Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-05-31
Tariff Robbery.

That every farmer and every household
In the land is not only now compelled TO
pay heavy tribute to special interests, but
will be forced to pay more by reason Of
highly discriminatory features Of the pend
ing Hawley -Smoot tariff revision bill has
been clearly revealed during the debate in
the House Of Representatives while that
bill has been under consideration during
the past two weeks For proof of this. one
does not have to rely on Democrats who
are opposing the bill. for abundance of it
may be had from Republican sources.
During the recent debate, Ruth Baker
Pratt. Congresswoman from New York, not
only read into the record severe denun-
citation of the proposed three cents a-pound
duty on sugar made on behalf Of the work
ing classes by William Green. President of
the American Federation of Labor, but
also herself declared the proposed levy,
which will take tribute from every house.
hold in the land could not be justified. 1t
is proposed to make the duty on refined
sugar three cents per pound and that on
Cuban raw sugar "a cents per pound. Such
duty would amount to a tariff exaction
from the American public Of more than
$30O.OO0,000 per year, for no matter
what price sugar may sell at, three cents
of it would be due directly to the tariff.
And this proposal is made for an industry
which is able to supply less than one fifth
Of the total sugar consumption of the
country, an industry largely in the hands
of few beet-sugar kings and an industry
which in large part employs Mexican peon
labor. Thus not only would American
laborers be not benefited by the sugar duty
but they as well as every housewife in the
land would have to pay toll to the beet
sugar trust, which even under present rates
is harvesting enormous dividends some of
the companies at the rate of more than 40
per cent annually and much of this on
watered stock.
Not only would the farm homes pay 80
per cent or more Of the tribute proposed to
be levied in behalf Of the beet-sugar kings,
but the farmers are already paying huge
exactions to special interests which are
the particular beneficiaries of the discrimi-
natory tariff policies of the Republican
administration. policies which have already
brought serious distress upon the agricul-
tural industry and which 1t is now proposed
to make even more discriminatory under
the proposed Hawley- Smoot tariff bill. This
was shown clearly on Republican authority
few days ago when Representative Brown,
OF Wisconsin, Republican. placed in the
Congressional Record comparison of prices
on farm implements in 1914, under the
Wilson Democratic administration, and in
1929:
In 1914. the price Of an ordinary hand
corn shelter was So. Today, according to
Representative Brown. is $3.50, an in
crease Of more than 100 per cent.
A walking cultivator for which farmer
paid $lS in 1914 now costs him $3S, an.
other increase of more than 100 per cent.
A riding cultivator which cost S25 in
1914 now costs the farmer who is able to
buy one at all $62. an increase Of almost
$50 per cent
A sulky pillow for which farmer paid
$40 in 1914 now sells for SIS.
A Intersection harrow which sold for
$l8 in 1914 now sells for Sal.
A moving machine which cost the farmer
$45 in 1914 sells in 1929 for SOS, an in
crease of about 10 per cent.
A self-dump hayrake which sold for S28
in 1914 now sells for SIS.
A wagon box selling 10 1914 for $i6 now
costs $3.50. an increase of 1875 per cent.
For farm wagon which cost the farmer
$S5 in 1914, he must pay $50.
grain drill which sold for S84 in 1914
now sells for $l65.
pillow which cost the farmer $l4 in 1914
now costs him just double. or $28.
A set Of harness for which farmer paid
$46 in 1914 now costs him SIS, and so
the list might be continued at length.
Compared with ten or more years ado,
when there was Democratic administra-
ton. the farmers dollar is now worth less
than 70 cents. In other words. what the
farmer gets for what he produces has not
increased in price anything like the things
he must buy. and many of the proposed
rates in the pending Hawley -Smoot tariff
bill would widen the disproportion in tariff
benefits from which the farmer is already
suffering and intensity the discrimination
practiced against the agricultural industry.