Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-21
The Underwood
Tariff as It Affects
Maine Agriculture

tected list and put most of the products
! of the North on the free list. Its
opponents everywhere declared that
| it's effects would be disastrous to us
her in Maine, but do you know how true
this prediction was? Do any Of you ap-
preciate how dark and forbidding were
the clouds that hung over in those
months from October, 1913, to August,
1914? Have you ever analysed conditions
in that period to find out what this I'm
derwood tariff was doing to you? Have
you ever figured what it cost you? These
are real questions, vital questions-not
questions that have been settled, but
questions that are bound to recur very
soon. 1t seems to me, therefore, but fit
| ting, nay, it seems essential that In or
| der to prepare for peace and for the 70
sumption Of business under this same
! law, when European commerce shall
! have been restored, that some consdera-
! ton be given it in this important political
campaign. l am, therefore, going to
| take up today specifically, in as simple
and practical way as possible the prin-
cipal branches of agriculture in Maine,
and discuss from facts and figures the
| effect of this law upon them. I propose
to show you how it robbed us Of our
home market: how it had begun to lower
the standards of life; how it was bank
rupting prosperous Maine concerns afr
| lated with agriculture; how it was ruin
ing whole classes of farming industry;
and how it was arousng the opposition
! of the voters to its unjust classification
and rates all through the North wherever
it's paralyzing influence was felt. Nothing
but the European war. which put every
thing on the protected list, and which
suspended from that hour the unjust and
F., iniquitous operations of this law by the
| abrupt cessation of foreign commerce and
the call of foreign labor to the trenches,
relieved the farmers of Maine from bust
ness depression to a degree unheard of
before in the history of our land. and
which must ultimately have brought us
to complete business prostration and
widespread bankruptcy. And finally. 1
want to emphasize this assertion that if
this law continues to prevail. as it will
spite of all it's assertions to the contrary,
these conditions will again be restored
at the close of the war, and the effect of
the Underwood tariff will be felt with re-
doubled force upon you and me and all
along out northern border. Is not this,
therefore, a subject worth considering?
Dairying.
Dairying is an important industry in
Maine. There are in the State today
10000 cows. Under the new tariff law
the duty on butter was reduced from six
cents to two and one-half cents per
pound,-a reduction of about 60 per cent
which had a prompt and serious effect.
! This reduction was equivalent to throw
ing open our butter market to Canada.
Argentina, Siberia, and other butter
producing countries, and as will readily
be shown. butter came from these coun-
tries in almost unlimited quantity. From
October /, 1872 to July 81, 1913, 1000, 900
pounds were imported, valued at 1872 600.
In the corresponding 10 months one year
later, under the Democratic tariff, the
like imports had increased to 1855, 200
pounds. valued at s1,700,O0O. This was an
increase of 66s per cent. in imports from
reduction of 60 per cent in the rate of
duty. The imports of butter in 1911 and
1912. for five months, was $4,000 pounds.
The first five months of 1914 after the
tariff became effective, there were 4,472, 0O1
pounds, gain of All per cent. Most of
TINS great increase in imports occurred
In the winter months of 1913 and 1914, and
the prospect of continuing with still
greater imports, was having serious eff
feet upon our domestic butter market
when the war broke out. The effect of
this tariff was brought to my attention
with particular force from the fact that
1, am interested in small way in the
manufacture of this product being part
owner in creamery which for many
years had done a thriving business in my
own town. We employed II people in the
manufacture of butter and collecting of
cream, and from IL to 20 horses. In less
than one year after the Democratic tariff
went into effect. the factory was closed
| the people thrown out of employment,
I and the product Of 1000 cows turned in
other directions. The past summer the
FACTORY has been operated, but not with
the Maine cream. every pound of cream
coming from Canada that has been
manufactured into butter, and where the
duty was five cents per gallon under the
Republican tariff, it has come in free, and
our farmers have suffered this unfair
unjust competition. because conditions
are so entirely different on the other
side OF the line that to maintain the high
standard OF living we must have protec-
ton. as we cannot compete with labor
paid from 20 to 40 per cent less over the
border.
Condensed and powdered milk have also
been placed on the free list. and the
change in tariff has had a depressing er-
feet upon this industry. In 1911 and 1912,
the two years combined, the value of
fresh and condensed milk imported was
$4,000. The first five months after the
new tariff went into effect the imports
amounted to $1,6520OO, or an increase of
1900 per cent. Moreover. new arrange
ments have been made for the importa-
ton OF much greater quantities of con-
densed milk. and while this product con-
tains approximately % per cent. sugar,
coming in as condensed milk the sugar
duty is avoided, as we'll as that on milk
Foreign manufacturers. taking advan-
tage of this opportunity. have offered
their products at a reduced price, in or
der to gain a foothold in the American
| market. SO that many American manu-
facturers have not only curtailed their
production, but in some instances have
closed their plants.
| Fresh milk was being sent from Canada
l "a ha Gtota