Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-05-30
EXPORTS OF COTTON.

March 81, "a 1920, 426, 400 176. 223. Is.
Increase. 1895. Co.,, SS9,264 1880, 80!
*Decrease.
IN reaching the markets of the world
we have sold G94, OOO, 900 pounds more
OF cotton than we did year earlier,
but we have received S9.3JO, 600 less
money for the larger quantity than
was paid us for the smaller quaint
ty shipped a year earlier 1t practical
ly cost us this $935O, 900 to make free
gifts to foreign manufacturing coun-
tries Of 694,OOO,0OO pounds Of cotton.
Let us now look at other farm prod
ucts and see If the producers Of bacon
and lard, for instance, have Jared any
better than the cotton growers. our
exports Of these two commodities for
nine months ending March 81, 1894
and 1895 comparing as follows
EXPORTS OF BACON.
mos to Pounds Value.
March 81, '95. .34S,:3S5, 664 S29O53, a3:3,3
March 81, 81. .311, 1873, 100 29,61O, 79S
Increase, '95... 36652,534 1857, 465
EXPORTS OF LARD.
mos. to Pounds Value.
March 81, '95. .36s, 153, 987 sos, 400, $50
March 81, 81. .317, 147,119 29,S19, 1Ot;
Increase, '95. -. 46,OO6,S7S '1,39S.217
sDecrease
1t seems that under the German tar
III We sold 1862, 534 pounds more Of
American bacon in the markets of the
world than we did year earlier. but
We received S557 ,4G5 less money for
the larger quantity than was paid us
for the smaller quantity that we
shipped abroad year earlier. In 9TH
err words, we have paid out this $751;
465 for the privilege of making free
gifts of 36,653, 600 pounds Of American
bacon to the consumers in the mar
kets Of the world. No wonder they
are so eagerly waiting to take our
products from us.
The figures of our exports of lard
show that we have sold over $4,000, 900
pounds more of American lard under
the German tariff period than we did
during the corresponding months
year earlier, but we received $685.
2lI less money for the larger quaint
IT, that We sold than was paid US for
the smaller quantity. In other words,
1t has cost us this 81 ,39s,217 to present
free gifts of 100000 pounds of lard
10 foreign consumers, who are anxious
ly awaiting to use our lara in those
markets of the world that the German
tariff has opened.
Summarizing these results under
a riff rnfnryr, tpnln 80 lo%<;,,-
ourselves out into the markets of the
world during the few months of the
German tariff, we find that the Ameri-
can farmers have made free gifts Of
nearly GOA ,OOO,O pounds Of cotton, of
SO, $685. 900 pounds of bacon and Of 49,
900, 900 pounds of lard to the manufac-
turers and consumers Of the world.
and that it cost us $11,3OO.OOO hard
cash to distribute these free gifts.
The free gift scheme is generally
worked on the understa aiding. and
with the expectation. that subsequent
trade results will be beneficial to the
.siver. compensating him in the long
run for the gifts that he has given
away. In the distribution from our
national gift counter no compensating
profits seem yet to have been realized
Possibly the free gift scheme was not
advertised enough during the 1892 and
1894 election campaigns. We do not
recollect having seen any notices there
OF. 1t was a serious oversight and
one that should be remedied as speed
lily as possible and explained away by
free-trade and tariff reform orators.
The Cleveland Carlisle German Will
son free gift counter, while proving a
satisfactory grab bag to the markets Of
the world, has only served to deplete
the treasury till. The American peo-
pie. and the American farmers espe-
cially, will not forget that free-trade
means free gifts. 1t was glorious
opening day when we let ourselves
out with our free gifts. The markets
Of the world have been struggling to
reach our free gift counter. How long
can we afford such distribution?
What are we getting in return for It?
The UndervaluationL Liar.
There is to-day systematic course
Of undervaluations; this market Is
prize which everybody is seeking to OBJ
tain, and the piratical foreign maker
gives no quarter. The evil as it exists
to-day is only suggestion OF what 1t
Is likely to be II permitted to grow. One
does not have to go far back to find
condition similar in many features to
the present. Between 1870 and 1880
the frauds against the customs laws In
the importations of silks were enor-
nous; 1t is estimated by competent au-
thorities that the undervaluations
ranged from 60 to SO per cent. The
business was done entirely through To-
cal representatives of foreign makers;
no domestic house could buy goods d.
rect and import them; all purchases
had to be made through the foreign
agent to whom the goods We're consign-
ed. The Government fought for years
against this fraud and 1t was only after