The record-union., 1895-02-05


the cause of agriculture: Alex. j. We'd
derburn, Master of Virginia State
Grange; Leonard Rhone, Master of Penn
Sylvanla State Grange and Chairman of
the Executive Committee of the National
Grange; Mr.. Ager, Overseer of Maryland
State Grange; David Lubin of Sacra-
mento, CAL, merchant and wheat-grower
and close student in political economy.
The latter gentleman made an extended
address to the learned committee upon
the subject OF depression of agriculture,
and advocated, as measure Of relief for
the adverse conditions, a Government
export bounty upon agricultural staples,
namely. wheat, corn, hops, tobacco, cot
ton. etc. MIR. Lubin's theory is that there
exists IN this country an inequality be-
tween the relative value OF agricultural
staples and manufactures, caused by
legislation; that is to say, the manu-
featuring Interest is protected by a tariff
on imports. while the producer of agri-
cultural staples cannot be benefited by
this tariff because his products are ex-
ports, therefore he receives no benefit
from Government aid. In other words,
he believes that by reason of
THE CHANGED ADVERSE CONDITION OF
THE AGRICULTURIST,
And that lnasmuch as we have surplus
OF agricultural staples for export in order
to pay for our imports, the Government,
IllduuIaCLuf6c
capital and labor by an import duty,
should use part of the protective revenue
In the payment of an export bounty on
these staple agricultural products in order
to protect or enhance their home and eX-
port prices in our country. The reason
why manufactures and staple agricult-
ure cannot be protected in the same
manner is that it is not possible for the
American agriculturalist to keep up
prices in the home market, because the
export and home prices OF product sold
IN the open markets of the world are the
same and the export prices upon his pro-
duct are fixed by the prices OF the worlds
market, viz, the Liverpool quotations,
| therefore the home and export price is the
Liverpool quotation, less cost of trans
portation from place Of production to
Liverpool.
In his argument before this committee,
Mr.. Luhin prescribes two remedies:
First, free trade, with its attendant re-
suits upon the manufacturing interests,
or second, protection to agricultural
staples by the above referred to export
bounty. Mr.. Lubin's remarks before the
committee, as we'll as those of the other
advocates for Government aid, will be
found in full in this volume
The National Grange, at its recent ses-
sion in Springfield, ILL.,. had the same
question under consideration. Hon. j. H.
Brigham of Ohio is Worthy Master and
considered high in authority upon agri-
cultural matters. In his address before
that body he referred to the depressed
prices as follows:
"Theorizing and appealing to passions,
lgornance or prejudice will not help con-
d1uons. But IL the real facts and causes
can be made plain TO the average farmer,
he may be able in the future to guard
against serious loss.
"For long series of years the farmers
of the United States have produced more
wheat than the American people could
consume. and the surplus has sought the
European market. The price received
for this surplus in Liverpool has governed
the price OF all wheat sold in the United
States. In that market the American
wheat comes in direct competition with
the wheat-grOWers of every country in
the world which exports wheat, and when
the worlds crop is large those foreign
producers, who have at hand an abund-
ance OF the very cheapest labor in the
world and have already introduced the
best machinery, can eliminate all profit
from the American product and yet realize
fair profit on their investment in land
and labor. Vast areas of fertile land are
being annually added TO the wheat fields
OF the world, and the improved machinery
and transportation advantages now being
introduced with vigor by our competitors
abroad must increase competition among
producers" Continuing, Mr.. Brigham
says:
THE PROBLEM IS A GRAVE ONE.
1t involves the manufacturer and the la
| borer as well as the farmer. In fact, every
class and condition of society in the
United States is seriously interested.
when you touch agriculture every in
dustry responds, because agriculture is
the basis OF all prosperity. The principal
customer OF the manufacturer is the
| farmer. his net returns from the farm
determines his purchasing power. If the
price OF his crop is reduced oue-half, his
purchasing power is diminished to the
same extent. Then the manufacturer
must curtail production more than one
half by reducing the number Of en-
ployes or 10y cutting wages. This reduces
the purchasing power OF the employe
and thus reacts upon the manufacturer,
merchant and farmer. The industries OF
the United States will stand or fall to-
gether. Cheap wheat, cheap wool and
cheap cotton mean more than cheap
! bread and cheap clothing; it means less
work and lower wages. These staples
have been reduced in price one-half or
more, with the inevitable result. The
all-important question is, will these low
prices prove TO be temporary or perma-
nent?"
The question OF the adverse condition
being temporary or permanent one is
most perplexing problem.
NATIONAL GRANGE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Executive Committee of the Ma
tiOnal Grange composed of such men of
national reputation as Hon. Leonard
Rhone of Pennsylvania Chairman, Hon.
j. j. Woodman OF Michigan, Hon. K. K.
hutchinson OF Virginia and Worthy Mas
ter Brigham, make, in their annual re-
port, the following recommendations
which are we'll worth the attention and
consideration Of the husbandry of the
land. They say:
lowing TO the depressed condition OF
agriculture, your committee deems it it's
| duty to call to the attention OF the Ma
tional Grange the gravity of the situa-
ton, and to urge upon it the Importance
OF giving the adverse condition Of agri-
culture It's most serious and earnest con-
sideratiou.
LAS to the low prices of wheat and cot
ton and their cost OF production, 1t is not
probable that there will be much inn
provement Tor years to come, as, with the
application OF new machinery, our for
elgn competitors Oh the eastern continent
-Russla, India, Egypt-and on this con-
unent-the south American States-will
soon double their productions ut much
less cost, with their cheap labor, than we
| can produce them. In the opinion of
your committee there are at least two
ways open to
SOLUTION OF THE SITUATION.
The first is to diversity our crops and
productions, and, as much as possible,
build up Tor them home market in our
manufacturing Centers. The other is by
the Government paying an export
bounty, so as to put our wheat and cotton
on the foreign markets on equal footing
with that OF contiguous countries"
OF the TWO propositions, it cannot be de-
MED that diversified agriculture is pres
ent practical duty, and should be encour-