Evening journal., 1909-06-09
Wednesday, June 9, 1909
SENATOR DUPONT AND POTATOES

4 EKlAiN democrats nave made a hercc at
- tack upon Senator dupont because Of the
amendment to the tariff bill offered by him pro-
viding for a higher duty on potatoes 1t is fair
TO say that one Democratic paper has COM
mended the Senator for his action in that
matter and believes that he was working for the
best interests of the State
The attacks upon the Senator are both un-
reasonable and stupid. 1t may be well to state
some of the-facts i'm connection with the mat
ter as they will show that Colonel DUPONT has
earned the gratitude Of large part of the peo-
pie of the State and that no one viii suffer
through his amendment to the tariff BILL
The amendment in question was introduced
by Senator DUPONT upon representations made
by the Delaware State Board of Agriculture,
non-partisan body in the interests of the farm
crs of Delaware, and adopted practically
unanimously by the Senate with only one or two
dissenting votes.
During a period of ten years from 1900 to
1908 there were imported into the United States
I4Q4o60S bushels of potatoes, all OF which
could have been grown by the farmers OF this
country had it not been for tho competition Of
foreign grown potatoes on account OF the exist
ing low rate Of duty on this commodity.
The yield OF potatoes is variable and largely
depends upon the amount of moisture during
the growing season When the home crop is
abundant the price like that of all other staples
under similar conditions naturally falls and the
profits to the agricuturist are very small but
when droughts occur the crop is diminished and
the Delaware farmer instead of being able to
raise an average of so bushels to the acre. gets
an average of 7s bushels or less, his expenses
per acre for labor and fertilizers being precisely
the same and the moment the price reaches
S2Ss per barrel. foreign potatoes come in to
compete in the home markets.
Should the amendment become law it
would simply mean that the American farmers
would supply the American markets as long as
the price does nos exceed Sass per barrel; but
such price is improbable except in the event OF
a general failure of the potato crop.
The critics of the Senator arc invited TO con-
slider the analogous case of the rice growing
industry of the South This industry is pro-
tcCted by the enormous duty OF two cents per
pound which would be equivalent to SI2o per
bushel ON potatoes instead of As cents as pro-
posed by Senator duPonts amendment. More
than this, the law fixing this enormous duty on
rice was first enacted by a Democratic Congress
and approved by a Democratic President. 1t
has developed and conserved an important in
dustry of the South and no complaint has ever
been made that il has prejudiced the interests
OF the consumer-the competition between the
various rice growers being sufficient to keep the
price at a reasonable point
BY preserving the American potato marke.
for the American farmer, the same results will
follow; larger acreage will be devoted to the
cultivation of potatoes; larger crops will be
produced and the competition between the
growers in this country can be relied upon to
protect the interests of the consumer
In the case of potatoes imported from Ber-
muda the conditions are somewhat different.
These are articles of luxury found only on the
tables of the rich during the winter months.
Should the amendment make these more expen-
sive it is entirely defensible as revenue
measure But as a matter of fact, all the po-
tatoes now imported from Bermuda can just as
well be grown in Florida where there are hun
dreds of thousands Of acres of land on which
the early potatoes can be successfully grown
The attacks on Senator dupont are intended
10 do him damage politically. but, in our judg-
ment will have the opposite effect, as his
amendment to the tariff bill will commend it.
self 10 every Delaware farmer regardless of pol
tics.