The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-06-28
THE FARMER SLAUGHTERED.
Tarin Reductions Fsvoring Foreign Conn
 petitors.

Tarin Reductions Favoring corehBh to"-
 petitors.
 The senate has approved the agri- cultural schedule of the Wilson bill, as reported by the finance committed; and the American farmer has bcen ruthlessly slaughtered by the vary bill which extends favors to the trusts and combines.
 Reducing all specific duties to an ad valorem basis in order that compar- ison may be made between specific duties, in which the Mckinley law abounds, and ad valorem duties which are approximately as numerous in the Wilson bill, the extent of the slau2h- 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 30 to 93 per cent; Wilson rates are 20 per cent. Mckinley rates on cattle ranged from 12 to 6S per cent; Wilson rates are 20 per cent. Duties on sheep have been reduced slightly to 20 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 05 to 90 per cent, although barley malt, in the in- terest of the maltsters, Is increased from 36 to 40, and manufactured bar Joy, pearled or hulled, is also increased from 1C to 90. Buckwheat is reduced from 37 to 20 per cent; corn from 22 to 20; corn meal from 25 to 20; macaroni from 39 to 20; oats from 36 to 20; oat- meal from Is to 15. 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 112 per cent on the cleaned article, the reduction is moderate and leaves the duty at S4 per cent. Un- cleaned rice is reduced from GA to 49 per cent, but manufactured rice is left unchanged. Rye also is left un- ,langed, doubtless through the whisky interests influence, while rye a0ur receives one of the few increases from 5 to 20 per cent. Wheat is prac- tically unchanged, but wheat fonr is reduced from 25 to 20 per cent.
 All dairy products are cut-0utter from 22 to 20 per cent; cheese from 43 to 25; condensed milk from 34 to 23.
 Likewise vegetables are reduced beans from G5 to fl per cent; prepared pease, beans and mushrooms from 40 to 30; hay from 43 to 20; honey from 45 to 20; hops from 3G to 20; onions from S1 to 20; pease, both dried and split, are slightly increased; but potatoes are re- duced from 52 to 30; linseed and flax seed from 23 to 16; all vegetables not especially provided for from 45 to 30.
 Wool of all grades, in another sched- ule, is placed upon the free list. In still another schedule the duty on flax is cut in two.
 The duty on grapes is left practically unchanged, but plums are reduced from A to 30 per cent; raisins from 52 to 30: apples from 34 to 20; dried ap- ples from 42 to 20; live poultry from 32 to 20; dressed poultry from 54 to 20; dandelion root from 40 to 30: vinegar from 27 to 20.
 Taking the entire agricultural sched- ule the reduction of duties averages from 3S. S2 per cent. to 22.3s per cent.
 These reductions are not in the in- terest of American farmers but rather of their rivals and competitors prin- cipally in Canada and also in Austra- lia and other distant parts of the world. It is not claimed that the American farmers are not competent to 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 iu their treatment at the hands of the tariff smashers is that they are not organ ized into trusts or combines. Lacking organization and unable to offer in ducenents 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 foreign farms and lower prices for American farm products, lower wages for American farm laborers and low cred profits for American farmers.- Albany Journal.
 DEMOCRATIC DEFICIENCY,