The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-09-28
HOT AIR TARIFF FOR WEST

Kansas City Star; In the pending
tariff bin the western farmer gets a
paper duty that fails to benefit him,
that is simply written in the bill as a
bluff. But there are plenty Of other
industries that get excessive protec-
ton that Will increase the cost Of
what the farmer has to buy, and that
will injure the foreign market where
he needs to sell.
Let's take a specific example, not
a big one, but used because so simple.
The high protectionists have piled the
tariff on lemons and nuts and raisins
and olives and a few other such
things that California grows. No one
has a grudge against California, eli
mate and all. The records show that
even under the present tariff her in
duStries in the articles mentioned are
expanding-pretty fast, too. But Cali
fornia wanted the tariff liked on
these things way, way up-more than
100 per cen in some instances. And
she got the advance. Its going to
raise the price of the scent nut bar
to the children, they say, / cent or
two; other things proportinately. But
no n would kick about that to help
good old California grow faster.
But here is where Kansas gets it in
the neck. The raise is high enough
to shut out a lot Of Italian nuts and
lemons-that's the purpose. And
Italy has that nue., less tC buy
Kansas wheat with, and has to hike
owe n try to swap some of her
olive oil to Rumania for some OF
Rumania's wheat. The sensible thing
would to have spread some Of the
development of California's budding
industry out a bit-not rush it so in
such perilous times a these.
Translate the California incident to
the big manufacturing industries, like
cutlery, glassware, and crockery and
the like, where the tariff barriers
have been put up too high and you
have it over again IN a larger scale.
For giving an 20. X" to these high
tariff barriers, higher than ever be
fore on many, many things it is fair
Kansas farmer gets. The tariff on
corn is the worst swindle in the bill.
With this country raising around
5000, 000, 600 bushels-unless the hot
winds have played too much havoc
the annual imports Of a few million
bushels have about as much effect on
the price as a flea bite on a dogs
back.
The test of the tariff on wheat is
how it has worked. The emergency
tariff became effective, May Is. 1921.
1t provides a 25-cent a bushel levy.
Only scents more is proposed now.
The 25-cent duty was to do wonders.
Yet wheat has gone down, and down
until now it is we'll below the dollar
mark on the farm. That's not theory;
it's a fact. The tariff hasn't SEM the
wheat down. But 1t has been utterly
ineffective in keeping 1t up, and so
will the new tariff be. That's because
the wheat price depends upon the
lilo "a ioo tudt 10 SldlIil-
ed for the wheat schedule that it may
influence northern spring wheat some
6 cents a bushel. They have to use
charts and diagrams to draw round
about curves to show where it benifts
Kansas.
Much the same is true OF hog and
hog products. AS the country Is near.
ly balanced on beef production and
butter fats and produce, these sched-
ules may have some benefit In help
ing to strengthen the local market.
But for this protection. which weak.
ems his wheat position abroad, the
farmer will have to pay his little, but
certain toll on nearly everything he
uses. As n cruel commetary on the