Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-04-14

~ increase until the home producers
are able to supply the home demand.
To contend that the duty should be
retained on sulphate of ammonia in
order TO encourage home production.
is TO contend that the steel manufac-
turers, who. directly or indirectly,
are the largest producers of il. cannot
live without protection on by-products
OF which sulphate OF ammonia is one.
II Mr.. Carnegie has said the final
word as to the pronts OF the steel in
dustry (see his testimony before The
ways and means committee). IL
would seem that the steel industry
does not need the duty OF Sc per ION
on the comparatively small amount
in tonnage, of sulphate of ammonia
which Il produces, to keep the steel
industry alive and prosperous. in
fact, coal will be carbonized in this
country as fast as coke is required.
without reference to duty. and there
fore the argument that the steel, coke
and Illuminating gas interests will
languish if the duty is not maintained
is not sound
Neither is the argument sound
that the cooking industry needs Just
this duty Of So a ton in order to en-
courage the recovery of the suIphate
of ammonia from vast quantities of
coal which is cooked and now goes to
waste. If it is true, as Professor
Monroe of the Census Bureau esti-
mates, that SIS, 100000 worth of sui
phate of ammonia Is thrown away
yearly does it necessarily follow that
the assessment of a duty equal to
about 10 per cent or 1880, 900, will
leau to its recovery? The $1S,000,00O
worth of sulphate of ammonia will be
saved just as fast as it is necessary
to save it in order to reduce coke at
a profitable figure.
In other words, when competi-
ton in this country requires that by
products shall be utilized to stay in
the game, byproducts will be utilized
tariff or no tariff Therefore, as be-
tween the farmer on the one hand,
who, in the last analysis, is the real
consumer of sulphate of ammonia,
and the coke and steel manufactur-
ers, on the other hand. it is my
opinion that the farmers will win
out, and that the duty on sulphate of
ammonia will be eliminated. Nitrate
of soda used to carry a duty. but
when 1t began to be used more extern
sively in agriculture than in the arts,
1t was put on the free list, and this
will be the history of sulphate of
ammonia.
1T has been said that the nitrate OF
soda importers would join with the
packers, cottonseed meal, suIphate
of ammonia, and the new cyanamid
makers, to have the duty retained on
sulphate of ammonia, because to re-
move it would tend to depress the
nitrogen market at least 1 IL cents
pound or to the extent it was brought
in. | do not believe that these in
terests viii openly or secretly COM
bine. The consumption of nitrogen
is increasing SO rapidly in this coun-
try that there will soon be a market
for all that can be produced. More
over, everybody. whether steel max
ers, packers or fertilizer manufacture
ers, should be interested in building
up agriculture, for upon its prosper
ity depends all prosperity The
whole world needs nitrogen, and as
Sir William Crookes said, 1T is the
problem of the future and espec-
tally in this country which is export
ing 1t in its grain products, in enorm-
GUS quantity. without making any ade-
quate provision for its return II the
great wheat belt of :his country
should restore the nitrogen which il
exports in the shape of grain every
year, it would soon absorb the S1S.-
100000 worth sulphate of ammonia
which Professor Monroe says is now
going to waste in this country: The
American Fertilizer should present
both sides. but editorially it should
stand for the broad proposition that
all plant food, of whatever name or
nature. should be admitted duty
free"
In his statement before the ways
and means committee, Mr.. Bowker
said:
The fertilizer industry in the
United States has been built up on
a free trade basis. We have had no
protection on mixed goods, and we
ask for none. but we ask in the inter.
est of business. that all substances
containing plant food (Which are our
raw products) should be admitted
DUTY free, as we believe was the in
tention of the present tariff law, in
paragraph 500 of the free list. 1t is
admitted that fertility of the soil
(plant food. of which nitrogen is least
abundant Ia available formsl. is the
cornerstone Of agriculture. In help
ing to maintain our soil fertility,
should not the gathering OF plant food
from ali sources, and especially of nj