The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-14
Glimpse at Farm Products Ex.
ported From United States.
Senator Curtis Calls Attention
to the Facts.
REMOVE RESTRICTION.
SO-Called Sanitary Rules Now
Interfere With Exports.
Representative Miller's Contro-
versy Over Hide Question.

Washington. D. c.. April 14-Much
| attention is directed to the fact that
| during the past year of the total meat
and dairy products exported from the
United States. amounting to about
| $1S1,000,O00 worth, about $16,000,000
worth went out in the form of fresh
| beef and nearly $50,0O0,o00 worth in
salted and "cured" beefs, hams. and
shoulders OF the total breadstuffs
exports, amounting to more than
$196.00O,000 worth, more than $62.-
| 100000 worth is represented by wheat
| flour alone.
Considering these stupendous fig
| ures of our foreign trade it is deemed
of the highest Importance that ar
! rangements should be perfected in the
tariff revision bill to guard against the
| regulations" and indirect discrimina-
| tions that are indulged in by foreign
countries against American exports.
/ The claim is made that under the
! Payne bill, as it was reported, with
/ the maximum and minimum sections.
| and the provisions aimed against di-
/ rect Determinations. system will be
established which probably will pre-
serve existing conditions, with respect
| to the volume of our export trade.
The opportunities for enlarging that
| trade, however, are claimed not to be
satisfactory to the western farmers
and exporters of meats and bread
stuffs.
! Acting upon the representations of
| these western interests. Senator
| Charles Curtis of Kansas. has brought
| to the attention of the finance COM
mittee of the senate provision which
| is aimed to improve the situation,
with respect to our export trade.
What is desired to be accomplished
restrictions" against American food
| products, and provide for mild as
we'll as drastic pressure, as the
| exigencieS of the case may require,
under the direction of the. president
of the United States. 1t IS claimed
/ that under these sanitary restrictions,
adopted by several continental Eu-
ropean countries, requirements are
] embodied covering meat products
| with which American shippers of
dressed meats are unable to comply
According to the claim of the ex-
porters of meats products, the pro-
visions of section four, as they stand.
are insufficient in that they provide
1 only against discrimination" Techni-
cally, it is claimed. neither Germany
nor Austria is discriminating at the
present time, but both countries have
tariffs and other regulations aimed. in
most cases, exclusively at American
| imports.
To meet this situation. a provision
to be inserted in the Payne bill has
been suggested as follows:
''WheneVer on OF d1IeE Sixty Gays
from the passage of this act, 1t shall
appear that any country. provision.
dependency, or colony is discriminat-
| ing against any article exported for
the United States. or any territory be-
/ longing thereto. the growth or
| product in whole or part of the soil
or industry of the United States or
any territory belonging thereto,
through the operation of duties, i'm
| ports. excise taxes, or other restricted
I nv-
| province, dependency, or colony MAIN
| tanning such restrictions, any or all
of the rates of duty prescribed in sec
tion three of this act, shall apply as
! the president may direct"
/ Com mplaint also comes from the ex-
Il porters of flour that Investigations
abroad by the commerce department
during the past year have developed
that a system prevails among Eu-
ropean countries of paying. bounties
upon export of -four manufactured
from imported wheat, and otherwise
encouraging, through regulations,
\ their domestic manufacture of mill
products under circumstances that
tend greatly to curtail American sales
of -four and other mill products in
4 the European markets.
i During a debate in the house on low
ering the duty on hides, Congressman
James NJ Miller of Kansas asked Con-
gressman Mccall of Massachusetts X
he thought that boots and shoes would
be cheaper if the duty on hides was ta-
ken off.
4 "It is very strongly my opinion that
lit would" replied Mr.. Mccall. THE
competition between our shoemakers Is
SO intense that they could not take the
repealed duty. They would nave TO give
a better shoe, or else they would have
Ito sell the same shoe for less money.
II understand said Mr.. Miller, you
Ito say that your farmers or people
l.,- rxfr r%t@i I'M o.
a better shoe?"
"Yes, that is my opinion" answered
Mr. Mccall: "or getting the same shoe
1or less money
Mr.. Miller. "Now. can the gentleman
give US any information at all as to the
difference in price of the average pair
of shoes after the duty is taken off and
. while the duty was on?"
There is a great deal of technical
evidence on that point" said the gentle
man from Massachusetts, IT imagine
{ THAT it would make a difference. on an
. average, of fully 10 cents per pair. Now.
| II may be entirely wrong about that =
Mr. Miller. "Is it not true that the
: Testimony before the ways and means
e committee varies from cents pair
e to 10 cents a pair. and that there IS
: no evidence before the committee on
. ways and means in this hearing show
} ing that any manufacture has testlnea'
> or any expert on the subject has testi-
. fed in his judgment, the price would
. he more than cents pair?"
Mr. Mccall. with all due regard 10
a my friend. think he is mistaken in
regard to that testimony"
, II think that is the testimony, exact
q Ily," replied Mr.. Miller.
! At this point Mr.. Mccall dropped the
subject of hides and talked about works
of art on the free list
Kansas postmaster appointments
: lconfirmed by the senate: Charles Fris-