is published in the interest OF
circulation in Mexico, Central and South
America, West Indies, Europe, Asia, Africa,
British North America, Australia, New Zeal
and, East Indies, China, Japan and the Sand
witch Islands. 1t Is not printed for home circu-
lation, although of course all advertisers or pro-
spectiye advertisers receive copy and 1t has
not special editions for special countries, but
ia printed in one edition for all countries, ex-
cepting that in our Spanish circulation, there
are four pages of editorial matter In the Span
ish language.
In the second place we do not publish prices
for Spanish countries only, but prices on
American goods for all countries, and these
prices are not for the consumer, but are for the
dealer and are prices for goods free on board in
New York. When these goods reach their for
eign destination, the cost of freight and the
profit for the wholesale and retail dealers must
be added, SO l am safe in saying that the for
eign consumer generally pays as much, If not
more, than the American consumer for the same
goods.
Mr.. Hamilton, it will be seen, does not dis
pute the quotations we gave of the relative
prices Of agricultural implements on board
ship and on board cars at New York or
Philadelphia. Ofcourse these prices are SUBJ
ject to discounts to dealers.
The point we maintain is this: If the
Ann Arbor Company can place an Advance
pillow on board ship in New York harbor
bound to South America for SO, why can
they not place similar implement on board
the cars at the same place for the same pricef
This is an interesting puzzle which farmers
are trying to solve. II strikes US that Mr..
Hamilton's explanation is an explanation
that does not explain.
Our New York friend argues in his letter
that one reason for the difference in the for
eign and the home price of American made
agricultural implements is that the American
manufacturer, when he sells to bis own
countrymen, is obliged to wait until the crops
are harvested before he can collect his mon
ey, while he gets cash for the goods he sells
abroad. This is scarcely good reason for
charging double price to the American far
mer, for if the manufacturer were willing to
sell his wares at home for cash at the same
price he sells them for abroad there could be
no ground for complaint, and there would be
no complaint
Again, Mr.. Hamilton says that the foreign
farmer, by the time freight charges, &C., are
added to the first cost of the goods, is COM
PEELED to pay as much for them as the Amer
lean farmer does. Thus the puzzle comes
back to the same old point, which is, that
there is no reason why the manufacturer
should favor the foreign dealer by selling
him goods at half price in New York
in order that he may not be COM
PEELED to pay more for them than the
American farmer pays. Il stands TO rea-
son that there is profit in the low price Of
fered to foreign dealers, otherwise the for
eign trade would be discontinued. Let the
offer their goods at home for
cash at the same prices they sell them to for
eigners and their sincerity will then be un-
doubted. Give the farmer a chance.
1t should not be forgotten that it is the
protection policy of the Republican party
our farmers.
Tin Cans Scarce.
Gamers say that while there is large to-
mato crop cans are high in price and difficult
to procure. In the beginning of the season
prices were low and the prospect in general
so unpromising that Gamers did not buy as
many cans as usual, thinking they could pro-
cure what they wanted in time for the pack.
The canmakers, also, acting upon the belief
that fewer cans would be needed failed to
make their usual supply. Under the stimu-
lus of promising crop of tomatoes num-
Der of factories were opened contrary to ex-
pectation and the demands of these still fur
Their decreased the supply of cans in the
hands of dealers. AS a consequence tin cans
are now scarce and prices are high, and it is
feared that for want of cans at fair price
thousands of bushels of tomatoes will be suf-
fered to rot on the ground.
A correspondent of the Baltimore Herald
says that some of the Gamers about Aber-
deem, unable to get cans, are shipping toma-
toes to Baltimore, placing them on the cars
at Aberdeen at fifteen cents bushel.
While the yield Of tomatoes is large, the
pack it is estimated, will not be more than
one-haf that Of last season, on account of
the scarcity of cans and the decreased acre.
age as compared with last year.
T.,