St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-10-01
Our Washington Letter.
A. NJ. c.

Especial Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN
The farmers Of the country will have
good reason to congratulate themselves
upon the promptness with which the
Dingley law got upon the statute books.
That it did become law more promptly
than any tariff measure since Washing
ton has been already explained in this
correspondence. Canvass the history of
administrations and all tariff laws, and
you will find none since the original
tariff act which became law so promptly
after the inauguration Of a new president.
But the purpose of the opening remarks
as to the farmer was to call attention to
the raid which was made on him in the
closing days OF the old law, and the adj
vantages which he gained by the prompt
ness OF republican legislation which put
a stop to that raid.
The chief ambition of the importers in
the closing months of the Wilson tariff
seems to have been to "gouge" the
farmer out of the last penny possible by
rushing in all the farm products they
could rake and scrape the world over.
Take the matter Of live animals for
instance. The value of the live animals
imported in the month OF July, 1897,
amounted to 1854, 100000, while in
july, 1896, they amounted to only $751;
100000.
The cattle imported in July, 1897.
numbered 27,74O, while IN July, 1896,
they numbered only 3,O71. This was
the last chance OF the importers to
gouge the farmers by rushing in Mexican
cattle at the low rates of the Wilson law,
and by underwriting them, bringing them
in almost free of duty.
The number of sheep imported in July,
1897, was 80 1884, against 4,o7s in July
OF the preceding year.
The importations of raw cotton during
July, 1897, amounted to 6,595,90
pounds, against l, 1854, 100 in July of the
preceding year, this being due doubtless
to the expectation that the duty on cot
ton which was placed in the bill by the
Senate would be retained by the confer
enCe committee.
The duty placed upon hides of course
stimulated the importation of this arti-
Gle during the closing DAYS of July, before
the new law went into effect. The total
imports of hides, other than fur skins,
during the month OF July amounted to
81 ,434, 1872 pounds, against 5000 961
in he corresponding month OF 1896.
J The imports of hides during the entire
seven months of the calendar year
amounted to $50, 55S, 45O pounds,
against 7S,392,4 pounds in the cor
responding months of the preceding ear.
The last shot that the wool importers
, and wool producers of foreign countries
could get at the American farmer under
the treewool clause of the Wilson law
was shown in the imports of wool dur.
ing July, 1897, being over 100000
! pounds, as against 5 1850 pounds in
, the corresponding month of last year
. For the seven months of 1897 ending
with July the imports OF wool amounted
+, to 316 100000 pounds, as against 1O7
e 100000 pounds in the corresponding
months OF the preceding year.
The increase IN duty on vegetable fibres
such as flax, hemp, etc, stimulated tn,
4 dealers in that class of goods to unusua
t activity, the July imports of this class
4 amounting to 81, 400 900, against 5000,
e 600 of the corresponding month of las,
' year.
j The importers neglected no opportu
, nifty in that closing month to either put
d money in their own pocket or take ava,
n from the Dingey law its earning capacity
e during its first lew months The impor
:. tation into the United States in tn,
# month fully, 1897, amounted to $53,
{ 100, 407, OF which a very large proper
n ton was made upof articles which coult
4 come in at lower rates under the Wilson
n law than under the Dingley law, which
S they knew would go into operation b,
:. the close of that month.
n One special feature of the Wilson law
n was II effort to brinu in fraa rs d,,