The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-21

Fallen off and Imports Have been NJ ore
Than Doubled.
A. Washington despatch to the N Y
Tribune says:
The thirty millions of people in this
country who live by agriculture or are
dependent upon its success for liveli-
hood will not be pleased with the opera
tions of the new Tariff law. 1t was felt
when the law was framed that it was es-
peclally adverse to the agricultural inter
ests, but 1t was not expected that it
would more than double the importations
OF farm products and at the same time
enormously decrease the expectations of
agriculture. But that is the record it
has made thus far. In every article pro-
duced by the farmer there has been an
enormous increase in importations, and
the falling off of expectations in farm
products since the new law went into
effect has amounted to $50 600, 900 in the
two great farm staples of bread and meat
alone. A careful analysis of the opera
olon OF the new law produces some facts
that will startle the farmers, especially
those who voted for "a change" in 1892
he Republicans in Congress it will
be remembered, made vigorous protest
against the changes made in the tariff
on farm products, but of course were
helpless 1t is now possible to. see what
are the effects of the new law on impor-
tations of articles produced by the farm
ers Taking the statements of the Treas
ury Department covering the imports
for the first eight months of the new law
and comparing them with those of the
corresponding eight months of last year
under the Mckinley law it is found that
there has been an increase of from 30 to
800 per cent in the importations of farm
md hot !
this class of articles, have more than
doubled. Curiously, there is not single
article OF farm production found in the
list which has not increased in importa-
lions, while nearly all the agricultural
exports have decreased many millions.
The importation of farm products from
August l, 1894, to May 1, 1895. under the
value, against 500, 900, 600 in the CORES
pondlng months of the preceding year I'M
der the Mckinley law. This, it should be
remem bered, relates exclusively to the
class of articles which come into competi-
ton with the products of the farms of
this country, and includes animals, bread
stuff, eggs. feathers, flax fruits, hay,
hemp, hides: hops, cotton, provisions,
seeds, rice, tobacco, vegetables and wool.
On the other hand there has been, since
the new law went into effect, a reduction
OF many millions in the exports of farm
products, such as hay, hops, oil cake and
meal. seeds, vegetables, corn, wheat,
flour and meats. 1t is apparent that the
flrst year OF The new law will show loss
of more than 500, 600, 600 to the farmers of
the country alone in the increased i'm
ports and decreased exports of the classes
of articles which they produce
The following tables show the imports
of farm products during the first eight
months under the new law compared
with the imports in the corresponding
month OF the preceding year under the
first ten months of the present fiscal year
compared with the corresponding ten
months of the preceding year under the
old law. 1t will be observed that there
is an increase in the importations of
every article produced by the farmers and
a reduction of the exports of nearly all
the important farm products.