The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-01-06
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1910.
Good Juggling

The Lewiston Sun complains that
the Grange is interesting itself in
many things not agricultural. SO
much more to the credit of the
Grange. The time has come in Maine
when the Grange should interest it
self in those questions which. right
fully solved. will give increased
blessings to the farmers of the old
Pine Tree State.-tSkowhegan)-In-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Increased blessings-that's all right.
But what The Sun calls attention to
Is the way the Changers are allowing
themselves to be fooled-gold-bricke
Suppose those taxes on oleomargar-
inc, butter. cheese, eggs. potatoes. APP
pies, were a benefit to Maine farmers,
which they are not, see the big price
they have to pay to get that supposed
benefit They buy their -four and
corn from other states, their sugar,
rice, clothing, furniture, hardware.
tools, machines, horses, harness, wag-
ons. On all those necessary articles
there are heavy taxes to prevent the
farmers of Maine from buying where
they can buy cheapest. If they did
get better prices for their farm pro-
duce, all the gain they get that way
is more than lost in the higher prices
they must pay for clothing, furniture,
tools, etc.
But those taxes on farm products
do not benefit the Maine farmer. In
ali these years of high protection
Maine farmers have hardly held their
own. They have no protection against
10 ~ hA fnrffIo
farms of the West. If the tariff Is a
benefit, 1t is the Western farmers that
get the benefit. 1t Is the farmers Of
the West, not Of Maine, that have null
tiplied and grown rich 80 fast. Those
rich farmers on the rich farms Of
the West send their products right
into Maine, and the Maine farmers
have no protection against them.
And the same Western farmers are
sending their, farm products to Eng
land and selling them there in COM
petition with the farm products Of
the world. Now see what that means.
It means that Maine farmers. instead
of being 80 snugly protected by the
tariff taxes on farm products, are
actually In competition with the farm
ers who sell in competition with the
world. The Western farmers have
no protection in the English market;
and the Maine farmers have no pro-
lection against the Western farmers.
The Maine farmers must compete
with the world. Then where's the
protection? The protection that the
protective tariff gives the Maine farm
er Ia a gold brick.
Look again. Maine farmers sell
apples in England. They sell in COM
petition with the apples of Canada.
No protection there. And worse than
no protection. For goods sold abroad
must in general be paid for with
goods bought abroad. When the ap-
pies are sold and English goods
bought and brought back to Maine
and to Canada they run up against
the protective tariffs of the United
States and Canada, tariffs that put a
heavy penalty on those goods. But
the penalty Is heavier in Maine than
In Canada-the tariff is higher. So
that the tariff not only does not pro-
tect the Maine farmer, but puts him
at a disadvantage in his competition
with the Canadian farmer.
Look again. Maine farming, except
perhaps In Afoostook. Is prevented by
the character of the land from being
conducted on the large scale of West
ern farms. Maine cannot compete
with the West in wheat and corn Tex
cept sweet CORN and oats. The best
opening for Maine farmers is the sup
plying nearby cities with dairy pro-
ducts and garden truck. The best
thing for Maine farmers Is to build
up Maine cities How? What builds
I'D cities. Commerce and manufac-
lures. But commerce is forbidden by
the protective tariff. under heavy
penalties. Commerce, IL free, would
make a great city of Portland. See
what a help 1t would be to the farm
ers within twenty-five miles of Port
land II Portland we're a great city.
Portland has fine harbor; what she
needs, to make her a great city, Is
freedom to commerce to use her fine
harbor.
And manufactures. Names natural
advantage for building up manufac-
turing cities Is her water-power. Now
to use that water-power there must
he large markets for the goods manu-
featured. But protective tariff cuts
OF markets. A natural market for
Maine manufactures 10 Canada; but
protective tariff says Maine mustn't
trade with Canada. Protective tariff
IL Against the building up Of Maine
ports and Maine water powers: and
60 Ia against helping Maine farmers
to local market for their dairy pro-