The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1940-02-01
IN THE USE OF STATISTICS II

IN THE USE OF STATISTICS TO
clinch an argument, there is tendency to
take those figures which support a conten-
! ton and omit or slide over those having an
equal bearing on the case but tending to sup
port another conclusion.
| Prime example of this is the current
argument on trade agreements, slight var
iation of the old high tariff low tariff debate
which prior to new deal days, divided the
Democrats and the Republicans.
/ 1t is not uncommon to read figures on
| the imports of farm products during the
| trade agreement years, used to show that
Secretary of State Hull has bartered away
part of the home market. Equally impress
sive figures are compiled in favor of the
| plan. So confused is the resulting situation
that the National Grange and the Farm
Bureau have parted ways on the trade agree
ment program, although both are primarily
interested in higher prices for farm pro-
ducts. The Grange sees grave danger to the
farmer in the plan, the bureau believes it
has benefited more than it has been harmed.
Assistant Secretary of State Henry F.
Grady summed up the case for the trade
treaties in recent article in the Christian
Science Monitor, from which the following
paragraphs are excerpts:
The Heterogeneous program was de-
signed to aid farmers and other producers
throughout the United States who had been
severely injured by loss of foreign markets for
their products Between the relatively pros
porous years of 1929 and 1882, when the de-
| preston reached its low point, American farm
erS lost market in foreign countries for more
than billion dollars worth of products, to say
/ nothing of their greater loss in the domestic
| market. In large measure the loss of this for
eign market may be attributed to the erection
ir,nr,a frad 1Occ nf
than billion market abroad represented about
one-fifth of the total loss in farm income be-
tween these years.
In 1888 the value of agricultural exports
had increased by about rs per cent, as compar-
ed with 1882, or from 662 million dollars to 1913
million dollars. The agricultural exports val
ued at 1913 million dollars for 1888 were the
largest since 1880. No claim is made that all
I the increase in agricultural exports since the
inception of the heterogeneous program has
resulted from concessions obtained in trade
agreements 1t is significant, however, that con-
cessons wide range of agricultural pro-
T ducts have been obtained in every agreement
and that there have been large gains in our ex-
ports of such products. t.-irs
The essential point is that, when excessive
| trade barriers are lowered Or removed Ameri-
can farmers are able to sell more of their Sur
plus production abroad and to obtain better
prices for their products both at home and
| abroad.
.' The benefits of trade agreements to agri-
culture are not limited to improved access to
foreign markets alone. The effect of the pro-
| gram on the total market outlet for farm pro-
ducts at home as well as abroad must also be
borne in mind when appraising the results of
| trade agreements Increased exports of in
dustrlal products mean increased industrial
purchasing power among city workers in the
United States for farm products.
Agriculture, dependent as it is, not only
upon foreign markets but also upon the gen.
eral prosperity of the nation has as much if
not more, to gain from such program of trade
liberalization as any other major part of the
nations economic life. 1t is important to agri-
culture, therefore, that concessions be obtained
for exports of industrial products as we'll as
for agricultural products. The trade-agree-
ments program has reopened export markets as
whole. For the two Latest full agreement
years. 1898, total exports of all products to
Encouragement countries averaged 81 per cent
greater than in 1934-35 Substantially a pre-
agreement period) while exports to nontrade-
agreement countries showed an average in
crease of only 38 per cent.
While benefiting the farmer as a producer
for markets both at home and abroad, the
trade-agreements program also benefits him as
consumer. In effecting duty adjustments on
commodities which he consumes, it makes such
commodities available to him at lower costs
Excessive industrial tariffs have frequently
been condemned by farmers as an unfair burd-
en-. While it is difficult to calculate statistic
ally the exact cost of industrial tariffs to
farmers, they are known to constitute an ex-
cessive hidden tax upon them. In practically
every agreement concluded thus far, carefully
considered adjustments have been made in the
duties on products consumed directly by
farmers.
MINNESOTA COMMISSIONERS OF
conservation is a job which few men would