The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-09
ONE LIEN.

AS sample of what the Mckinley bill
will do in small way we give an item in
relation 10 poultry. 1t is a small matter, but
it is something for persons who own small
tracts of land, and even homesteads in the
suburbs of the city, for 500, which almost
any person can make at the business. is
something to laboring people. The follow
ing extract is copied from the Fancie1S'
journal, published at San Jose:
A good deal is now being said for and against
Tie Mckinley bill lis effect upon one industry.
however, has not been much noticed. Perhaps
many OF our readers may be free-raders enough
to denounce even The clause in the bill which
protects the American hen.
But We Incline strongly to the side of our
native hens every time; or perhaps il is the
owner OF The hen that we favor and into whose
pocket the Mckinley bill indirectly puts good
many bright dollars How ana why? Well it
Is the Old story OF cheap European competition
lnjurng our home markets. In Continental
Europe eggs ale exceedingly cheap. They can
be bought in great quantities there for about B
cents dozen. Even at that price The country
people cannot afford 10 eat them. Ten years
ago some speculative merchants, seeing that
eggs sold In New York for 20 and % cents per
dozen wien they might be bought Tor cents in
Germany thought il would be bright idea 10
Import a few. They began in small way 10 in
troGuce foIeienad eggs into the American
markets. AT iitst the effect was not noticeable,
but it was a paying business and grew 10 b. a
big one very quickly. The import eggs were
net as good as the home laid unes. but they did
not cost so much. Cheap restaurants aud board
Lighthouses began to buy them. Even the cheap
eggs ftom lie " est could not compete with the
product OF the German hen. The trade grew TO
enormous siZe-16, 100000 dozen being I'M
ported in one season. Western eggs sought
~ Eat M Of ham of
them, in lacI-wefe sent 10 California, depressing
prices hsie. This was all right for those who
were not trying TO make a Iii lie money at pOul-
uy-keeping but 10 poultry breeders it was any
Thing but satisfactory, though many Of them did
not understand The cause OF the low prices and
markets glulted with stale but still salabe
cheap eggs. Instead OF diminishing The imports
kept on increasing. European peasants seemed
determine d TO supply us all with eggs ana make
poultry Keeping here an Improbable business.
Now, In steps the Mckinley bill aud imposes a
duty of cents a dozen on eggs. 3 cents
pound on live fowls, ana cents a pound on
dressed poultry. That will put an efectual
Quietus on the importing Of eggs aud poultry
from Europe. 1t was. all quibbling aside,
rapidly becoming simple question of whether
European or American poultry-keepers should
supply our markets with eggs and poultry. The
new tariff declares emphaticay in favor of
American breeders. and American breeders, We
suppose, know upon which side their bread Is
butteIed.
Large amounts of poultry and eggs, which
cannot be sold for a fair price in New York
and other EASTERN cities on account of those
markets being flooded with poultry from the
British provinces and eggs from Europe, are
sent to San Francisco to interfere with our
own products. Perhaps our friends of the
Ata California would like to have poultry
L.. L.
Valley instead of using those produced in
California