Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-21

cultural product of erroneous Honey
value, considered either individually or
| by comparison with our other aeH-
| cultural products. About 50 per cent. OF
| our farmers raise chickens, hence. eggs
may be said to be universal food. In
| fact, this industry has been considered
| of so great value to our people that the
| United States government has had
large refrigerator car, painted wnlte'
bearing on it's sides the inscription u. 3.
Department Of Agriculture. Poultry ana
Eggs Demonstration Car" travelling with
| a corps of efficient demonstrators
through the entire southwest
| This business has grown to such ire
mendous proportions that no arithme-
J tic can keep up with it, and the eggs and
poultry produced on the farms OF the
United States are worth as much as the
hay crop. or the wheat crop. and nearly
four times as much as the potato crop.
Our own Department of Agriculture in
Maine has deemed it of sufficient I'M
| portance to send one of their best men
to advocate and teach to the farmers the
best methods of production,-all of which
has my hearty approval. And yet, the
Underwood bill has eliminated the duty
| of five cents per dozen, and opened our
markets to the producers OF the world,
and this free trade measure has brought
to our shores great quantities of this ar
ticle, a product that means much in the
domestic economy of farmers, and their
wives and daughters.
| In 1911 and 1912, under protective
tariff, not single egg was imported into
this country, but the first five months OF
| 1914, after the Democratic tariff had be-
come effective, 3,791 900 dozens of eggs
were shipped to our market, valued at
$l.63O,OOO, and during the 10 months from
the time eggs were placed on the free list,
to the beginning of the war. 100000 doz-
en- of eggs were brought into this coun-
try. This was an increase of five times
the imports during the corresponding
period one year before under the Repub-
lican tariff. Many thousands Of dozens Of
these new imports came from China and
Japan, where farm laborers receive abou,
AZ cents per week.
The Chinese are very skilful in the art
of preserving eggs, and improved systems
of refrigeration have been installed in
ships to a great extent, and these condl-
i ditions make it easy to carry eggs and
other farm products to the United States
from the most distant countries.
The reports from our consuls abroad
show that during the fiscal year which
ended June 80, 1914, shipments of eggs
from Shanghai alone, in China, amounted
to 100000 dozen, and that these were
landed on our western seaboard. Similar
shipments of eggs from China to United
States have recently been much less than
expected, not only because of the ex-
traordinary war demands in Europe, but
also because of the withdrawal from ser
4 vice of many merchant vessels by reason
of the war.
The opening of the Panama Canal per.
mits such shipments to be forwarded
directly to ports on the Atlantic seaboard
Last winter ship from China went
through the Panama Canal to New York
with great cargo of eggs. Be-
cause of the war these eggs were
sent on to Europe but in times
| Of peace such cargoes will be
landed for consumption in our markets
| In fact, Notwithstanding the war, a
great cargo of Chinese eggs was landed in
San Francisco last winter. 1t has been
announced that since the opening of the
In the port of New York at an average
Vegetables and Fruits
The summer hotels. which open in the
early spring for the entertainment OF
visitors from all over the land, open a
market for fruits and vegetables which
has proven most profitable to the agricul.
turists of Maine, and has increased our
production along these lines very ma.
rso1J u
tries have also been established through
out the State, and by the scientific pro-
cesses of canning and preserving, a large
market in many edibles has been secured
for our farmers. 1t is no exaggeration to
say that these canning and preserving
industries have been of tremendous bene-
fit to the farmers of our State in open
ing up new markets, and to all our peo-
pie in providing additional opportunities
for employment and bringing increased
wealth into the State. AS our soil and
natural resources are especially well
adapted to a very abundant production
of food products, which. through the can
ming and preserving industries can readi-
ly be carried to every country, it is par
ticularly to the interest of our people
that every reasonable encouragement be
gwen 10 the development OF these INDUS
tries. Their development is for the well
fare of all the people of the United
States, and so great are the resources
waiting to be used for similar develop
ment in every state of the Union that
there is no occasion whatever for en-
couraging the Importation of canned
goods from. foreign countries.
4 The development of a great production
throughout the United States is what is
really needed for the welfare of consum-
ers as well as producers, and yet the
Underwood tariff made very severe re-
duction of the rates Of duty on vege-
tables, and even more drastic reductions
on fruits both in their natural state and
when prepared or preserved.
Under the former Republican tariff, APP
pies, peaches, ounces, cherries, pluus
and pears, in their natural state, paid a
duty when imported, of Is cents per
bushel. The Underwood tariff cut down
this rate to 10 cents per bushel, a reduc-
ton of 60 per cent.
There has been a wonderful develop
ment in the production of fruits in this
country under the protective tariff. Most
of us can remember the time when ex-
! cept for such fruits as apples, pears,
1 peaches, berries, ETC., our country i'm.