The Farm Pays The Cost Of Protection

The exports from this country to ■ England are chiefly food producís ; and raw materials. In these the farmer is chiefly concerned. The! price received for these exported 1 products establishes, in general the j price received for that portion of' the same products that are consumed j at home. The price received for j these exported products is the world's free trade price, less cost of transportation. The disadvantages under which the farmer labors, in comparison with the manufacturer, become apparent, therefore, at once. The manufacturer, in consequence of the protective tariff, sells his product in an artificially restricted market, and henee at an increased price. The price of what the farmer sells being fixed in Liverpool in competition with the world, while what he buys, he is compelled to buy at home at artificially enhanced prices, it follows that he pays the c :st of protection of manufactures, j Since protection fails utterly to enhance the prices of his staples while it causes him to pay an increased price for his manufactured goods, it does him an injustice. The remedy for this lies in giving him as unrestricted a market in which to buy as that in which he is forced to sell. Since he is compelled to sell in the cheapest market he should be allowed to buy in the cheapest. To this end the protection system which is responsible for the injustice should be abolished.