The advocate., 1897-06-02

Export Bounty on Agricultural Products.
Hon. Peter J. Otey, M. c., Of Vir-
ginis, proposed this amendment to tae
tariff bill:
PrOUided That on and after July ], 1897,
there shall be paid to every exporter OF agri
cultural products an export bounty OF 10 per
cent. on the market value OF said products at
the port OF shipment on the day of clearance,
and to this bounty shall be added per cent.
on said market value when said products are
shipped in American-built, American-manned,
and American owned vessels, sailing under
the American flag.
Sec 3 That to meet the payment Of said
bounty the Secretary Of the Treasury shall
cause to be engraved export certificates in
multiples Of q dollar OF convenient size for
circulation, and issue the same in payment to
said exporters, all fractions less than dollar
to be paid in coin; and the said export GER
tifcates shall be payable on demand in the
lawful money OF the United States and shall
be receivable for all Government dues, includ-
ing duties on imports, at their face value, and
when so received may be paid out again in
the ordinary transaction OF the Government,
but when redeemed shall be Cancelled.
SEC. g. The Secretary of the Treasury Is
ubI6Dy hubuOTlLbu 10 ulhk6 SUCH EulGB anu
regulations as, in his opinion, are necessary
to carry out the above provisions.
The amendment was ruled out of
order on the objection that 1t was not
germane, but Mr., Otey submitted
some remarks on it, part of which we
copy, as follows:
"Mr. Chairman, the export price of
a commodity regulates the home mar
ket. The price Of wheat in Chicago
will be the export price per bushel less
the freight charges to New York. So
IL will be at the country mill less the
cost of landing the same wheat at the
pert Of expectation. So the price Of
the 467,0OO,00O bushels of wheat pro-
duced in 1896 was regulated by the ex.
port price Of the 10000, 600 exported
"This amendment is no new idea
1t iS well-knOwn method of encour-
aging and protecting agricultural prod
ucts. 1t was in operation one hundred
years in England. 1t is now in oper-
alton on sugar in nearly all Eu
ropesn countries, and on flour in
France and Austria Hungary, and in
the United States will be, by way of
drawbacks, in this very tariff bill,
John G. Calhoun advocated it; Alex
snder Hamilton advocated it; and the
farmer will be in fact paying bounty
to the manufacturer by the operation
of this protective tariff bill.
Germany, France, Austria and
Russia pay out millions annually in
export bounties, and the United States
is the only progressive nation in the
world that lays duties at the expense
Of agriculture.
"Mr. Chairman, it is not more taxes
and less money, but more money and
less taxes that the people want. 1t Is
not more sggrsndizement of the rich,
but less oppression to the poor that the
country needs. 1t Is not protection to
classes already bUrdened with wealth,
but the removal of restrictions on the
masses that is the crying demand. 1t
is not additional fsvors to the manu-
faCtureFs in the shape Of a double
profit, but the removal of double losses
on those who receive no favors. 1t is
not class legislation that the people ex-
pect, but equal rights for sll and spe.
cial privileges to none. And yet these