The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-30
FARMERSANDTHETARIFF
BATCH SUBMITS REPORT TO THE
HOUSE.

The Value of Farm Property and
Farm Products steadily Decreasing
Under Prohibitive Duties-The State
ment Backed Up By Figures-Funs-
ton Takes the Other Side.
WASHINGTON, July 9.-Representative
| Hatch, from the committee on agriculture,
to-day submitted to the House report
prepared by the committee on the effect of
the present tariff law upon agriculture,
which will doubtless sound the keynote in
the democratic national campaign. The
report says that careful comparison shows
that there has been steady decline in the
prices Of farm property and products under
the several tariffs in force since the war,
while in the corresponding period and under
the same laws other interests have been
more prosperous and remunera-
tive. The report insists that under
the law tariff of 1916 agriculture
enjoyed its greatest prosperity and holds
that the more restrictive and prohibitive
trade with other countries has been, the
worse has agriculture Jared. The result of
the prohibitive tariff has been to prejudice
European nations (our best buyers against
the United States, and in the retaliation
which followed agriculture was dealt an
irreparable injury. Tue American farmer
is now compelled 60 sell his products in
direct competition with the pauper and
slave labor OF Asia and Africa, labor which
manages to subsist on wages averaging less
than 50 per month.
A MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. Funston of Kansas presented the
minority report, which says the fact that
the democrats in the House have a majority
over the republicans of 1853. and are able to
adjourn without having made any effort to
repeal the Mckinley tariff law should settle
the question as to whether or not in the
opinion of the majority of the House the
law is wrong and oppressive. That the
agriculturist is having hard
time, the minority say. no one will dispute,
but we cannot look back to better times
nor half so good, excepting Of course, war
times Bearing on the subject OF mort
cages the minority deny that the large
mortgage indebtedness Of the west is the
result OF any special economic system, except
SO far as money had been made plentiful
and therefore easy to borrow.
COLD FIGURES CITED.
The report presents statistics, showing
the increase in the value of farm
lands in the United States between
1870 and 1880, and a decrease In the
value Of farm products from 1870 to 1888,
Notwithstanding the increased area under
CULTIVATION, ana by way or contrast gives
figures showing a large increase in the
banking capital and surplus from 1870 to
1891 and the increase in railroad and tele-
egraph earnings.
Dealing with the subjec of reciprocal trade
relations, the report says that perhaps the
fiimsiest and bJdest attempt to deceive the
farmers is the scheme of reciprocity as
meant to be put in force with Central and
South American countries. 1t argues that
nearly all these countries being agricultural
any reciprocal exchange with them cannot
be of advantage to American farmers.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIFFERENCE.
Our trade In wheat with countries with
| which it is not proposed to open reciprocal
| relations amounted during the ten months
| ended April 80, 1892, to more than 400 times
| as much as with those which it is proposed
TO place our agricultural products by this
| system OF reciprocity, so-called. The great
bulk OF agricultural exports now find a
market In Europe, Notwithstanding the
| policy OF the tariff is to break up all trade
with this country. II, says the report, it is
| meant to advance the interests of
agriculture by reciprocal arrangement
the best of sincerity would be to include
European countries in arrangement, these
| being natural consumers of agricultural
products. The report presents the follow
ing statement to show the increase in in
| debtedneSs on farms and homes in the states
named from 1880 to 1889: