Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-02-04
CANADA COMPETITION
HOW THE WILSON LAW DIS
TURBED FARMING INDUSTRY.
Come Startling Figures from Official
Sources Relative to Imports from
Canada Under Two Tariff Laws-The
Cleveland Deficit Still Growing.
Effect of Low Tariff.

The effect of low tariff rates upon the
farmers of the United States is illus
trated in the increase in the importa-
lions Of five leading articles of farm
/ products from Canada under the Will
son law, as compared with the McKin-
ley law. Official figures of the Treas
ury Department, showing the importa-
lions of hay, cattle, meat and dairy
| products, tobacco and wool during the
fiscal year 1895 and 1896, compared
with those of 1893 and 1894, will give
something of an idea of the desirability
of free trade or low tariff as against
adequate protection, viewed from a
farmers standpoint. The Wilson law
operated during ten months of the fis-
cal year 1895 and all of the fiscal year
1896. The Mckinley law operated dur
ing all Of the fiscal year 1893 and 1884
and two months Of the fiscal year 1896.
having gone into effect Sept. /, 1898;
the fiscal year." it will be understood
| begins July and ends June 80, of each
year.
The Mckinley tariff law placed a
duty of 81 per ton on hay, while the
Wilson law reduced the duty to 50 per
ton. Now see the result. -Importations
Of hay under the Mckinley law from
Quebec, Ontario, ETC., amounted to
$943,669 in value in the fiscal year
1893, and $759, 266 in 1894. In the fiscal
year 1895, ten months of which were
under the Wilson law, with half the rate
of duty fixed by the Mckinley law, the
importations of hay amounted to ST.
400, 263, being practically double those
of 1894 under the Mckinley law. In
the fiscal year 1896, all of which was
under the Wilson law, the importations
of hay amounted to $2,646, 234 in value.
or practically four times what they
were under the Mckinley law. The
average importations of hay from the
| provinces of Canada, above named,
| during the four years of the Mckinley
| law amounted to, in round numbers,
| 100000 per smnum, while during the
years Of the Wilson law they amount
| ed to over 100000 per annum, in
round numbers.
Here are the figures in tabular form:
Impsrtations of hay
| 1898 (McKinley law. ....... .S943, 66o
1894 (McKinley law. ......... 1892
1895 CWilson law. ......... l,4Oo,263
1896 (Wilson law .......... 2,646,2 34
In the matter Of cattle Of the dlltiabic
class the increase is quite striking as
to Canada and much more so as to Mex
leo. The rate of duty on cattle under
the Mckinley law was $40 per head o.:
animals Of the dutiable class above I
year old, while under the Wilson law
the rate Of duty was fixed at 20 per
cent ad valorem. making 1t practicable
for the importers to attach very low
nominal valuation to the cattle import
ed to get them in at a very low dury.
The importations from the provinces
above named were in 1895, under the
Mckinley law, in value $6,641, In 1901
81, 1867, in 1895, under the Wilson law.
$13,S15, and in 1896, $12,784. In tabular
form as follows dutiable cattle i'm
ported:
Dutable cattle imported
1893 (McKinley lave .......... .$6,641
1894 (McKinley law. ............ 1857
1895 (Wilson law. ............. 1885
1896 (Wilson law. ............. 1874
The importations Of meat and dairy
products increased also in a remark
able degree under the low rates Of the
Wilson law. Mckinley law rates on
bacon and hams were 5 cents Per
pound, on meats dressed or undressed
10 per cent, on prepared or preserved
meats 25 per cent, on fresh beef, NUT
ton or pork 2 cents per pound, on live
poultry cents per pound The Wilson
law rates were, on most of these arti'
cles, 20 per cent ad valorem, enabling
the importers, by fixing low nominal
price, to get low tariff rate. On lard
the rate was reduced from 2 cents per
pound to cent per pound, on live poul-
try from 5 cents to cents per pound,
On butter and cheese the Mckinley rate
was cents per pound; under the VIII
son law 4 cents per pound. On pre-
served and condensed milk the rate
under the Mckinley law was 3 cents
per pound, and that of the Wilson law
2 cents per pound. On sugar Of milk
the Mckinley law rates were cents
per pound; those Of the Wilson law
were cents per pound. Now see the
result. Under the Mckinley law the
importations Of meat and dairy prod
ucts in 1893 from the Canadian prov
inces above named were $26, 488 in val
ne, in 1894 $51, 500. The importations
in the fiscal year 1895, ten months Of
which were under the Wilson law, were
SS2.978, and in 1896 under the Wilson
law $1O2966. Here it is in tabular
form:
1893 mckinley law. .......... $26,4SS
1894 mckinley law. ........... 51,62O
1895 (Wilson law. ............ S2,97S
1896 (Wilson law. .1O2,966
On tobacco the Wilson law reduced
the duty on leaf tobacco suitable for
cigar wrappers from 50 per pound to
$1.5O per pound, and upon stemmed to-
bacco suitable for wrappers it was re-
duced from $2.75 to 1925 per pound,
while on cigars and cheroots the spe-
cific rates were reduced from $3.50 per
nound RI "a nor Mound undar tha Wilson