The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-07-02
WAYS AND MEANS COMMIT
TEEREPORTS BILL FAVOR
ING HIGHER BEAN TARIFF

8, 1918, entitled, can act to reduce
tariff duties and to provide revenue
for the Government, and for other
purposes" having had the same under
consideration, report it back to the
House without amendment and recon-
mendthat the bill do pass.
The economic Importance to a ma
ton of being in a position to produce
all the food it consumes was proven
beyond dispute during the World War.
Statesmen of England now condemn
their course of free trade in farm pro
ducts as a menace to the national
safety and defense and responsible for
England's dependence upon foreign
countries for food. The pitiful plight
of certain unfortunate countries Of
central Europe that are unable to feed
themselves is evidence that can not be
ignored. To encourage the importa-
ton of farm products and render the
nation dependent upon foreign coun-
tries for food is short-sighted and in
defensible economies that can only re-
suit in disaster.
America is blessed with an area,
climatic conditions, and soil fertility
to make possible the production of
several times the quantity of food we
consume. Temporary lower prices
might be obtained in certain food COM
modities by encouraging imports from
abroad, but it would be a grave econ
omic mistake to favor any policy that
will render this country unable to feed
itself and such policy can only result
in serious food shortages and increas-
ed prices in times of deficiencies in the
worlds production. He who talks
about the importation of farm pro-
duets as a means of reducing the cost
of foodstuffs for the American people
is only arguing in favor of an event.
ual crisis in the food supply which
would stagger the nation.
The United States has several times
the area of land we'll suited to the
production Of sugar beet or sugar
cane to supply the country's entire SUI
gar consumption. False prophets have
told us, however, it would be cheaper
to import it from abroad; free trade
in sugar has been consistently advo-
Gated and duties have been reduced,
with the result that America depends
upon foreign countries for the major
portion of her sugar requirements. A
worlds sugar shortage now exists and
America is paying the price. Con-
gress a few years ago listened to the
demands. for "free print paper" ~Afs
ter the duties had been removed, do
nestle production decreased. The re-
lief was but temporary. A shortage
now exists that has driven prices sew
eral hundred per cent above prices
prior to the removal of the import
duties.
In October, 1919, representatives of
bean growers of several States APP
peared before the Ways and Means
Committee in behalf of legislation to
increase the import duty on beans.
They claimed the present import duty
of 25 cents per bushel was wholly in
adequate and that in the absence of
some further check on imports, espe.
cially from the Orient, the production
of beans in America would steadily
decline. According to the Bureau of
Crop Estimates, Department of Agri-
culture, the total production in the
United States in 1918 was 2O,818,9O
bushels. Of this amount New York,
Michigan Colorado, New Mexico, Ari-
iona and California, the six big COM
mercial States, produced 17,379,000
bushels. In 1919 those six States pro-
duced IL ,488,000 bushels, falling off
of 35 per cent. A further decline in
acreage planted is announced il the
Monthly Crop Reporter for May. Fol-
lowing is the official statement:
Reports under date of May 1 show
an intention to plant only II per cent
as large bean acreage as last year
in the main bean-producing States:
New York, 80 per cent; Michigan, rs;
Wisconsin, 70; Colorado, 65; New
Mexico, 80; Idaho, 100. California
60 per cent of all varieties, limas be-
ing 80 per cent and other varieties as
per cent of last year.
The total importation of beans for
the year of 1913 were 1,048,297 BUSH
elsf the major portion of which came
from Europe. Japan, however, is now
flooding the American market, and i'm
portations of beans from Japan have
increased over 1000 per cent since
1913. During the 1O-month period
ending March 81, 1920, imports of
beans from Japan alone reached a to-
tai of 1,976,000 bushels This is near
ly twice the quality imported dur
ing a 12-month period from the en-
tire world.
The following statement appears
on the cover of the May 81, 1920 num-
Der Of the Manufacturers Record,
manufacturers periodical published in
Baltimore:
For many years. due to the trend of
the population from the farm to the
city, there has been in evidence a de-
cline in the per capita production of
food, and the end is not yet in sight.