The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-07-06
Potatoes and Projections.

Hhdef the republican poltE, hai never
been encroached upon"
Potatoes and Protection.
The Inter Ocean prints some very inter
e>ting facts in regard to the potat" in
dustry in Wisconsin. and points out the
effect the Wilson bill would have upon
the market should that measure become
a law. Among the interesting facts pre-
sented are the following, sent from Wau
paca:
In the whole state of Wisconsin they
raise 1000. 900 bushels of potatoes and
o,OOO.OOO bushels are grown here in this
sandy potato patch. There were $500
carloads. or 100000 bushels. of potatoes
shipped from Waupaca alone last year,
about 1000 carloads from Plantield. 500
from Scandinavia. and in all 5000 car
loads from this potato district. which IS
forty miles long and twenty miles wide.
This year il is estimated that the ship
ments will reach 10000 carloads. AMI the
crop will be worth something more than
81. OOO.OOO if the Democratic Congress
does not try to give the potato market in
America to Ireland and Scotland.
The Mckinley law placed !. duty OF
- cents a bushel on potatoes, and the
Wilson bill cuts il to 10 cents. The old
tariff before the Mckinley law was ID
cents Il bushel
1T was found that the old law did not
enable Western potato growers 10 com
pete with those III Scotland and Ireland.
for the freight from Wisconsin points to
New York is 26 cents a bushel. and the
Scotch and Irish growers are able u ship
their crops as ballast on ships coming I"
New York at 10 cents 100. or 6 cents
bushel This enabled them To put po-
tatoes in the American market at Il
cents for freight and tariff, while the
Western growers had to pay 26 cents.
The I'ifty-tirst Congress increased the
duty TO - cents a bushel. 50 as 70 give
the advantage in the New York market
to the American growers.
The Wilson bill places the duty at
| 10 cents bushel. and under 1t the Scotch
and Irish growers would be able
| to put their potatoes in New York Al Il
cost Of 16 cents a bushe. or 10 cents less
than it costs the Wisconsin growers -
1 get into the same market This Will not
strike the Wisconsin growers directly. for
their potatoes go to Chicago. But it will
drive the Michigan growers from the
New York market To that ef Chicago to
enter into competition with the Niscon-
sin, Illinois and Iowa growers. That viii
have il tendency to bear the market and
reduce the price Of potatoes here at Wau
paca and other points in this section o1
Wisconsin, In 1893. under the Mckin
ley law, the Scotch and Irish growers
shipped 4 295. 900 bushels of potatoes int
this country and with a 1O-cent tariff III
stead Of 25-cent tariff they would mnl
tiply this shipment several times.
THE cultivation Of 3.OOO.OOO bushels o
potatoes has made that the principal busi
ness of Waupaca. The town has M
manufacturing, but the two banks o
the place in the winter of 1892 and 1S!):
paid out S1.25O.OOO to the farmers wh'
We're potato-growers
Nearly all these farmers started il
poor and had to mortgage their land
| srhny this industry .lhnnf twpnt
years ago i'll a small way. and those VIII
engaged in it prospered SO that other
followed their example. The mortgage
have been lifted from the farms. nev
houses and larger barns built. potat
warehouses and cellars prepared so as I
enable the farmers to hold their crops 70
! d winter or spring market. and potat
has become king in Waupaca county. !
sustains farmers. bankers and business 1
half a dozen small cities
THE potato has made fertile farms. ric
farmers. farmers who have retired on
competence and have moved to town {
, , educate their children. sustained banker!
general business, and two railroads tina
run this potato patch. 1t has also give
business to starch factory. and it wi
, continue to make rich farmers. If it onl
has the protection of the Mckinley Law
! But il the Democratic Congress is NOR
Y interested in reyiving the nationality {
: Ireland and Scotland than III preservin
9 the prosperity of America, and reduces tt
i duty on potatoes. the Tammany bosses (
e New York will again be able to eat Iris
potatoes and buy them cheaper than the
: now do those raised in America. III
Q Wisconsin potato growers are now ful
& persuaded that protection does protec
:. and that the American farmer has ju
q as much protection from the Mckinlt
II law as do the robber barons who are cor
II monty known as manufacturers. Thi
IS have learned that it pays the pota
j poor to eat potatoes and pay the mark
e price for them. as they have been dOil
o for many years past, but have not be-
r able to do this past winter congressm;
II Barnes, who represents the Eighth Co
N gressonal district, seems to be as unco
$, cerned about the potato growers rs he
II about the paper-makers at Appleton. |
se voted the Wilson bill straight. and tn
le strikes at the greatest manufacture
10 product Of his district. and also at t
9, greatest money crop that comes from I
farm and puts more than X2,oOO.OOO
II circulation among the farmers here in 0
Of small section every year. The pota
II men are Republicans because they wa
We the potato to have the protection Of I
ID American tariff rather than that OF I
4. green flag Of Ireland.
RI Mrs. T.. Il. Leland is the basso-tro
x bonist in the orchestra of the First Bs
OF tist Sunday school of Baltimore. She
at gan the study Of the instrument sol
II. time ago, partially for the benefit Of
nl health and she has not only made i ),
On cess Of it musically, but has impfoy
ri her health generally.
-, An ordinary locomotive is said to q,