The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-06-30
THE FARMER SLAUGHTERED.
rarir Reductions Favoring Foreign Com
petitors.


petitors.
The senate has approved the agri-
cultural schedule OF the Wilson bill, as
and the American farmer has been
ruthlessly slaughtered by the very bill
which extends favors 10 the trusts and
combines.
Reducing all specific duties 20 an ad
valorcm basis, in order that compar-
ison may be made between specific
duties, in which the Mckinley law
abounds, and ad valorem duties which
are proportionately 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 10 93 per cent; Wilson
rates are 20 per cent. Mckinley
rates on cattle ranged from 10 To 90
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 brendstuffs the Wilson reduction
Is equally pronounced. In the case of
barley, the change is from 65 To 30 per
cent, although barley malt, in the Tn
terest OF the maltsters. is increased
from 80 70 40, and manufactured bar
ley, pearled or hulled, Is also increased
from 10 TO 30. BuclSwheat Is reduced
from 81 To 20 per cent; corn from % TO
30; corn meal from IS To 20; macaroni
from 80 20 20; oats from SO 20 20; oat-
meal from rs To 10. 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 liz per cent. on the cleaned
article, the reduction is moderate and
leaves the duty at 81 per cent. I'm
cleaned rice is reduced from O. 10 40
per cent. but manufactured rice is
left unchanged. Rye also is left UNI
changed, doubtless through the
whisky interests influence, while rye
flour receives one OF the few increases
from TO 20 per cent. Wheatis prac-
tically unchanged, but wheat flour is
reduced from 25 to 30 per cent
All dairy products are cut-butter
from % To 20 per cent; cheese from IS
TO %; condensed milk from "a TO 90.
Likewise vegetables are reduced
beans from 65 TO Al per cent; prepared
peasc, beans and mushrooms from 40
TO 30; hay from AS 90 20; honey from AS
to 30; hops from SO 10 20; onions from
81 to 20; pease, both dried and split, are
slightly increased; but potatoes are re-
duced from 81 to 30; linseed and flax
seed from % to l6; all vegetables not
especially provided for from 40 10 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 in two.
The duty on grapes is left practically
unchanged, but plums are reduced
from "A 10 80 per cent; raisins from 81
10 80; apples from "a TO 20; dried APP
pies from az to 20; live poultry from 80
to 20; dressed poultry from "a To 90;
dandelion root from 40 To 80; vinegar
from % TO 20.
Taking the entire agricultural sched-
ule the reduction of duties averages
from 30 per cent. to 22.Ss per cent
These reductions are not i'm the in
terest OF American farmers but rather
Of their rivals and competitors prin-
cipally in Canada and also in Austria
liz and other distant parts OF the
world IL is not claimed that the
American farmers are not competent
10 produce all these articles which
have been enumerated in sufficient
supply 20 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 20 offer in
ducements OF the kind held out by the
sugar, whisky, lead and tobacco
trusts, they receive no favor al the
hands OF the tariff smashcrs, but are
ruthlessly exposed 20 increased compe.
tition with their foreign competitors
who have the advantage OF cheaper
farm labor. The reductions OF duties
in tho agricultural schedule are OF
serious import not only TO farmers but
TO farm laborcrs. 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.