The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-17

Prof. Eugene Davenport and John c.
Hanley Appear Before Industrial
COmmissiOn Subcommittee.
Prof. Eugene Davenport, dean of the
department of agriculture of the Uni
versity of Illinois, and John c. Hanley,
organizer of the National Farmers AL
lance and Industrial League, were the
principal witnesses yesterday at the
closing session of the Industrial COM
mission. John Hill, who was before
the committee for a short time late in
the afternoon, offered considerable doc
umentary evidence to show collision
men in the handling of grain.
Prof. DavenpOrt's testimony touched
for the greater part on agricultural la
Dor, which he compared in considerable
detail with unskilled labor in the cities,
to the advantage of the former.
Mr.. Hanley discussed the general
agricultural situation, and declared the
only remedy for its depression is the
opening of markets in the Orient for
agricultural products, and that a neces-
sary factor in the accomplishment of
this is a great merchant marine.
"Give us ORIENTAL markets." he said,
cor more and better markets for the
products of the American farmer, and
the natural conditions of supply and de-
mand will regulate and control every
agency of producing and marketing the
products Of American farmers and pay
reasonable profit for every one con-
nected with the crop in it's passage
from producer to consumer.
England is our chief and practically
only customer, and any agency that will
create competition and give us another
market will stimulate prices. Thus it
will be seen how important it is that we
develop market and trade relations
with the countries of the Orient. In
this field we could dispose of a vast VOL
ume of grain grown on our Western
slope, and we could force England to
come to our seaboard cities and COM
pete for our grain. 1t Is computed this
would make a saving of from Is cents
to 20 cents a bushel to the farmers for
the entire crop of wheat.
1T is a sad and humiliating specta-
cle," he continued, "for this great ma
ton to be compelled to permit foreign
ships to come to our doors and load up
our products for export. We have moth
ing now worthy the name of American
ships, and our first duty as citizens,
from the standpoint of patriotism, is to
see that American ships are built, and
as quickly as possible. I am in favor of
granting a subsidy of 81 a ton, and 1
think the sum necessary to carry this
out could be taken with justice from the
appropriations for public buildings and
rivers and harbors, where large sums
frequently are expended where there is
little need. In this way new markets
can be found that will absorb all the
surplus products of the American farm
and factory"
He declared the farmers were forming
combinations to fight the combinations
and trusts which operated to their dis
advantage He said 1t costs about SIS
| cents a bushel on an average in the
Northwest to grow wheat and that it
| costs about half this to get 1t to New
York or other seaboard points. The
! middlemen in the grain business. he
said, derive more profit than the farm
ers, and that il natural grades could be
established, farmers would receive much
more than they do now.
Prof Davenport said he was of the
opinion that the farm presents better
opportunities for unskilled labor than
does the city. The wage of the farm
laborer is all gain, he said, while the
wage of the city laborer must provide
the cost of the living.
1t was the intention of the sub-com-