Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-09-06
FARMER AND TARIFF,

4
Woodrow Wilson called the atten-
ton Of the farmers OF the United
States to the injustice they suffer
because Of the tariff, in his speech at
Williams Grove, Pennsylvania, and
to the fact that they have not had
fair treatment from the Legislators in
this matter. The government has
been run not in the form Of a part
nership, he said. but In the form Of
a trusteeship. and the self-appointed
trustees have forgotten the farmer.
A fact which he emphasizes Is that
tie cost Of farm machinery and sup
plies as well as ordinary necessities
have been advanced BY the tariff. The
democratic majority In the house
sought to right this condition, and
by removing the tariff on such
articles, to give the farmer fair
treatment. Concerning this Wilson
said:
THE present democratic congress
had the oldfashioned idea of govern
ment. 1t supposed that the benefits
and projections were to be distribut-
ed and equally shared. It sought to
relieve very directly in particular the
disadvantageous position in which it
found the farmer. 1t introduced and
passed bill which became known as
the Farmers Free List Bill. That
bill put many indispensable things on
the free list. Most prominent among
them were agricultural implements,
because the American farmer pays
more for his agricultural implements
than any other farmer in the world.
The American manufacturer who
makes agricultural implements sells
them much cheaper on the other side
of the water than they sell them in
America. On the other side of the
water they undersell the local manu-
facturers of agricultural implements,
and prove by their eagerness for the
foreign business and their rapid ex-
pansion Of 1t that they can afford to
do so even with the additional cost
of the ocean freights. 1t was a very
natural act on the part of the demo
cratic congress, therefore, to put ag.
iricultural implements on the free list,
to put wire also ON the free list, and
the bagging and ties which the south
ern farmer needs and uses for his
cotton. 1t added lumber and laths
and shingles and leather and shoes
and salt and meats, thinking not of
the farmer alone, but of all OF us who
are struggling to live and pay our
bills. But such changes did not COM
port with the ideas and plans of the
trustees and the president vetoed
the free list"
How the price Of farm machinery
has increased in recent years under
our tariff system, and the difference
between the price askedfor American
made machinery here at home where
ii is manufactured, and what is aske
for the same implements after they
have been SHIPPED to Europe and
the cosi Of freight added, may be
seen from tie following excerpt from
an arti;ls in the New York Times as
follows;
Between the years 1900 and 1910,
binders rose from 800 to $3.50; now
ers from s45 to $50; twohorse wag-
ons from $50 to $75; wheat drills
from $110 to s11S; harrows from
$2S to $S4; farm harness from $29
to $S5. Small tools Of every descrip-
ton, cutlery, tin plate and the hun
dred article that 60 into farm pro.
duction, not to speak of the supply
OF the farmers family and the home,
have advanced since 1896 not less
thar 60 per cent.
1T may be interesting to note again
the fact pointed on on Monday last,
in these articles in the New York
Times, that during the same period
American manufactured farm imple-
ments, plows, binders, horse rakes,
moving machines, chaff cutters, we're
quoteu IN the Bradford, England mar
ket, and so reported by our United
States consul there, Mr.. Augustus E.
Ingram, at fall in prices Of from Is
to % per cent, anG at prices mater.
Tally below the domestic (American)
market price.
Run through the entire list Of
farmers supplies and necessaries,
with the exception of binder twine,
which, note carefully is on the free
list Of tariff, and this price-lifting
process is observed. This applies, Of
course, to farm engines, wheelbar-
rows, cinder and wine presses, grind |
ing mills, corn shelters, cultivators,
seed planters, nails and screws. hors '