St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-08-20

Vermont's two senators have spok-
en- well regarding the tariff when
ever the schedules which most close
ly affected the state have been be-
fore the senate for action. Sen.
Dillingham; has been the stronger
speaker, but Sen. Page has been just
as loyal to the interests of his state.
Several weeks ago they showed that
monuments, the value of which is
largely composed of the labor of cut
ting and finishing them, that de-
sired a reduction in the duties on
them and that Vermont granite
manufacturers could not hope to
compete with the foreign granite
cutters without reducing the com
pensation OF labor.
Last week the agricultural SEIZED
ule of the bill was up for discussion
and both contended for the interests
of the Vermont farmer. The present
bill reduces the duty on butter from
six to two and one half cents per
pound which Sen. Page opposed. His
arguments are not at hand at this
the price of butter ia Canada is prac-
tically three cents a pound less than
in Vermont and that Australia is i'm
porting butter into that country, it
will be seen it can very profitably i'm
port butter into this country at the
reduced rate of duty. Under the pro-
posed bill the Vermont butter maker
will be thrown into competition with
the cheapest land. cheapest methods
of making and the best methods of
shipping butter in the whole world.
Under the proposed bill potatoes
are free opening the New England
markets to the french Canadian
farmer whose method of living is so
cheap that the American farmer
cannot prevent him from forcing
down the price.
Sen. Dillingham; said:
In the portion of the industrial
North lying east of the Rocky noun
tains are located " per cent of all
the manufacturing establishments in
the United States and 70 per cent
of all the capital employed in manu-
features; that in those states are en-
ployed rs per cent of all the wage
earners, who receive 81 per cent of
the total wages paid in the manufac-
turing industries of the nation; and
that 81 per cent in value of products
of such industries comes from these
states. Not only this but in these
states are found sc per cent of the
population of the United States, a
large proportion of whom are directly
affected by the provisions of this
measure and the remainder of whom
must be injuriOusly affected.
Speaking more directly on New
England, he said in part:
This market of the New England
states belongs to the farmers of the
United States, who bear all the bur
dens of citizenship and are entitled
to it's privileges and advantages, and
they should not be compelled to COM
pete upon unfair terms with foreign
ers.
What will an industrial depression
in New England mean to the New
England farmer? Let me illustrate
by saying that the census of 1910
shows that Vermont ranked first in
the per capita production of butter
and third in the per capita production
of cheese of all the states in the
Union. And what is true in Yer
mont in relation to the dairy pro-
ducts, poultry, vegetables, fruits, and
other products of the farm is true
of all the other New England states
in greater or less degree. Their
farmers find their profits in suiting
their products to the demand of the
home market in the manufacturing
sections OF that division of states.
How will the pending measure af-
feet the New England farmer in re-
spect to Canadian products?
In this bill the rates are decreased
100 per cent from the present duties
on eggs, milk, cream, potatoes, corn,
rye, wheat, fax, buckwheat, cabbage,
bacon and hams, lard, tallow, fresh
beef, veal, and so forth, cattle,
swine, and sheep. The duties are
reduced so per cent on poultry, but
ter, cheese, apples, peaches, pears.
and so forth, straw, oats, peas, and
horses.t The rates on hay, onions
and barley are reduced so per cent.
And this is done without any reci-
procal Advantage offered to or re-
ceived by any class of producers in
the United States.
He can but remember the dark
days under the Wilson bill in the
years 1895, 1896 and 1897, when all
classes received such staggering
blows that each sympathized with
the other in the sufferings which