The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-02-06
DEMOCRATS ATTACK FARMERS TARIFF

The Democrats in congress are preparing for an assault upon
the protective tariff. Their program calls for an effort to revise
schedules downward by pecemeal this session of congress, and the
open threat that if they get control of the next congress they will
repeal the protective tariff in its entirety.
Free trade bills introduced by Senator Walsh, of Massachu-
sets, and Representative Weller, Democratic member from the
city of New York, would put all farm products on the free list with
very few exceptions, and in these exceptions the present schedules
would be drasticaly lowered.
It would appear the Democratic party has a grudge against
the American farmer. 1t was due to it's deflation policy inaugu-
rated in 1919 and 1920 that the agricultural and livestock interests
of the country were brought to the very verge of ruin.
The last congress of the Wilson administration
in both hOuses-passed a farmers emergency protective tariff bill
in the face of determined opposition by practically every Demo-
mittee, was one of the leaders in the opposition to a farmers tariff
at that time. After the congress passed the tariff, President Will
son vetoed it.
Democrats in congress put up the same opposition to the
farmers protective tariff in the special session of congress called
by President Harding in the summe of 1921.
Now they are endeavOring to repeal those schedules of the
tariff which protect the farmer.
The argument of Senator Walsh, Representative Weller and
other Democrats is that the tariff on farm products has increased
the cost of living to the city wage Garner. They attribute the high
prices charged by city retailers for food to the protective schedules
on farm product. This is because they lack either the intelligence
or the courage to go to the root of the matter and expose the real
cause of the tremendous spread between what the farmer gets for
MS produce ard what the consumer has to pay for it.
The falacy of the position that high retail prices for food have
any connection with prices received by the farmer for what he
produces is illustrated by the price of wheat and bread. A pound
loaf of bread, which in pre-war times cost five cents, now costs
ten cents, an increase of 100 per cent. The flour from which this
bread is made has increased in the same period from Sab a
barrel to $3.50. The standard of computation in the baking bust
ness allows 28O loaves of bread to a barrel of flour. The margin
between a barrel of wheat flour and the price of bread produced
from it in pre-war times was 1857. The margin today is SPILL.
Somewhere between the flour barrel and the breakfast table in
those cities prices have doubled and it is within the ranks of their
city constituency that these Democratic politicians will have to
look for the cause of the high cost of food if they really wish to
ascertain the facts.
What is true regarding the relative price of wheat and wheat
flour compared with that of bread is true Of practically every other
food product.
Representative Weller in an interview states that the farmer
is deriving no benefit from the tariff. Representative Wene
makes that statement largely because he knows nothing about thu
farmer, or farm conditions. His congressional district lies in tn
upper section OF New York in the apartment house district, wher
farm sentiment is very hard to guage.
If he desires the truth regarding the sentiment of farmer
and livestock interests as to the effect of the tariff, he shoul
consult the records of tie United States tariff commission, whic
has on file protests from % jcany every farm organization
livestock association, dairy z SC alton and other agricultural as
sociatiOns against any Lowering q the present tariff schedule
on farm products.
Not only have the western farmers pt rst2d against an
reduction in the present tariff schedules, but d~ing the last 81
months the tariff commission and other authorities have bee
bOmbarded with requests from agricultural sections for the il
crease of tariff on farm products by the application of the flexib
tariff law which permits the rates to be increased so per cent.