Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-04-26
4 WORD TO FARMERS.
Secretary Rusk Sends Out a Circular
Letter.
he Discusses Agricultural Depression and
suggests Some Remedies-Farm
Must b. Prof-cted.

LcJlSI,
He Discusses Agricultural Depression and
Suggest Some Remedies Farmers
Must b. Protected.
Secretary Rusk has sent out to the farmersa
circular letter, in which he discusses agricul-
tural depression, its causes and possible rene
dies. He says much of the depression is due
to careless culture, want of business-line meth
DDS, too large bodies of land, the oppression of
mortgages the troubles arising from transpor-
tation, the Intervention of the middleman.
gambling in farm products by exchanges and
boards of trade, and the operations of trusts or
combinations He says that our imports of pro
ducts sold IN competition with those actually
produced on our own soil amount to nearly
$ll50OVioOo, and much more could be pro
duced on our own soil under favorable eondi-
tons He calls attention to the wonderful in
crease, totally disproportionate to our increase
In population, of our imports of agricultural
products. lnls50our imports of farm products
were forty million dollars; in 1889 $3.50 900 600
an increase Of nearly 900 per cent, while the
increase in population in the same period was
less than 800 per cent. Over 20 per cent of
our total exports are the direct products of the
soil. During the past decade, in which the
greatest increase in imports has taken place,
there has been a steady decrease in the prices
OF homegrown products. The reason for this
he traces to the competition Of the pauper
labor of Europe with our own. The price of
our wheat, of which we grow q surplus is
forced down by competition with Russia and
India, and regulates the price of the entire
crop Farmers have 10 use their corn, for
which there san insignificant foreign demand.
for fattening cattle and hogs
lie continues: "The foreign market for live
cattle which exists in Great Britain is so ham
pered by the oppressive regulations requiring
slaughter at point of landing, as to exercise
little or no beneficial influence on the price of
his product, while the obstructive measures
adopted by several of the Continental eoun-
tries IN regard TO American pork has reduced
the exports of that product since 1881 over
forty per cent. annually. Under such cireum-
stances there can be but one cause assignable
for the neglect by American farmers to turn
their attention 70 other. crops in the line of
such agricultural products as we now import,
and that y that in this they would meet an
even more overwhelming and disastrous COM
petition than they are now confronted with in
the raising of cereals and live stock. The only
course possible 10 enlightened craftsmanship
is to assure to the farmer ADEQUATE protection
In the diversi6cation of his crops and produc.
ton of larger proportion of the articles which
we now import.
These may be summarized as follows; the
figures given being for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1883, and the values those at the ports
OF exports: Sugar and molasses, %, sol ,Soi ami
mails and their products, except wool 1928.
Ola; tibeTs animals and vegetables So 1853 1886;
miscellaneous, including breadstufis, fruits,
hay. hops, oils, rice, seed, tobacco, vegetables
and wines etc, a 1854, S94.
For obvious reasons | omit any reference
here to the ninety millions expended for tea,
coffee and cocoa, but emitting these, we have
still the enormous sum Of 1886, 273, 73S imports
f,f
of which, amounting probably to not less than
z40 or $50 millions, could with proper eneour
agement, be produced on our own soil. Self.
interest demands that we should afford him the
benefits of home market for all that he may
be able TO produce on our soil. This includes
all the sugar and molasses, all animal pro.
ducts, WOOL silk, flax and other fbres, all our
breadstufs, fruits, hay hops, rice, tobacco
vegetables and Wines but many of these things
will never, can never be produced on Ameri-
can soil in competition with the labor Of Euro.
pean nations, especially when, as in the case Of
sugar, the industry abroad has been helped hy
liberal government bonuties.
COMPETITION or OUR OWN SOIL.
OF the seven or eight million dollars worth
of live animals imported into this country, the
greater proportion were Of ordinary maTketa-
bic stock. contra-distinguished from pure
bred stock imported for breeding purposes and
admitted free. OF all other animal products
including wool, there is not one that is not now
being raised upon orr own soil, aud yet in
GLIDING wool and hides the imports Of these
animal products amounted in the year referred
to, to over sixty million dollars; to this add
twenty millions for fruits, eight million for
barley over two millions for hay and hops,
three and a-half millions for rice eleven mil
lions for tobacco, three millions for oils. two
and one-half millions worth Of vegetables the
same for eggs, over million dollars worth of
eheese-these represent some Of the imports,
aggregating nearly one hundred and fifteen
million dollars, which, in spite Of the produc-
tiveness of our own soil, are brought into this
country and sold in competition with our far
mers.
FOREIGN MARKETS.
If there are products grown TO better ndyan-
tage in other countries, remission of duty on
which would seem TO be in the interest of
large portion of our population such renis-
sions should only be accorded as the result Of
reciprocal concession in the way of a remis-
sion Of duties by such other countries ON pro-
ducts more readily grown there. Many Of those
countries which would be specially benefited
by remission Of the duty on sugar by our gov
eminent, would afford an excellent market for
our breadstuffs and dairy and meat products,
were IT not for the high duties imposed thereon
by them. So with other products, and when
ever duty on such products is lowered or re-
moved and protection to our farmers thus d.
unfinished, it should be as the price Of conces-
sions mnde to us in the taTiffof other countries
in favor Of our own farm products Ia this way
and in this way only can our farmers be
adequately protected, new markets being thus
thrown open to them for those products which
they can most easily and cheaply produce
TO farmers producing, as do ours, a vast sur
plus Of agricultural products, the question Of
foreign markets is and should be deeply inter-
esting. Not only do they offer an outlet for
n
restrictions and uncontrolled DENOMINATIONS
such as | have referred to elsewhere, they
serve as useful checks upon those who might
otherwise succeed in controlling our home mar.
kets. Unfortunately, irksome restrictions do
exist, and especially is this the case With ref
erence TO our live stock industry. Evidence il
not wanting that demand exists in Great
Britain for our live stock and but for the ep-
pressive restrictions imposed by the British
government, and said 10 be necessary owing to
the alleged existence of contagious disease
among American cattle, there is little doubt
but large proportion Of our product Of live
cattle would find there q profitable market
thus greatly relieving our home markets SO
with our pork products oppressed BY the en-
bargoes placed upon them by certain European
powers, with the result Of an enormous de-
crease during the past SIX years in our exports
of bacon and hams; for whereas these exports
in 1879, 1880 and 1881 average about 7f5 CO.,
OOO pounds, they had fallen IN 1873 20 less than
400000000 and until last year never exceeded
42o000O0o. The effect Of this has naturally
been to greatly restrict competition among pur-
ehasers, and 10 seriously depress the price Of
our hogs.
"The national government owes il to the farm
ing and eattle-growiHg community that no ef-
forts shall be spared to secure q removal Of
those restrictions upon our live stock and meat
trade. We must maintain absolute and e.
feient control Of cattle diseases, and pursue
with the utmost energy the course which has
resulted to-day in the almost complete extirpa-
tion from American soil OF the most dreaded
disease Of all, contagious pleuro- pneumonia.
As 10 our meat products can see but one way
to accomplish the desired results, and that i
by the enactment of thoroughly efieientmeat
inspection law.
The Secretary thinks our system Of taxation
also needs improvement in certain directions.
He calls upon the farmers to stsnd firmly to-
gether, demand their rights and resist all en-