The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-19
AN UNRECOGNIZED INDUSTRY.

If anyone were called upon to name
the industry which brings a little money to
more people than any other the chances are
that, in half a dozen guesses, he would
not hit upon. 1t. Probably this industry
is not mentioned in the aggregate of our
internal commerce. yet its product was
worth in the census year sl44, 2S6, $40. This
unrecognized and often ridiculed industry
that of the reproducing hen, is found on
more farms, bits of land and back yards
than any industry in the country. The egg
product in 1899 was worth more than the
total output of the gold and silver mines
Of the United States. All the wool pro-
duced in the country in 1899 was worth $685.
563, 232 less than the hens eggs. The num-
Der of dozens Of eggs that year was 1885,
Sl9. 1S6. and the number Of hens and chick
ems over three months of age was 2a3, $685.
0S5. The number of hens and chicken In
Indiana that year was II, 103.O COG, and hey
produced 7O.7SG. 200 dozens of eggs. At the
average price of eggs for the whole coun-
try, Ills cents a dozen, the egg crop of
1899 in Indiana was worth 81, 1892. 215. 30.
LSSSs HOWtNcIt Il Jul Ouc part Vi Tile
poultry product. The poultry sold off the
farms of the United States in 1899 was
worth s136, s9l, S77. This value includes
chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks. The
value Of both eggs and poultry that year
was s2S1. us, 247. or more than the value of
the pig iron of the country in 1901, more
than that OF the bituminous coal output,
and more than the value of the gold and
silver output of the worlds mines of that
year. These figures were made for the
year 1899. but 1t is probable that the statis-
tics OF the egg and poultry output for
1901. with the increase and the better prices.
would amount to much more, so that it
would be a moderate estimate to put the
value Of eggs and poultry in Indiana last
year at not less than SIS. 900, 900. There
are many years when Indiana's wheat
crop has not sold. for as much money as
it's poultry and eggs were worth last year.
The demand for eggs the past half dozen
years, in connection with cold storage,
warrants the conclusion that this almost
u-nrecognized industry cannot be overdone.
Eggs will bring much higher prices at GER
tain seasons of the year than during others.
but cold storage will even up prices some
what. 1t Is now one Of the industries that
people with the smallest capital can invest
in with profit. The hen product buys a
large part of the sugar and coffee used
in many homes, making necessaries Of
life of h would otherwise be luxuries.
And here 1t may be added that eggs and
poultry is a protected industry. Under
the Gorman-Wilson tariff the duty on eggs
was 3 cents a dozen and 20 per cent. ad
valorem on poultry, but the duty was in
creased to 5 cents a dozen on eggs and 3
cents a pound on live and 5 cents a pound
on dressed poultry by the Dingley act. Be-
fore enactment of the Dingley law Canada
sent millions of dozens of eggs and large
quantities of poultry into the Eastern and
border cities. tending to cut the prices, but
the high duty shut them out to the ad-
vantage of the producers of poultry and
eggs in this and other States. II the
tariff should be modified as advised by
the Indiana Democratic State convention.
so that II should be "a tariff for revenue
only" eggs and poultry would go on the
free list to the great advantage of Canada.