The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-08-10
TARIFF REFORM.
How Il Will Affect the Potato.
Growers of Northeastern
MinnaS0ta

I1OW VIII Affect the Potato.
Growers of Northeastern
Minnesota.
The UNION begs leave to call
the attention Of MI. John latter
strvom, Of Spencer Brook, and other
potato-raising tariff-reformers, to
the extract from a letter, written
by a Chicago firm that deals ex-
.t'een1nsively in potato starch Of Amer
lean manufacture, to the president
OF the Princeton Potato Starch
Factory company, under date Of
July 10th. Mr.. Zatterstrom is
now connected with the st. Fran
CTS starch factory, and he will soon
have an opportunity Of exemplify-
ing the beauties of tariff reform.
II the duty is reduced to 20 per
cent. Gd valoru1a and foreign man
uftaacturers are enabled to lay down
starch in the Atlantic seaboard
cities at d cents per pound where
will the Minnesota starch factories
be at! A bushel Of good potatoes
will yield about 81 pounds of
starch, which at % cents per pound
amounts to oil cents. No starch
factory in Minnesota could afford
to pay Is cents per bushel for
potatoes, sell starch at d cents per
pound and live, and no farmer can
afford to raise potatoes for less
than Is cents per bushel. Gen.
Hancock was right when he said
that the tariff was a local issue.
Reduction of the duty on potatoes
and potato starch vitality affects
the farmers of the counties of Mile
Laos, Sherburne, Anoka, Isanti
and Chisago-potatoes have been
the mainstay of the farmers of
these counties in recent years.
Subjoined is the letter in question::
The tariff reform club is at pres
ent agitating throughout the east
ern States a revision of the present
tariff with a view to accomplish
wholesale reductions on certain
articles. Among the latter starch
and its products seem to have been
singled out for an unusually large
reduction, which if it we're pei
mitted to pass would be a fatal
blow to the home manufacture.
which is struggling now, hardly
able to compete against the potato
starch sent here so largely from
Germany, France and Austria.
Even with a duty of 2 cents per
pound this foreign make of starch
is constantly offered below the
price of that manufactured in
Maine, in the State of New York,
or throughout the western States.
1t is proposed to reduce the duty
from 2 cents per pound to 20 per
cent. 0d valorwm1. If the starch is
valued at 2 cents per pound in
Germany the duty would be 40
cents per 100 pounds. The aver
age freight rate from prominent
shipping points in the northwest
to eastern seaboard cities is about
40 cents per 100 pounds. The
ocean freight from European ports
to New or Boston is about ten
English shillings per gross ton, or
about 10 cents per 100 pounds.
How will the American manu-
~facturers of potato starch compete
against the foreign product when
the same can be landed from
abroad at % cents per pound or
less, when even at the ordinarily
low price of potatoes, starch costs
them more right at the factory. It
would simply mean c~onfiscation of
every potato starch factory in the
United States. The foreign man
ufacturers seem to understand the
situation and it is reported that
they are ready with generous con-
tributions Of money to assist the
proper Legislation. Large eastern
dealers and importers have pledged
their influence, etc., in support of
this movement, which has now the
best prospect of success unless the
Indifference of the American man
ufacturers gives way to energetic
action and prudent cooperation.
Signing for a Moses.
There never was more wide
spread dissatisfaction with the
times, "the good Democratic
times" Indignation meetings are
held on most every street corner
and Democracy is denounced.