Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-11
THE TARIFF AND AGRl-
CULTURE

Considering the effort being made
by those wishing to discredit our
tariff In the eyes Of the farmer the
Significance Of certain fundamental
facts set forth by Secretary Jardine
in his annual report Is worthy OF
more than passing interest. He
sees, as must all, that the tariff
most affects those farm products
which are consumed in this country.
He also sees--and this Is important
the evidence that the time IL ap-
proaching and not far or when most
Of our agricultural products will ba
needed to meet the demand OF
home consumption.
BY that time the industrialist,
compelled to seek foreign markets
for his surplus, will care less about
4 tariff and more about getting food
products for the Industrial workers
at the lowest possible prices. There
already is great benefit to the farm
er, II not to the wheat and corn
grower, to be found in high wages
and continuous employment in the
cities. These now are had under a
protective tariff. Labor also is
protected additionally by the immi-
grafton laws. The farmer will be
well advised to go slowly in this
matter Of reducing tariff rates.
The secretary has this to say:
American agriculture is moving
steadily toward a position In which
the home market will absorb more
and more of its total production,
whereas industry, on the other
hand, is becoming increasingly de-
pendent on export sales. In com.
paratively short time agriculture is
likely to have more need of effective
tariff protection than industry.
A few figures will illustrate this
significant tendency in our economic
life. In 1901 our agricultural ex-
ports made up 65.2 per cent OF our
total exports BY 1913 the proper
ton had dropped to ass per cent.
There was an increase during the
war to sos per cent in 1919, but
after the war the downward trend
was resumed. In 1925 our agri-
cultural exports dropped to 44.2 per
cent of our total exports. In the
year ended June 80, 1925, the pro-
portion was only 4o.s per cent
Meanwhile industry has been
steadily increasing the proportion
Of its export trade. Alone among
the great Industrial nations the
United States has increased the
flow OF it's industrial exports since
the war. Already we are exporting
nearly 10 per cent of our manu-
featuring and mining output, COM
pared with about Is per cent Of the
production of our farms. Unques-
tionably, moreover, the volume of
our industrial exports is destined to
increase yet more. Industry has
acquired an export surplus problem
nearly as acute and difficult as that
Of agriculture. 1t is therefore less
interested in the tariff than 1t
formerly was. AS a matter of fact,
there is a large financial and in
dustrial interest which already holds
that American industry is outgrow-
ing tariff protection.
1t would be in the highest degree
unwise for farmers at this time to
launch an attack on the tariff with
out carefully considering the pos
sibility that in the near future they
may need it more than any other
economic group in the country. I
have said that I can not venture q
guess as to where the balance Of
advantage lies between agriculture
and industry at this moment in re-
gard to tariff advantages. That is q
point that can only be settled by
detailed expert analysis of tariff
schedules and commodity prices. I
firmly believe, moreover, that In
every possible way the tariff should
be made equitable as between agri-
culture and industry. Nevertheless,
I am obliged to dissent strongly
from the doctrine that the tariff is
of no benefit to the farmer at the
present time; and am still more
strongly convinced that the relative
advantage OF tariff protection will
swing definitely to the side Of agri-
culture, as the dependence Of our
farmers on foreign markets grows
less and that Of our industrialists
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