Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-06
AGRICULTURAL SCHEDULE
Taken Up By the Ways ant
 Means Committee. 2
TWO FACTIONS PRESENT
One Wanting the Protective Tariff increased, the Other Opposing It-CalifOrnia Fruit
 Growers Want Better Opportunity

Washington, Jan. 5.-The seventh days. session of the ways and means commit-i tee found the room well filled with thosei interested in the agricultural schedule, in-
 cluding live animals, dairy products,
 fruits fish, meats, etc. There were two
 opinions among. the cattle men. Those interested in bringing Mexican cattle into
 the United States told the committee that
 their business had been killed by the Me
 Kinley tariff, but under the Wilson bill it was revived. They argued that the i'm portation of Mexican cattle had been Of great benefit to Kansas and Nebraska farmers by affording them a market for their surplus grain and pasturage.
 Representative Curtis. of Kansas rep resenting the principal cattle districts of Kansas, asked for duty of $10 per head
 on cattle one year old and over and of
 $2 per head on those below one year. The Kansas raisers and feeders, he said were
 injured and not benefited by the impor- tation of Mexican cattle. It prevented them from raising stock themselves. If
 the duty given by the Mckinley law were restored the Kansas farmers would un- dertake to raise their share of the cattle
 of the country They would furnish better article without raising the price.
 
 duties on all farm products.
 Representative Bowers, of California,
 representing the fruit growers of that
 ate, asked for, increased duties on all fruits. The law now afforded no protee-
 tion to the growers and did not yield any revenue to speak of.
 It was suggested by a member of the committee that an increase in duty would raise the price to consumers. MT. Bow CTS replied that it would not. On the tt.aa.. af h 1ic o tn would guarantee to increase production and decrease prices. On raisins prunes, | plums and all dried fruits he asked | duty of three cents per pound This
 would insure Americans a market and | stimulate the industry.
 | In the course of his argument he ex- l hibited raisins, prunes, oranges, etc., grown in California and abroad. The price of the imported article. as a rule, | he said, was higher, but the foreign | fruit, he claimed, was not of as good | quality as the domestic. If given a chance California would 1 flood the country with certain grades of l fruits. and furnish these articles at reduced price. On oranges he requested a duty of 25 cents per cubic foot. If the | fruit growers were given fair protection. some $16000,000 which was yearly sent abroad for fruit would be kept at home. l Senator Perkins, of California, pre- scented the memorial of the fruit growers of California, requesting the duties men l toned by MT. Bowers. He also indorsed what his colleague had said. ' Other gentlemen from California, Yir- | ginia and Pennsylvania asked for bounty l on agricultural products exported. Among the advocates of this policy were
 three representatives of the National l Grange.
 l E. A. Loomis representing the produce l merchants, of New York City, asked for
 low duty on early vegetables, especially 1 potatoes and onions These products l came into the United States in March, April and May, before the crops of this | country made their appearance, and did not compete with the vegetables of the l United States. 1 Replying to a question, he said that the admission of these products would not damage the trade of California or the l southern states.
 Representative Russell, of Connecticut, 1 presented the petition of the seed farm
 CTS of southern New England, advocat- l ing specific duty according to sched- ule. which they presented.
 l A delegation of Pennsylvania and New l Jersey seed farmers presented similar l request and schedule.
 Representative D. F. Wilbur, of New
 York, presented the petition of the Ma | tional Hay association, requesting a duty
 of $4 per ton on hay. He also spoke for l the hop farmers of New York. who, he said since the Gorman-Wilson bill be- l came a law, which reduced the duty on 1 hops from 15 to cents per pound, had l been forced to sell their product for less | than the cost of production. If the Amer 1 ican hop grower did not receive aid, and 1 that soon, through tariff legislation, by | having the duty on foreign hops placed at not less than 10 cents per pound, the same
 as in the Mckinley bill they would be l driven out of business.
 l w P.-Sutton. formerly United States consul on the Mexican border, asked the l imposition of a moderate ad valorem l duty on Mexican cattle.
 l T. J. Baker, of Charleston, S. C., and l r. G. Ernest, of New Orleans, on behalf l of the rice growers, asked for protec-
 tive duty on that product. There was a conflict of advices concerning salt. Salt | importers opposed any change in the ex- l isting law. Salt producers wanted pro-
 lection. The same diversity of opinion
 was shown in regard to fish. Importers l wanted no additions to the present du- | ties; fishermen asked for increased duties 1 according to schedule which they pre- | sented.
 New York florists asked for higher du- ties on their products.
 l At tomorrows session of the committee | raw wool will be taken up