Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1911-02-23

HLOIl 1lUUIII i
Speech Of Hon. Halvor Steenerson, of
Minnesota, in the House of Repre-
sentatives, Saturday, February H.,
1871.
the House being in the Committee
OF the Whole House on the state of
the Union and having under consider
alton the bill (H, r. 3l596) making APP
preparations for the Department of
Agriculture for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1912
Mr.. STEVENSON said:
Mr.. Chairman. The appropriations in
this, bill, amounting to S15,699,1 41, are
intended to encourage agriculture.
understand that bill will be reported
as soon AS we finish consideration of
this bill to carry into effect the re-
cent reciprocity agreement with Can,
ada, providing practically for free
trade in agricultural products Canada
is the only competitor in the supply
OF agricultural products that the peo-
pie of the United States have, and it
is the belief of the farmers of my dis
trict and the best-informed men in
the State that the effect Of that meas
ure, if it is to become a law, will re.
duce the value Of the products of the
State of Minnesota in one year more
than the total of appropriations in
this bill. 1t is estimated that it. will
reduce the value of our grain alone
s20,OO0,O0O per year.
Now, we have heard great deal of
late about encouraging agriculture,
about the evil of concentrating the
population in the cities, and that we
should try and induce the people to go
upon the farms. How inconsistent it
will be for us making these large ap-
preparations for the Department Of
Agriculture upon the idea that it will
stimulate and encourage the farmer,
to at the same time in the same ses-
sion enact a law that will do infinite
ly more damage in one State in one
year in the depreciation in the value
of it's products than the total appro-
priation in the bill.
1t is claimed in thes Presidents
message that this is justified on the
theory that it will cheaper the cost
of living. That I believe to be a de-
fusion, because the most important
articles Of food are still controlled by
the manufacturers. For instance, the
flour that the farmer uses he can
not make on his farm but has to buy
it at the mill, and there still remains
duty on flour Of 50 cents a barrel,
equivalent to II cents bushel on the
wheat that he has to give in exchange
for his -four. In other words, he will
be paying a protective duty Of L
cents bushel on his own wheat.
IN the same way meats, fresh meat
and canned meat, and all varieties of
meats are not furnished direct from
the farm, bllt from the butchers shop,
generally through an agency controll-
ed by the Beef Trust.
Mr.. Focht. May l ask the gentle
man a question?
Mr. Stevenson. Certainly.
Mr.. Focht. Does the gentleman.
from Minnesota believe and assert
that there is maintained an artificial
price on food products, due to a food
trust or to beef trust or a milling
trust? Does the gentleman think
that has anything TO do with main
tanning what is assumed or accepted
to be artificial prices at the present
time?
there is very large margin of differ
ence between what the farmer gets
and what the consumer is Obliged to
pay.
I yielded to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania out of my time, and was
answering his question when my time
expired.
The Chairman What is the desire
of the gentleman from Minnesota?
Mr.. STEVENSON. I desire extension