River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-07-12
THE FARMER SLAUGHTERED.
rariff deductions Favoring Foreign Conn
petftors.

Tariff deductions Favoring Foreign Conn
petitors.
The senate has approved the arri-
cultural scheduit of the Wilson bill, as
reported by the finance committee;
and the American farmer has been
ruthless,y slaughtered by the very bill
which extends favors to the trusts and
combines.
Reducing all specific duties to an ad
valoren basis, in order that compar-
ison may be made between specific
duties, in which the Mckinley law
abounds, and ad valorem duties which
are proportionatelya as numerous in the
Wilson bill. the extent of the slaugh-
ter is revealed.
On all animals including horses,
mules, cattle, hogs and sheep, heavy
reductions in the tariff duties have
been made. Mckinley rates on horses
ranged from 80 to 80 per cent; Wilson
rates are 20 per cent Mckinley
rates on cattle ranged from 12 to SO
per cent; Wilson rates are 20 per cent
Duties on sheep have been reduced
slightly TO 90 per cent, although wool
is admitted free of duty by the Wilson
bill
In breadstuffs the Wilson reduction
Is equally pronounced. In the case of
barley, the change is from 65 TO 80 per
cent, although barley malt. In the in
terest of the maltSters. is increased
from SO to 40, and manufactured bar
ley. pearled or hulled, Is also increased
from i6 to 80. Buckwheat Is reduced
o. M
%; corn meal from 25 to 90; macaroni
from 80 to 90; oats from SO to 90; oat-
meal from is to IS. While the moder-
ate protection of the Mckinley law on
these northern products is reduced, in
the case of the enormous duties on
South Carolina and Louisiana, amount
ing to lie per cent on the cleaned
article, the reduction is moderate and
leaves the duty at 81 per cent. TN
cleaned rice is reduced from "a TO 40
per cent, but manufactured rice is
left unchanged. Rye also is left nm
changed, doubtless through the
whisky interests influence, while rye
flour receives one of the few increases
from to 20 per cent. Wheat is prac-
tically unchanged, but wheat -four is
reduced from 5 to 20 per cent.
All dairy products are cut-butter
from 90 to 20 per cent; cheese from 40
to 25 condensed milk from "a to %.
Likewise vegetables are reduced
beans from IS TO Al per cent; prepared
pease, beans and mushrooms from 40
to 80: hay from 43 to 20; honey from As
to 20; hops from 80 u 20; onions from
- sa1
slightly increased; bu5 potatoes are re-
duced from 50 to 80; linseed and flax
seed from % to 10; all vegetables not
especially provided for from as to 80.
Wool of all grades, in another sched-
ule. is placed upon the free list. In
still another schedule the duty on flax
is cut ~ two.
The duty on grapes isleft practically
unchanged, but plums are reduced
from a. to 80 per cent; raisins from 81
to 30: apples from "a to 20; dried APP
plies from AZ to 20; live poultry from 32
to 20; dressed poultry from 81 to 90;
dandelion root from 40 TO 80: vinegar
from % to 90.
Taking the eutire agricultural sehed-
ule the reduction of duties averages
from 1892 per cent. to %. 3S per cent.
These reductions are rot in the in
terest of Amer lean farmers but rather
of their rivals and competitors prin-
cipally in Canada and also in Austria
la and other distant parts of the
world. 1t is not claimed that the
American farmers are not competent
10 produce all these articles which
have been enumerated in sufficient
supply to meet the American demand;
that they do not sell their products In
open competition with each other;
that they are organized in trusts or
combines TO impose upon consumers.
Indeed, the leading difficulty which
the farmers have experienced in their
treatment at the hands OF the tariff
smashers is that they are not organ
lied into trusts or combines. Lacking
organization and unable to offer in
ducements of the kind held out by the
sugar, whisky, lead and tobacco
trusts, they receive no favor at the
hands OF the tariff smashers, but are
ruthlessly exposed to increased compe.
tition with their foreign competitors
who have the advantage of cheaper
farm labor. The reductions OF duties
in the agricultural schedule are of
serious import not only to farmers but
to farm laborers. They mean in
creased importations of the products
of foreigu farms and lower prices for
American farm products, lower wages
for American farm laborers and low
cred profits for American farmers
Albany Journal