The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-19

sertion is made the reply has frequently been that the country was assured in the presidential campaign of a year and a half ago that the trusts, so-cslled through the kindly influence of the Payne Aldrich tariff law. fixed prices for food constantly changing these prices upon a rising scale.
 anything-and nobody can say whether il does or not--then the accusation that the trusts which were favored by the old tariff law were responsible for high prices of food was unfounded. Since october ae- cordng to official statistics prepared ir Washington, there came' to the United States from other countries, principally Argentina. 50.o0o,0eo pounds of fresh beef Yet in spite of this comparatively large importation, the price of this beef to consumers has not decreased but instead has increased. The Washington authori- ties figure that large IS the total of beet importations is-nearly 5o.OO0.000 pounds in four months-yet in comparison with the population of the United States it is an in- significant importation. It averages not more than half pound. probably less than that. to the per capita popula tion of the United States.
 What the Figures Show
 Apparently, therefore. there must be . very much larger importation of dressed beef if there is to be any marked effect upon the cost price to American consum- CTS Some of the experts have said that this importation did to some extent pre- vent a greater increase in cost of fresh beef to consumers than that which is actually reported. If, however, in four months the American people can absorb nearly D,o0O.0I0 pounds of dressed beef fattened elsewhere than In the United States without preventing an increase in price it is evident, the experts say, there must be very much larger importation if the price be favorably affected so far as the consumer Is concerned.
 The new tariff law may therefore, in the course of the year, lead to constantly in- creased importations of fresh meat so that by and by these supplies from other lands will begin to reduce the cost of beet a great deal
 A Great Change
 How great the change in our recent life as a nation which produces food has been is more strikingly illustrated perhaps in the Washington reports which are of. ficial that tell of other food commodities which have been imported since the new tariff law went into effect. The figures are for only four months, beginning ir October of last year. We received from other lands. principally Argentina, in those four months 1000 000 bushels of corn Yet. strangely enough, if the new tariff law is to be reckoned with, the price of corn per bushel in March of this year was ii cents greater than was the ca last year. This may be accounted for by the fact that our corn harvest of last year was considerably impaired.
 But the wheat harvest of last year was not impaired. It was almost a record Yet we imported between October and February 1 nearly 1,5O0000 bushels of wheat, or approximately 100000 more than we imported principally from Canada. in the like period of the preceding year. The farmers should not complain, however since the import price of wheat after the new tariff law went into effect was great CT than was the case in the like period oi the previous year. Statistics of this kind are spoken of by the experts fin this city as very puzzing. No one can tell what the effect, if any. of the new tariff law upon the cost of food commodities has been or whether there has been any ef- feet at all. and the best opinion seems to be that it will take at lea st a year certainly several months. after the har- vesting of the crops next summer. before it will be possible to determine authorita- lively what the effect of the new tariff law upon the cost of foods to the Amer. ican consumer really Id.