The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-30
VAIL FROM BROTHER HATCH
Agricultural Committee Shows How
Farmers Have Lost Under the Tariff.
Figures That Stun the Gntbinking lndiyid.
ual as ii He Had Been suddenly Struck
with Stuffed Club or Something.
Special to the rna,annpo.,, journal.

WASHINGTON. July 29.-The House COM
M ittee on agriculture to-day submitted its
report on tho resolution of Representative
Mckinney. of New Hampshire. requesting
the committee to report the effect upon
agriculture of the tariff law. Tho report
says that In pursuit. of these inquiries the
committee has collected authentic facts
and statistics to show that agriculture.
under existing and previous tariff laws.
has had equal privileges and favors with
other interests, and under the stimulus of
governments patronage it has made corre-
spending progress Careful comparison,
the report says. shows that there has been a
steady decline in the price of farm property
and products under the several tariffs
in force since the war. Under the last
tariff law of 1S48 agriculture enjoyed its
greatest prosperity. and q comparison OF
values of farm property and products shows
that the more restrictive and prohibitive
has been the trade with other countries
which would consume our surplus the worse
haveaRriculturists Jared. The report givesa
table showing the decrease in vnlue of
farm lands In the United States from 1870
to 1890, which is fixed ut So5J,O0O.OOO, and
also the decrease In the value OF farm
prOuuOt6 TOT q period OF 81 gnCeon years
from 1910 to 1883 of SIS, 100000.
JUMPS on THE FACToRIEs.
A table showing the large increase and
profit of tho banking business as cleaned
from official sources is given. A semi-otli-
cial statement places the amount invested
in manufactures III 1890 ut $4,000, geo,
and estimates tho annual product at S.
6o0,OOO.0Oo. The amount invested in $50
was So 775. ALP. 345 and the product of the
same year amounted to S5,5 1886. $50.
This shows % per cent. increase on the
amount invested and 20 per cent. in the
amount of the products While the crops
have Increased in volume. continues the
report. the depression OF prices has stripped
the business OF all profit In tho case of
some cereals the crop being almost doubled.
while the aggregate value was but slightly
increased. In others the large Increase has
been attended by u decrease IN prices,
which nettod the growers even less than
tho smaller crops. Between the wears 1881
and 1s9. the increase in the corn crop was
9G5. 15S.UO0 bushels. and the increase in
value was S76.gG7.06S The increase in the
crop of wheat WAS Us 499.9 bushels. and
the increased value $5j. 592, 2S4. Oats-ln-
crease IN crop. 32l .Sl3,U0U bushels: increase
in value. SSp, l13, 37. Barley-Iucrease IN
crop, %. 722. go bushels; increase in price.
s.. 500. SIG. Buck wheat-Increase In crop.
2, SIS. roo bushels; decrease in value. S517. U5o.
port contends that the tariff imposed upon
it has been of no practical benefit TO the
producers and citee another authority
the Home Market Club OF BosUon-which
club admits thnt from 1881 To 1887 prices
of wool in foreign markets ranged from
To 10 cents per pound higher than in Amer
lean markets., on account of tho increased
amount used In manufactures abroad.
DENOUNCEs RECIPROCITY.
The result of tho prohibitive tariff Mr..
Hatch said, has been to prejudice Euro
pean nations. our best buyers against the
United States. and in the retaliation whloh
followed agriculture was dealt an ire
parable injury. The American farmer is
now compelled to 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 So n month. Pie scheme OF rtci-
procity he denounced as a fiimsy and bold
attempt to deceive the farmers.
Representative White, of Iowa. mem.
Der OF the committee, prepared paper to
accompany the views of the majority. In
this report Mr.. White says there IL prob
ably no class of our citizens who are so
thoroughly handicapped by the protective
system in the prosecution OF their business
as the farmers of the Mississippi valley
who are engaged In the raising OF hogs and
cattle.
Representative Funston. of Kansas. pre-
sented report containing the views of the
minority of the committee. This report
says the fact that Democrats IN the
House. having o majority over the
Repu blIcans of 153. are about to
adjonrn without having made any
effort to repeal the Mckinley tariff laws,
| should settle the question AS to whether or
| not. In the opinion of the majority Of the
| House. the law 10 wrong and oppressive.
The minority report racites the benefits of
| reciprocity and asserts that the statement
| that farms have SHRINK in value Is a mat
| ter OF mere assertion for which there 10 no
| data. The minority says il has carefully
considered the condition Of the farmer
under the tariff laws of 1883 aud 1890. and
| finds that I'm no other age. In no other
| country and in no other time in this
| country has there been II law pasbed of an
| econ omic character in which the interests
| of any class of persons wore more care
| fully guarded than those of tho farmer
| were In the tariff law OF 1890.