The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-10
HIGH FOOD PRICES AND TIE.
TARIFF.
scarcity of Bccf. Eggs and Corn
Keeps Things High. hut Lower Tar
in Tends to Check the Rise.
Springfield Republican.


Renewed agitation over the high
prices of various commodities that
hgure in househmoid budgets seems
to be due mainly to the prices of
eggs, potatoes and the like. Natural
causes account for the cost OF food in
most cases. There is now a chronic
shortage i'm the meat supply which
cannot possibly be remedied until the
production OF meat animals is great
~ Increased on the farms and cat
tie ranges OF the continent. There
was shortage this Year in the potato
crop OF some OO,OOO.OOO bushels
COMPARED with 1912.
Corn. OF course is high because OF
the short crop this year. which was
100000 900 bushels under last years
record harvest. Inevitably. wherever
corn is an economic factor i'm food
products prices have tended to rise.
IL Is impossible to have drought like
tiat OF last summer i'm the West and
Southwest without paying for it.
There is some growing about the
tsrin in this connection. Where is
the anticipated decrease i'm the cost
of living? 1t would be absurd to ex-
pect low tariff to compete with two
months OF drought as an influence on
the price OF cereals Nature is an in
comparable factor under all fiscal
conditions. Nut IL is certainly better
to have these grains and potatoes and
eggs and other foodstuffs on the free
list at such a time than to have du-
ties levied on them. Meat is coming
from Argentina, potatoes are being
imported from Europe and Canada,
and so are eggs and dairy products,
In larger quantities than would have
been the case had not the tariff bars
been lowered. The effect Of this for
eign trade has been, on the whole, to
the advantage OF this country. Prices
would have been higher still under
the old fiscal conditions.
The effect OF the new tariff is O.
subject that no one can yet consider
except In the most tentative way. The
decreased duties have been in force
lest than two months, and II is ridi-
culous TO Judge the legislation at the
present stage. Every manufactures
possibly exposed to foreign compe-
ution says that We must wait q year
at least In order TO be sure what the
results will be. Judging solely by
the fluctuations OF prices since Octo-
Der 1. IL Is quite as clear that lower
duties mean lower prices, in some
cases, as anything else under the sun.
For. in the iron and steel industry,
there Is no possible doubt that for
midable decline in prices is now i'm
progress.
Politics aside. the question OF high
prices, which Is not the same precisely
M the question OF the high cost OF
living. has always been recognized In
non-poiitical circles as one that could
not be written as a mere .ariff equa-
uon. Yet the tariff cannot be ignor-
cd. We believe that. In this country,
with conditions as they are, the re-
vision OF the tarir downward was a
necessary first step in any procedure.
humanity possible. for the reasonable
regulation OF the prices of goods and
commodities I'm the interest of the
consumer and for his protection from
extortion either by rniddlemen or by
combinations of producers and manu-
facturers. The next steps are still to be
taken. So far as food prices are con.
eerned 1t Is to be hoped that IT may
never be necessary TO so so far as
some cities I'm Germany have gone in
eliminating middlemen entirely,
through the establishment OF muni-
cipal markets which undersell the
regular retailers.
But in the direction of a stern war
fire against extortionate combina-
tions of producers or middlemen, the
United states government will surely
60 whatever political party may be
in power. The old high tariff will
never be restored. Production will
De increased on an enormous scale in
furm products and manufactures by
the elimination of waste and the per-
fecuon OF methods, and IL people ac-
quire saner ideas about thrift and the
wickedness OF luxurious living, so
much the better.