Middletown transcript., 1892-09-08
THE TARIFF AND THE FRUIT
GROWER.
JAS. A. b. DILwoRTH.

What possible benefit can the
farmers and farmworkers of the Della
ware and Maryland Peninsula derive
from the protective duties on green
and dried fruit. l shall not attempt
to ennumerate these duties. I simply
set forth the fact, that the protection
ist friend of the Delaware and Mary
land fruit grower, did not overlook
them in the preparation of that won
derful tariff schedule, known as the
a" Mckinley Bill" What benefit I
ask, can possibly accrue to the farmer
from such protection. They are pro-
ducers of peaches or have been in the
years past. With the exception of the
small fruits, the peach is the only
fruit that it has been possible for
them to cultivate at a profit. The
great bulk of the peaches produced
by them, must of necessity be dispos-
ed of by them in their raw and ripe
condition. Of course if, by law, no
other fruit could be sold in the mark
ct of this country during the season
when peaches were ripe, it is possible
that more peaches would be demand-
ed than otherwise would be the case.
That proposition of course is an abb
surdity. The market is well sup
piled with all the various fruits that
are ripe and marketable, during the
ripening season of the peaches. And
only those people who prefer peaches
to other fruit, purchase peaches.
This fortunately, for the Delaware and
Maryland fruit grower, constitutes a
very large percentage of fruit eaters.
But that which regulates the price at
which the Delaware and Maryland
peach grower sells his peaches, is
simply the supply and demand.
One year ago the Peninsula was
literally covered with peaches, and
growers who produced thousands of
baskets of this fruit wers unable to
dispose of it for much, if anything,
above the cost of picking and putting
it upon the market. Had there been
no other fruit in the market, he posi-
bly, might have received little high
or price for his fruit. No amount of
governmental protection however,
would have added one cent to the
gross receipts which the grower last
year received from his peaches.
This year, conditions are changed.
There has been an exceedingly light
crop of peaches produced upon the
Peninsula. with the result of giving
to those fortunate growers who had
peaches large profits.
The protective tariff has in no way
affected in either of these years, the
selling price of this fruit. strawber-
ries, blackberries and raspberries, are
largely grown on this Peninsula. In
fact, fruit growing is great industry
here. Can any man who grows a
peach or berry by any chain of reason
ing, convince himself that the proc
tective features of our American
Tariff System in any way affects the
prices at which these fruits can be
sold !? Certainly not.
But what is the immediate bearing
of the tariff upon these fruit growers ?
1t adds an item of extra cost to every
basket and every package used by
them in conveying this fruit to the
market. There is duty upon the
nails, the strips of tin, and upon the
hinges used in making these pack
ages. There is also a duty upon
wood, but | am not going to assert
that this wood duty, adds anything
to the value of the wood used in the
manufacture OF these conveyances for
there is too much wood on the Penin-
sula to be affected by the tariff, but
certainly the duty does effect the
selling price of the metal used in their
construction. 1t adds to the cost of