Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-05-03
ANALYZGD BY RUSE.
Causes of the Prevailing Agri.
cultural Depression.
Want of Business-Like Methods, Lack
Of Study of Laws of Supply
and Demand

OF high larih on lmPorts VI HaIm
Products.
WAsHINGToN, April 90. = Secretary
Rusk, in reply to hundreds of commune
cations from different sections of the
country appealing to him for an express
sion Of opinion respecting the present
condition Of agricultural depression, its
causes and remedies, has issued long
address to the farmers of the country.
The present agricultural depression,
universally admitted, and Of which
there can be no doubt, the Secretary
says. Aaan be traced tQa combination OF
causes-so many that probably no one
man can enumerate them all. The
causes which to the Secretary seem more
directly responsible for this depression
may be divided into two classes: Those
inherent in farmers themselves and for
which they alone can provide possible
remedy, and those over which the farm
or himself has no direct control and the
remedy for which must be provided by
law.
In tho first class of causes indicated.
he attributes depreciation Of the pro-
ductiye power OF land to variety OF
causes; to careless culture, want of busi'
ness-like methods, lack of study Of sup
ply and demand and market prices, and
the ownership by many Of more land
than they can properly care for After
alluding briefly to the discouraging eff
facts Of farn p,nrtrapac tho III tiicul tiaA
of the transportation question, gambling
in farm products, controlling combina-
tions and the depressing effect of the in
crease OF middlemen on the results OF
the farmers honest toll, Secretary Rusk
advancesa an argument in favor of higher
duties on agricultural products. One OF
the gravest causes for the present agri-
cultural depression, in the opinion OF
the Secretary, is lack Of protection for
the farmer
Few people, he says, realize that our
imports of agricul ural products-esti'
mat, d at prices paid by til consumer
aro about equal to our agricultural eX-
port estimated at prices paid to the
farmer, yet such is the case. Our inn
ports Of products so d in competition
with those actual y produced on our own
soil, amount to nearly $4,000 600 an
nually, and as much more could be pro-
duced on our own soil under avorable
conditions. Our imports of agricultural
products for the fiscal year ended June
80, 1889, aggregated S266,0O0 600, the far
greater part of which-perhaps S255,-
O0O, ,000-could, the Secretary thinks,
with proper encouragement, be pro-
duced on our own soil.
To protection the Secretary looks for
a remedy. "One glance" he says, ''at
the comparative rates of duty levied
upon agricultural as compared with
other products; one glance at the free
list, the greater portion of which con-
sists of agricultural products, either
grown or which could be grown upon
our own soil, and a comparison OF these
figures with the average rate of duty
levied upon manufactured articles,
ought to be sufficient to silence any op-
position to the demand have made on
behalf Of the American farmer in my
annual report that by wise
application of our protective system, all
the benefits of our home market be se-
cured to him for every thing he may be
able to produce"
Our system of taxation, the Secretary
thinks, demands improvement. At pres
ent, in many States, the burden of local
taxation presses heavily upon farm prop
erty. its very nature rendering it easily
assessable, Every corporation created
by the State, and to whom special privi'
loges are granted, eithcrby State, coun'
ty or Incorporated village or city, should
be taxed in proportion to its earnings.