St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-08

his SHOWS That barley brought sub
stantialiy The same price i'll the two
years preceding the Mckinlaw law that
it brought in The two Years after that
law. Although Mckinley more than
doubled the lax Oh barley, he did not
permanently affect its market price. 1t
was the prevailing opinion of those
people who relied upon McKinley's
prophecies that the passage of his law
would create a marked and permanent
advance in The price of barley. To some
extent, and for Il short time, his predic-
lions seemed to be realized. There was
brief squirt" in prices-a spasm of
speculation which sent barley up a few
cents. But its force was soon spent,
and barley has since retained subStan-
TALLY the same price it had before the
Mckinley law, when the tariff was S.44
per cent lower than it is i'll the new law.
The point | make Is that it is within the
knoWlege and experience of every intel
ligent farmer that Mckinley'S increased
tariff had no permanent effect upon the
barley market.
Barley is mainly consumed in the
form or beer. Joel. The best barley
makes the best beer. There has gro wn
up with us an enormous, but since the
Mckinley law, a decreasing export
trade in beer. We send it TO every
Is established all around the globe.
Only the best quality of beer is export
ed. In order to maintain this export
trade, i'll order to maintain the reputa.
ton and grade of their beers. it is nee.
eSSary for our brewers to use only the
best quality of barley. The crop in the
United States is always precarlous
crop. A slight rain, a little dew dis
titled in the night, will often discolor
| and deteriorate the quality of the crop.
Our Beer Sent Everywhere
And yet, IN bushels, the crop may
be amply sufficient for all purposes.
We rarely produce sufficient barley of
the best quality to meet the demands
of our brewers. In order to maintain
the standard of their best beers they
are compelled to import large quantities
, OF barley. mainly from Canada. Ii you
will examine the statistics you will see
| that the largest importationS have been
III the years when we had not snort
crop, but poor crop--poor in quality.
| You will also find that the price paid
for this imported barley at the place
where it was purchased Gin Canada
usually was just about the same price
that the best quality then brought in our
own markets. In 1898 the average value
OF the barley imported exclusive of
! duty) was 46 cents. the market price of
the same quality of barley in our own
market that year. The brewers i'm.
ported it and paid the duty upon it be-
cause they must have it, and it could
not be had IN our own markets.
The prosperity of the barley producer
is directly dependent upon the prosper
ity of the barley user. Strike down the
brewerieS of this country and you prac-
tlcally destroy its barley market. Their
prosperity depends upon their ability to
maintain the standard of their beers,
and for this they must have the very
| best quality of barley. If by a high or
prohibitorystariff you render it difficult
or impossible for them to procure that
| quality elsewhere when we have it not
at home, you embarrass and curtail
their business, and by so doing diminish
their purchasing powers in the markets
where our barley is sold.
| do not believe in the policy of OBJ
structing the prosperity OF those who
trade with us. have no sympathy with
that cannibalistic protectionism which
teaches the unwholeSome doctrine that
the seller thriveS by the ruinatIon of the
buyer.
AS TO Future Liquidation.
| Barley, as l am informed, is now
bringing in our markets about the same
| prices the same quality brought in 1883
and 1889, before, and in 1892 and 1898,
after, the Nc Kinley law. That law did
not increase its price, but the Wilson
law not only has maintained the price
OF barley. but it has given to it a
much greater purchasing power than it
has had for many years past. A bushel
of barley is worth more to the farmer.
because it will buy more OF the things
he uses than at any time in the past
thirty years. Our new tariff will not
in my Judgment, raise the price of
either barley or wheat, but it will in
crease the value of both, because it has
reduced the prices of the things pur-
chased by both.
| shall probably again recur to the
subject of barley before am through
with your questions.
And. now. having thus crudely, but
frankly and as fully as my limited space
and time will permit, answered sons Of
your questions, allow me to remind you
that you have not as yet answered one
of mine. Those which ask relate to
future legislation. Every subject re-
ferred to In them will Internationally
be directly before the next congress for
consideration, and probably In tho form