The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1922-03-24
BY "A. E. MILES.

farmers.
The plight of this factory is an ex-
ample OF how the prosperity OF every
interest in this country is dependent
upon the prosperity of practically ev-
cry other interest This glove factory
Is the mainstay OF the town. Prac-
tically all the wage earners work
there When their means Of livelihood
was cut Off their ability to purchase
was gone.
The smaller farmers who had
ready market at their very doors for
their butter and eggs and other farm
products found 1t necessary TO seek
other and less satisfactory markets
out OF town. But when they got out
into the world market they found that
something was happening.
Everything they tailed to sell was sold
at greatly reduced price, but every
thing that they attempted TO buy they
found was reduced only slightly in
price or not reduced at all
The Farmer Whipsawed
Many complicated factors enter into
situation of this kind. but one of the
most important factors is the tariff. |
have shown in a previous article that
In at least two commodities, those OF
sugar and wool, the tariff protection
accorded by the Increased rates on
these two commodities does not reach
the farmer, but stops with and en-
riches the manufacturer
There is a chemical plant In the
state Of New Jersey which makes fer
tilizer product for the Cuban market
Cuba's sugar industry has been prac
tically ruined by so per cent increase
In the tariff on raw sugar Cuba Is
unable to buy the product Of this chem
ical factory. One thousand men are
out OF work, The families OF those
one thousand men would use at least
a thousand dozen OF eggs a week and
not less than a thousand pounds of
butter and certainly not less than
three thousand pounds OF meat, all
products Of the American farmer.
But In the case Of Cuba there is even
q more direct loss OF market to the
farmer
A glance at the trade reports shows
that Cuba is one OF the American
farmers most important customers. In
1920 Cuba purchased of US more than
50 per cent Of all our exports OF hogs.
lard compounds, canned sausage. rice,
potatoes, beans and onions. She rank
ed second among the nations In the
purchase Of our cattle horses mules,
picked pork. sausage other than can
ned poultry. cheese. sweetened con
densed milk, cocoa and prepared choco-
late and corn She ranked third In the
purchase OF hams and shoulders, mis-
Cellaneous canned meat products, hay
and Hour Cuba bought from II during
1919 and 1920 over $S5. 600 600 worth
Of truck gardening and farm products,
over SIS 100000 worth OF live stock,
over $l5.oo0oO0 worth of dairy prod
ucts over $50 100000 worth Of meat
products, over S63 100000 worth Of
cotton cloth and over $50 600, 600 worth
Of manufactures OF cotton.
Farmer Needs Cuban Market
II is pretty evident, then, that the
ket 1t is further quite clear that II
this enormous quantity Of surplus agri-
cultural goods were dumped on the
home market his prices would slump
still more.
Now. where does Cuba get the money
with which to purchase our goods?
The answer is sugar" Cuba produces
4.G00,000 tons OF sugar annually. This
enormous crop Is the mainstay Of Gu
ban prosperity. Ii 1t fails her, she must
go bankrupt. About one-half OF her
output Of sugar she sells in the United
States
If an increased tariff makes 1t i'm
possible for Cuba to sell her sugar In
this country her power to buy goods
here is going to be cut off.
We sold Cuba $513,000,000 worth Of
goods In 1920, and a large part OF
these sales were manufactured prod
uets.
AS in the case OF the little town that
was dependent upon the glove factory
for It's existence and could not buy Its
xlpplles from the surrounding farmers
when the factory shut down, SO In gen
eral. If American manufacturers are
seriously injured by losing such an I'M
portant market as Cuba, II Is going 10
curtall the wages paid 10 labor and In
turn VIII curtail the farmers domestic
market
Ancient Pictures.
Mankind has always loved pictures.
Races, without written language,
have LEFT behind them rude carvings
and murals TO attest the fact. When
an industry arose that appealed TO
this ancient appetite with pictures that
moved, it did not have to wait long to
see whether 1t would die or flourish
A dozen years ago the motion picture
business, as we now know it, did not
exist. Today the American public sup
ports 1880 moving picture theaters,
makes 000,0O0,0O0 visits to them d
year and spends $750,O0O,0O0 annually
for the amusement.-The Nations
Huainoas