The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-06
MEXICAN STOCK RAISERS
WANT TO DRIVE THEIR CATTLE;
ACROSS THE BORDER FREE.
statements of Fruit and Rice Grow
ers, Seed Men, Fish Dealers. salt
Importers and Manufacturers.

llSHliCu Nv Up
resentatives of a wide range of industries.
There was a conflict between Mexican cat
tlemen and Congressman Curtis. of KAN
sas. over the effect on cattle and beef pro-
duction in this country of the Wilson rates.
Representatives of Pennsylvania and Nir-
ginia oranges asked for bounties OF agri-
cultural products. The Massachusetts, fish,
ermen and fish dealers and the salt i'm
porters and New York producers had inter-
esting. tits. The Southern rice growers ar
gued the necessity of higher protection and
similar arguments were presented by Cali
fornia fruit growers. Philadelphia seedsmen
and maccaroni makers. while importers of
Bermuda potatoes and onions wanted con-
cessions. Tomorrow will be devoted TO
wool.
The first speaker was +. H. Rockwell. of
Warren, Pa. Mr.. Rockwell is a cattle rails
er. grazing in both Mexico and Kansas. and
he opposed high duties. The Mckinley rate
on cattle, he said. was prohibitive and had
injured the farmers of Kansas. who were
benefited by international grazing. Herds
were taken to Kansas for periods of from
six to eighteen months. Last year the Kan
sas farmers were paid $50, 900 for grain by
the cattlemen and this year the amount
would be $4,000. i'm addition to which much
was paid for labor.
Another cattleman, NJ. NJ. Sherman, of
Selma. Kan. represented that two-thirds
of the cattle imported from Mexico into
the United States were owned by Ameri-
cans. Mr.. Sherman thought that high duties
on cattle had been decided on by Congress
to keep out Canadian competition, without
thought of the Mexican business He ar
gued. as Mr.. Rockwell had. that the chief
object of the law was to injure Americans
who had invested their money in Mexico.
Then you think that the tariff should be
governed by the nationality of the produc-
ers of goods?" Mr.. Grosvenor asked.
Mr.. Sherman assented to this, whereupon
Mr.. Grosvenor inquired what effect this
system would have on imported goods in
other lines.
Incidentally. the witnesses stated that
American labor was the cheapest in the
world. which statement provoked a laugh
until he explained that in the cattle bust
ness one American woulu do the work of
two Mexicans. Asked why he had removed
TO Mexico. Mr.. Sherman said because of
the lack of ranges here. Chairman Dingl
said there were plenty of ranges in Colo
RADIO. Wyoming and other Western States.
1t was impossible to acquire title to range
in this country. was the answer, and more
over. said the witness. the American laws
gave a mans competitors the advantage of
all the improvements he introduced into
his business. In Mexico the Cattlemen
owned their ranges.
Mr.. Tawney questioned HIM as to why i'm
p0rtdtlOnS from Mexico mad increased from
5000 a month under the Mckinley law to
1000 under the Wilson law. He replied that
this was largely due to congestion in the
market, but for various reasons Mexico
never could become Il competitor of the
United States.
CURTIS SPEAKS FOR KANSANS.
The next speaker was Representative
Curtis. of Kansas. He said that he repre-
scented the district in which more Mexican
cattle were fed than any other i'm the
United States, and in behaIf of the Ameri-
can cattle raisers. feeders and farmers of
Kansas, he asned to have restored the duty
of SO a head on all cattle one year old
and over, and 81 a head on calves less than
one year old. In the first twenty-one
months of the Wilson law Sol, 600 cattle had
been imported into the United States at
an average value of $3.50 a head. paying
81 cents duty each. The cattlemen of Kan
! Sas had been unable TO raise as good stock
as formerly because of the importations of
Mexican stock. The consumers of beef had
been fed a poorer quality under the Wilson
law than ever before. If Congress restore
the duty Kansas would pledge herself to
produce her share of cattle without raising
Representative Turner. of Georgia. asked
Mr.. Curtis if he would sacrifice the revenue
of $4,000 produced from cattle"
Revenue can be raised on other items
was the reply, 'as ii has been heretofore
by Republican legislation. There never has
been any trouble about revenue unuer Ike
publican administration
Then you are for a duty for protection
only?'
/ would have Il duty absolutely prohibitory
on every agricultural product that can be
raised i'm this country. Kansas would like
duties on hay. oats and flax seed.
How about silver"
IA large duty on silver would be a good
plan"
Representative Bowers. of California. de-
clared that the Wilson law killed the cattle
business i'm California. flooding the State
with Mexican cattle. Labor was 20 cents
a day in Mexico. He combatted the state
ments of the cattle raisers that but few of
the Mexican cattle imported were sold. be-
ing brought in for feeding. Not more than
one i'm ten were imported for feeding
Mr.. Bowers. in behalf of California fruit
growers. asked for higher duties on fruits.
The $500 900 worth of fruit imported an
nually. he said. might be grown by Ameri-
cans. He suggested duties of 3 cents N
pound on raisins. plums, prunes and all
dried fruits. and - cents "A cubic foot ON
oranges. Americans were peculiar about
some things, and preferred foreign wines
and fruits at higher prices. just as some OF
their daughters preferred ibertines and
gamblers. because they had a foreign label.
He read petitions from raisin growers of
Fresno and other places
Senator Perkins. of California. presented
the memorial recently adopted by the state
fruit growers organization. In addition 10
the recommendations of Mr.; Bowers. he
asked for duties on nuts and Lima beans
and chicory. and that the duty of the VIII
son law on cocoanuts be dropped. The duty
asked on Lima beans was 20 cents per leo
! pounds. on raw chicory IL cents a pound.
F: and on manufactured the present rate of 2
cents. 4 duty on pearl barley was asked
also.
THE ALMOND INDUSTRY.
The almond growers OF California were
represented by T. b. Armstrong. of Campo.
He stated that from So. coo.Oo to S15, 900. GOO
was invested i'm the business and from 20
600 to 90. 600 hands employed. The business
had been brought TO the verge of bank
ruptcy by the Wilson law. and an increase
of rates from . to 6 cents was asked.
David Lubin. of California. made "A brief
speech i'm advocacy of export bounties on
agricultural products.
Grand Master Rhone. of the Pennsylvania
State Grange. advocated protection for the
farmers. While the Leather manufacturer
was doubly protected. q Republican Con-
gresS had placed raw hides on the free list.
refusing TO give the American farmer the
same protection given the manufacturers
4 Republican Congress- had reduced the
duty on wool ard a Democratic Congress
had placed wool ON the free list. The farm
erE knew that protection could not do for
them what IL did for manufacturers. II
could not add "a cent to the price of wheat
or -four. Therefore. the only protection for
the farmer against the cheap labor Of the
world was by export bounties on corn. cot
ton. wheat and other products.
State Senator G. &. Brown, OF Pennsylya-
MIA. a member of the legislative committee
of the grange. presented q memorial from
that body. II asserted that the prices OF
many agricultural products were below ths
cost Of production. and that the opening