Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-21

potatoes for years and are trying to keep
on frightening them. And mind YOU, the
Republican tariff has made il possible
for the New Brunswick farmer to buy
than Maine men could buy it and he has
been buying his phosphate and other
supplies cheaper as WE'LL
Were Mr.. Pattangalls figures true
which they are not-what would he
have the farmers understand from
his sounding phrases about .coun-
tervailing duty?" This declaration is
SO obviously intended to deceive as
to seem sure to miss the mark in any
intelligent audience. If Mr.. Pattan-
gall does not know any better he may
be forgiven, but if he does he is I'M
fit to represent Maine in any capacity.
Let us examine this "eountervail
ing duty" for moment. The pres
ent bill provides, that any of the
foregoing specified articles (provisions
for free admission of potatoes, and
potatoes dried, dessicated or other
wise prepared) shall be subject to d
duty of 10 per centum ad valorem
when imported directly or indirectly
from country, dependency or other
subdivision of government which inn
poses duty on such articles i'm
ported from the United States
First, lad valorem' means accord
ing to value" Ten per cent. of the
value of potatoes coming into Maine
from New Brunswick and the great
provinces of Ontario and Quebec ad-
jacent to Maine, might mean, under the
stimulus of free entry to the L.. s.
market, anywhere from two to five
cents bushel, according to supply and
demand. Yet Mr.. Pattangall gives
Maine farmers to understand that the
% cents per bushel protection which
they have enjoyed remains operative
because of this "eountervailing duty
of which he boasts as Senator john
son accomplishment.
But the full depth Of his deceit is not
reached in this pretense, for he de-
| clares that the whole of New Bruins
wick planted to potatoes would only
make breakfast for us once in SIX
| months. Such a declaration is as silly
| as ii is purposely misleading. New
| Brunswick is nearly as large as tn,
| entire State of Maine, containing 29,00t
| square miles and Maine only AGA. o0l
square miles. 1t enjoys practically tn,
same soil and climate as Aroostool
county and has long hoped and praye,
for the opportunity to enter the Ameri
can potato market in competition will
Aroostook farmers. 1t has cheape
soil, labor, living and fertilizers. 1t
| freight charges are little if any great
or to the best of American markets
| than Aroostook county potato produc
| ers pay
| That is only the beginning of tn
| story. Mr.. Pattangall carefully re
Trains from mentioning other than Ney
| Brunswick. What of Nova Scotia wit
| two thirds the entire area of Maine
| What of Newfoundland with one an
one-third times the territory of tn
| State of Maine? What of Prince Ed
wards Island, with territory create
than the potato area of Aroostoo
county? And. finally, what % thos
| mighty inland empires to the west c
Maine. the provinces of Ontario an
Quebec with an area sufficient 10 max
twenty states the size of Maine? An
what about the "countervailing duty
as applied to these? What does NJ
Pattangall who admits that he woul
have voted for the present tariff bill
think would be the value" of potatoe
in this country, with these great mai
nral potato raising sections going int
the industry? Does he believe that
would mean a tax of more than tw
and one-half cents per bushel? Ca
Maine potato raisers pay off morte
ages and buy the machinery to operat
: their acres on 25 cents bushel or les
: for potatoes? What does Mr.. Pattan