Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-01-14
"PROIE LECTION TO AGRICULTURE. d

Mr.. D. Lubin Of Sacramento. CAL,
sends us long published article under
the above title, with a request that it
be published in this paper. The length
is such that we can not use it entire,
and any abbreviation Or extract might
| fail to do justice to the article or to
satisfy the author. He takes the
ground that protection to manufac-
lures enhances their cost and pre-
cludes their expectation. This is
partly true and partly false. Some
manufacturers of this country can not
compete with the low wage manufac-
turers of other countries; other arti-
cles, and the number is quite large,
can be exported, owing to the facili-
ties and cheapness OF their manufac-
lures in this country.
The second proposition of the writer
is that the highest price obtaina-
bic for an agricultural product is ono
higher than the lowest price which
they can be bought for in the worId.'
This is another mistake. Almost every
product is sold in our local markets
and in manufacturing oenters higher
than in the worlds markets; many
products are entirely consumed at
home Of course the worlds markets
have something to do with few great
staples. The writer claims that agri-
culture being more important than
manufacture, and being obliged to
oil CT oh OF 1n
prices, the farmer must pay the en-
tire sum of protection. This ignores
the fact that nearly, by comparison,
the whole agricultural product of the
country is consumed within it, and
that by the millions of laborers and
consumers who do pay and can pay
higher prices than the foreign con-
sumner pays, thereby giving the home
producer the advantage OF enhanced
prices. The writer does not take into
consideration the fact that the manu-
featuring population, driven out of
employ in factories must change Oc-
cupation when the factories stop,
many of them to become farmers or
farm laborers at low wages, increas-
ing farm products to glut the home
market and to lower the foreign mar
ket.
The next claim made is that pro-
lection made high wages, high wages
brought skill, skill developed inven-
tive genius, which produced labor
saving machines, which gave the
A
tion as the manufacturer enjoyed
from the protective tariff. That state
ment is probably true. The next idea
is that advantage first obtained has
departed because the world has adopt
ed labor saving machines and increas
ed the products. This is probably
true. The great developments in GER
tain countries of the world in the line
Of producing capacity has overstocked
the markets of the world. The writer
claims that protection is failure and
must be abandoned, and that in it's
place government should pay boun-
ty on all agricultural products which
are exported; this, he thinks, would
raise the price at home and protect
the producer. Just how government
is to raise funds to meet it's other OBJ
legations and pay bounty on ali ag-
ricultural products exported is not
shown. The claim is made that gov
ernment does protect some classes,
while others are not projected, or, on
the other hand, are injured by pro-
tection
Mr.Lubin, like all theorists, has some |
good and plausible ideas, but his whole |
system would be very liable to prove
failure when put to actual tests. He
sums up his argument by claiming
that government should use the mon
ey obtained from imported duties in
paying bounties on agricultural ex-
ports. Tt is a very difficult thing to
adjust the great things of tariff and
revenue with pen, or, for that mat
ter, to do it by legislation. Only the
wisdom gained by observation, prac-
tice and experience is worth anything
in these great and abstruse matters.
During the financial panic of 1898
not one of the Vermont trust compan-
les or savings banks even suspended
The State Inspector of FL
nance in his annual report says that
during the month of July and August