Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-02-01
AFARMER'S EXPERIENCE.
How Major Mckinley Pulverized q
Western Farmer.

/
ping his wheat:
Ihad twenty thousand bushels oil
good merchantable wheat and bags
the past season. This wheat 1 tried
to dispose of in Walla Walla, Wash.
ington. The best l could do was to
get 25 cents per bushel; this price was
below the cost of production, there
fore, I concluded to ship ten thousand
of the twenty thousand bushels to
Portland, Or, which cost me fifteen
cents per bushel for transportation
and warehouse charges
After canvass of the wheat Trad
ers I found that could have done as
we'll in Walls Walla, after paying
transportation charges.
Being chagrined at this venture and
believing that there was some combi-
nation Of middle-men who were skim
ming me, l resolved to send this wheat
to Liverpool, England. The trans
portation per ton was thirty-two shil-
lings, besides insurance and wharf
age.
In due time my ten thousand BUSH
els Of wheat arrived in Liverpool all
0. X. l found the demand in the
wheat market poor. There we're ship
loads OF wheat awaiting sale from
Russia. India, Argentine, and, in fact,
from all parts of the world.
Walla Walla wheat was selling at
four shillings, three pence per one
hundred pounds, which put into
United States money left me twenty
five cents per bushel, after paying
charges from Walla Walla, Washing.
ton, viz: Walla Walls to Portland
Oregon, fifteen cents; Portland, Ore
gon, to Liverpool, England, twenty.
five cents; insurance and wharfage
one cent. All that I gained in my
shipping adventure thus far was ex.
perience. and my net proceeds were
twenty-five cents per bushel.
was now in possession of twenty.
five hundred dollars, and with the
cash in hand 1 interviewed various
Wholesale establishments in Liver.
pool, and was surprised to find that ]
could buy straight woolen fabrics
there for less than one-half the amour,
such goods would cost me in Portland
Oregon. In fact 1 could purchase
more and better woolen goods Of the
kind than we require to ward of
pneumonia, and other .ynalsdies. that
we contract for the want of proper
clothing, with my twenty-five cent
wheat than formerly purchased with
sixty cent wheat, 90 thought here
was a "sure thing" tor doubling my
twenty-five cent wheat, and invested
my last dollar in woolen fabrics of the
quality that is always in demand in
Walla Walla in the winter season.
1 had no difficulty in finding ship
whose destination was Portland, Ore.
gon, for q load of wheat. The freight
charges on my goods were very low as
the vessel required cargo to keep her
in proper trim.
In three months my goods were in
Portland, and l was making prepara'
tions to transport them to Walls
Walla when I was informed by an Of
ficer at the custom-house, that there
was tariff duty on all woolen goods
of from seventy-five to one hundred
and twenty-five per cent. After cal
culating the first cost of my fabrics
it was found eighty-five per cent ol
that cost would be required to get my
goods Of the bond warehouse. I wai
non-plussed; ! had no money to gel
my fabrics out of limbo. I had paid
no one q tariff to land my wheat in
Liverpool, why should be thus used
by my own people!
The officials informed me that 9
Major Mckinley, of Ohio. had put
these burdens on commerce and trade
and that eastern manufacturers were
all pleased, and that they were but
executing the tariff laws of the United
States.
This put me to thinking how wa,
to get money with which to pay the
customs duties; was I now to lose my
ten thousand bushels OF wheat because
I changed them into woolen fabrics VI
require in our cold aud clustering
climatef Without money and with {
mortgage on my farm, my credit wa
not first-class, and I learned by sac
Experience that it takes money Il
raise wheat.
| was fortunate enough in having
left one-half of my wheat at home.
telegraphed to Walla Walla and hat
eight thousand and five hundret
bushels, all that had lett after seed
ing my summer fallow land, sent II
Portland. When it arrived the marke
was still down and twenty-five cent
per bushel, clear of charges, was all
realized for the eight thousand fiv'
hundred bushels, the net proceeds be
ling twenty-one hundred and twenty
five dollars, every cent Of which wen
to pay the tariff duty of eighty-ive pei
cent. on the woolen goods which Ma
jor Mckinley put on for the benefit o
the farmer. had to borrow twenty
five dollars with which to pay the bond
ed warehouse charges.
We thus see that Mckinley and hi
manufacturing clan robbed me of eigh
thousand, five hundred bushels Q
wheat, or to put up in other words,
: would have gotten as much for tel
thousand bushels of wheat under FIRE
trade as I did under the McKinle
tariff for eighteen thousand fiv
, hundred bushels of wheat.
The Wilson tariff takes only fort
per cent. Of the farmers wheat to pa