The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-08-05
Food Imports
and the Farmer

WASHINGTON. August e. me
beginning of Rome's decline came
when the Italian peninsular became
incapable of producing its food supply.
Every other country that becomes de-
pendent on imported food faces the
same DANGER" said Henry c. Wallace
(publisher of Wallace's Farmer) re-
Gently after conference with War
ren G. Harding.
Mr. Wallace's reasoning makes peg
tinent these facts: For the fiscal year
1920, ended June 80, last, our total
imports aggregated $5,239, 100000 in
value, of which about 81 per cent ocn-
sisted of foodstuffs. or about s1,400.-
O0O, 900, compared with $4O6,000. 900
I for the fiscal year, 1913, the last under
the protective policy and a peace year.
Since the passage of the Wilson-Un-
1914 the value was $467 900 900: in 1915
1913, there has been steady and
rapid increase In the value OF food
stuffs imported into the United States.
and the quantity has risen as well. In
1914 the value OF $467, 100000; in 1915.
it went to $510,O00.0 900; in 1916, TO
$563, 900 900; in 1917. when we had
been in the war less than two months,
to $679.00O.OO0.
In every year imported foodstuffs
measured about so percent of the to-
tai. This included the two classes
known as (a) "foodstuffs in crude con-
dition and food animals" and (b)
''foodstuffs partly or wholly manu-
factured." However, it is when we
apply the Democratic free list to class
(a), the class in which the farmers
are Immediately interested, that we
discover the type of friend which the
farmer has in the Democratic party
when 1t comes to protecting his in
terests. That application shows that
in the fiscal year 1914, nine months
of which was under the Democratic
tariff policy, 81 per cent of farm prod
ucts under class (a) came in duty
free, IS per cent were free last year,
and 88 per cent came In free during
the fiscal year 1920. The fact that
certain Southern farm products bore
duty alone saved those entire i'm
portations from being on the free list.
Such was the present Of Mr.. Wilson
to American agriculture. About
$500. 100000 worth of imported farm
products paid no duty for the fiscal
year Just ended.
Now, it is quite true that these
heavy importations during the past
four or five years have not seriously
disrupted the home market for the
farmers. Coincidently we have been
making huge shipments abroad to
feed the warfrng nations of Europe
and our own military forces, and to
make up food deficiencies in those
countries formerly depending upon
Russia and other agricultural coun
tries for sustenance, to feed Poland
and other small nations bereft OF food
supplies. This trade has been wholly
abnormal, and must Of necessity de-
cline as the tillers OF Europe return
to their fields. In the meantime, how.
ever, foreign food producers have be-
come firmly entrenched in the Amer
lean market. and their lines are
strengthened every day that the Dem.
ocratic tarin law Is In operation. II
they were able to establish sales
value for their products Of $1,4OO,.
000, 900 in the demoralized year Of 1920
what will they be able to do in 1871.
or by 1924 under q continuation Of
the Democratic tariR policy7 It will
require somethfng more than farm
loans to save the American farmers
then. And the loans win - dikicult
to sQueeze from declining Industry.
These nye SONS of TIE thlneS the
American fAFn1or Viii think ob0uf BE-
tween now aAd November. bearins In
mind thai M Hnrding has klifmed
p belief f. the portsctivs policy; I