The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1905-12-28
How the Farmers VIII suffer-.

How the Farmers Will Suffer.
1t doesn't take two minutes for the
signers of this memorial to show how
the farmer, as well as the manufactur-
er, will suffer from lack of reciprocal
trade relations with Europe. Here is
a fair sample of the argument in the
memorial:
This convention was pro-eminently and
at base an agrarian demonstration. The
farmers and stockmen of the corn belt
and the range are not sharing in any fair
degree in the undoubted prosperity that
has come to the chief beneficiaries of the
law as mutilated by a senatorial minor
ity. They are being robbed of markets for
their surplus products which could be
opened to them through the medium of
reciprocal tariff concessions. For exam
pie:
Germany is the second largest buyer of
food products in the world. She would
probably take from S5O.0Oo,OOO to $4,000, 900
worth of American farm products annu-
ally under any fair scheme of reciprocity.
France would buy perhaps one-half as
much under reasonable trading arrange
ments. The American farmer has 81, :
500, 900 crop of cereals this year. The
application of scientific methods is vastly
enlarging our soil production. There is
ordinarily an enormous surplus of farm
products In excess of domestic wants
Heavy buying by Germany in anticipation
of the closing of the ports of the empire
against us March J. 1905. is helping our
grain markets some just now. but what
of the future? Let us quote from the de-
partinent Of commerce and labor on the
conditions to be met after the date men,
toned: = -
1.-THE rates on provisions have been
greatly advanced Bacon which hitherto
paid the highest ad valorem in the list
OF provisions coming from the United
States-viz, 23 per cent-is advanced 50
per cent In the new general tariff, while
no rate is provided for in the conven-
tional tariff. The duty on pork, which
amounted to Fl per cent ad valorem In
1903. is advanced l7G per cent.
"The duty on beef, amounting to l5 per
cent ad valorem In 1908, is raised 200 per
cent under the new general and so per
cent under the conventional tariff Lard
with duty OF IL per cent ad valorem in
1903. will be subject to rate rs per cent
higher in the new general tariff, while in
the new conventional the rate remains
unchanged. Agricultural machinery. which
pays on the average about per cent ad
valorem. will De subject to rates from 20
per cent to 8S per cent higher, according
to the weight"
Indian corn is king in the agriculture of
the middle west. 1t can be best marketed
in the form Of meats. in the production of
which we lead the world. 1t is all well
enough to point to the enormous dividends
and surplus of the iron masters and sugar
refners and to cite that as a good and
sufticient reason for letting well enough
alone" but the prospects of thousands OF
Woodworking farmers In the great feeding
and grazing states are not so allurng.
Receipts OF cattle at Chicago this fan
have run from 10000 to 10000 head weekly
In excess OF the known home require
ments. the result being heavy Losses to
growers. A market that can care for,
say. 10000 cattle per week at prices profit
able to the producer cannot digest 10000.
While this glut IL seen at home meat
fhwina EXISTS il Europe. With train loads