Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-01-18

present law for another three years
because of the manner in which the
law has been administered by this adj
ministration. 1 do not believe it was
the intent of Congress that any
treaties should be entered into which
would make concessions on farm or
manufactured products that we are
able to produce at home My read
ers will recall that in his Baltimore
speech, October 25, 1882, when
candidate for President, Mr.. Roose-
welt said:
"Of course, it is absurd to talk of
lowering tariff duties on farm pro-
ducts. 1 declared that all prosperity
in the broader sense springs from
the SOIL 1 promised to endeavor to
restore the purchasing power of the
farm dollar by making the tariff
effective for agriculture, and raising
the price of farmers products know
of no effective excessively high tariff
duties on farm products. 1 do not in
tend that such duties shall be lowered.
To do so would be inconsistent with
my entire farm program, and every
farmer knows it and will not be
deceived"
In the face of that pledge to the
American farmer the New Dealers
have made reductions on LOG agricul-
tural items that are of a competi-
tive nature. Here are some of them:
Dairy cattle, weighing 700 pounds
or more, from Sc per pound to 1Ksc
per pound; other cattle, weighing TOO
pounds or more, from SC per pound
to &c per pound; swine, from &c per
pound to lc per pound; pork, fresh or
chilled, but not frozen, from 212 per
pound to l 12c per pound; bacon, hams
and shoulders, from SAC per pound
to &c per pound; Cheddar cheese, from
&c per pound to sc per pound; eggs
in the shell, from 10c per dozen to SC
per dozen.
These reductions were made in the
treaty with Canada. They do not
conform to the Mckinley theory of
reciprocity and 1 believe 1 am stat
ing it mildly when l say that they
constitute a breach of the promise
that Mr.. Roosevelt made to the farm
ers of America at Baltimore.
Compete With Foreign Labor.
Of course, many of the big news
papers are for an extension of the
law. Their heaviest advertisers are
the big department stores, all of them
big importers of foreign made goods
The automobile industry is for the
extension because they have been
getting the cream. Other large Amer
lean industries that have established
branch plants all over the world are
also in favor of the extension but
the American farmer and laboring
man who know that these treaties
are throwing them into direct compe-
tition with the labor of other coun-
tries, take their stand with us be-
cause they feel that they are being
traded down the river.
There is only one way whereby we
can have universal free trade and
that is by our getting down to the
living standards of our competitors.
Until we are prepared to do that we
must have import duties that rep
resent the difference in cost of pro-
duction abroad and at home.
Secretary Hull is as clever man
as 1 have ever met. To every ques-
ton propounded 10 him he replied
with speech dealing with world
conditions and our responsibilities to
the less favored countries. Congress-
man Gearhart, of California, tried
for half an hour to pin him down to
a yes or no answer and was unable
to do so. A much more satisfactory
witness was Secretary Wallace, who
answered questions in a frank man
ner and without wise-cracking. Per-
sonally, prefer the Wallace type Of
statesman.