New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-27
CANADIAN COMPETITION.
NEED OF PROTECTION FOR THE FARM
ERS OF NETWORK AND NEW
ENGLAND.
A STATEMENT ADDRESSED BY JOSEPH N1MMO.
JR TO THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
-DEsIRABILITY OF A BUREAU FOR
THE COLLECTION OF TARIFF
INFORMATION.
rnY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBuNEl

Washington Feb 26-Joseph Nimmo, jr.. the
well-known statistican, recently addressed state
ment TO the Ways and Means Committee OF the
House of Representatives showing tho need of
adequate protection TO the agricultural interests
Of New-York and New England against Canadian
connection and indicating incidentally tho ce-
STABILITY of establishing bureau for the coilec
ton Of tariff Information as a branch OF the pro-
posed Department of Commerce and Industry MT
Nimmo says in part:
on September 49, 1898, appeared before the CON ,
mittee of Ways and Means for the purpose OF au
vocating the protection OF the farming interests VI
the State of New-York, and espfclay Oh tbon o a
Island. against Canadian competition; mn n,tod
serted that the measure OF protection gran gran i
npic,,nTa PRODUCTION in Network and in Can
ada also stated that this difference in the cosl
Of production is governed by the difference IN the
value OF farming lands and the difference In wages
~ labor in the two countries Several members OF
The commits nnI n nSeed me these Gerences This
promised 10 do but upon inquiry at the Depart
partment OF Labor and the Department OF AsrlcuIt-
iure | discovered that no such data were In ex-
anpearcd to be no recourse but in an original In
In hs work npa mt tR border
Congressional districts of the states or New ork
and Vermont the prephrat 'ro OF months I II was
completed November D. 1898. by that time, how W.
ever the COMMITTEE hhG endeG and S was Engaged in
the work of preparing arln Dill i'n, M" goi
matter for consideration. They are as follows:
F'irst-The average value per acre of the farming
greater than the value per acre OF the al
facent farming lands OF Canada.
ing lands of the State OF Vermont is II per cent
greater than the average value per acre OF the
ad iaccnt farming lands of Canada
Thrd-The average rate of wages paid to farm
hands in the state OF New.York is 8. per cent nj
greater than the average rate OF wages PAID TO
farm hands in Canada. <u..
hdr@s in Vermont IS "a per cent greater than the
average rate Of wages paid to farm hands In can
My general conclusion was that the cost Of agri-,
cultural production in the State OF NeW-iork is II
per cent greater than in Canad!
frcm official data which clearly prove that the av-
cultural products under the Mckinley tariff then
(September $500 in force, amounted TO only about
As already shown. the difference in wages in
Now-York and Canada was % per cent, while the
total difference in cost Of production was II per
cent. In "A word. tt1 act Just referred to afforded
fed by the difference in the cost OF production in
Thai the difference in the cost OF production is
ISIS and in The tariff plank reported by the Com
mittee on Resolutions of the Democratic National
| am confident that schedule Of duties
products OF agriculture having due regard to the
difference in the cost of production in NewYork
ff farmers Of the state Of New-York
beg leave TO advert TO the fact that on the occa-
sion OF my hearing on September IS. 1893, both
Democratic and Republican members OF the Com
mittce WAYS and Means joined in asking me 10
give to the committee exact data as to the differ
crce i'm the cost Of agricultural productions in the
United states and In Canada The statistical
sources Of the Government afforded no Information
upon which such statement could be based. In
order therefore, to redeem my promise. already
stated. IL necessary to engage I'm arduous
labor requiring two months of my time and certain
expenditure for printing and stationery-ali Of
which constituted n cheerful although unremuner-
atcd contribution to the public information The
very fact that data Of so elementary "A character
and so necessary to philosophical and proper adj
iustmcnt Of the tariff on products of agriculture
were in the possession Of the Government
seemed clearly TO prove the Importance OF estab-
fishing some agency of the Government for the
execution of that kind OF work