Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-06-24
GOOD FOR FARM rs.
THE TARIFF HAS OPERATED TO
THEIR ADVANTAGE.

In Consequence q tho Dingley Law
There Has been an Increase OF Com
sumption and an Advance in Price OF
Nearly All Agricultural Producta.
Dingley Law and the Farmers.
The monthly summary OF finance and
commerce to March 1, 1898, tells an In
teresting story. The total exports dur
ing the first eight months Of the pres
n fiscal year from July 1 to March I
were $7U0, 1882 3S. Tlle imports for this
period were $39S, 47O.5S5, leaving 8, bal
ance Of strade In u favor OF $4U6ysS61.-
45S. In addition to that, the mints Of
the United Suites had coined in gold
from July / to April 1, $41,SO2,OU5, in
silver $l2,672,39S. being a total coinage
of $~54,474,4G4. Adding the coinage aud
balance Of trade in our favor leaves u
total increase Of monetary wealth Of
$4Ul,1s5;71V.
This period includes the lust months
operation under the Wilson bill. 1t Is
well known that the importations dur
ing the last month Of the Wilson bill
We're very urge. The importations Of
wool alone during the last month Of the
Wilson bill amounted to $21,4S5, 7UN.
Under the first month Of the Dingley
bill the i%mporrltions were $2S75.S9D.
Including, however, this last month. 1t
u u splendid showing.
But even this does not show the full
extent Of the benefits accruing to the
agricultural interest Of the United
States. Comparing this period with the
first eight months Of the last fiscal
year. the falling off of imports Of arti-
Giles OF food, live animals and wool
amounted to $35, 7O4,9SO. These r oil
the direct products of agriculture, aud
show that the competition which u
own farmers have had to maintain
against foreign farmers in u own
But there has also been a decrease in
the Importation Of articles In which
the farming community has an interest
In the materials consumed. The amount
Of decrease In some of these items is
as follows:
Manufactures Of iron and stccl.S2 119, 100
Tin plates 94O,3SS
Wooden gods IL, 11S,SO3
Cotton goods .10,919,SO3
Lumber md articles manufac-
tured from wood. .......... 3,132,S2O
Wines and distilled spirits. .... 1,lSO,5S9
But even this is not all. The history
Of the United States demonstrates that
when business is active men r m
ployed and receiving fair wages, and
their consuming power increases. They
demand more food products, better and
more clothing and better homes. 1t is
not possible to ascertain directly to
what extent in good times the people of
the United States increase their de-
mand for agricultural products. But
the report under consideration gives
some indications of this in the increas-
ed i~mportations of such articles as we
have not been able to supply from
home productions.
During these periods under consid-
Grafton the Importation of coffee in
creased S1,5S77,7 91 pounds, importation
Of furs increased $SO7, Goa, i~mportations
of jewelry and precious stones incrcas-
ed from $32.S7G to $2SG.147, importa-
tons of silk goods increased $927,517,
lmportations Of raw silk for purposes
Of manufacture than doubled and
the increase amounted to $12, O97. $50,
food denominated under the head of
~"luxury'' increased $4.7SS,30G.
AS an indication Of increased activity
in manufactured articles the importa-
ton of articles in a crude condition for
domestic industry outside of wool in
creased $20,153.9O9.
These figures furnish conclusive evil
dence that the farmers Of the United
States during the first eight months of
this fiscal year have had n much more
extensive market for an of their prod
ucts. and at the same time have been
brought into, much less competition
Wifi foreign. producers of like articles.
This shows Immediately why. all class
es of agricultural products have in
creased in price as well as wheat.
The American, published in Phiiadel-
phia. a Populist paper TINT opposed the
passage Of the Dingley bdH. admits that
there has been a marked increase in all
classes of agricultural products. while
but a very slight increase in textiles,
and in iron and steel. Or, in other
words. the goods purchased by the
farmers have Increased in price very
slightly. while there has been a marked
increase in whatever they have to sail.
These are the conditions needed for
agricultural prosperity. Is 1t wise to
continue them. by continuing the condi-
lions Of legislation that have brought
them about. or shall we change and 20
back to the conditions that were
brought about by the preceding change.
INDUCED in by the American people as
an experiment? Flow costly that ex-
pertinent was to the whole country Is
beyond accurate computation. and per-
haps will never be even approximately
known. II is estimated that 1t cost the
farmers Of the United States fully
s.. c 100000 by reason Of diminished
r0nsN6nntiOn and docrono cod priooa NJ