SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I. 89 



does he object to any individual schedule, which the needs of revenue, 

 or the protection of labor requires. He does object to a policy under 

 which we desire to sell everything and take nothing. He does object 

 to schedules which are fat higher than che needs in the case warrant." 



Now it is very gratifying to me, and I presume to all of you re- 

 presenting agricultural interests, to find that a very large and power- 

 tul element of Hie manufacturing interests are allied with us in this 

 movement. They feel the need of greater markets, they have reached 

 the question of their surplus, and find the market abroad is as essential 

 to them, as to us. It is only a few of the great manufacturing interests 

 that are standing in the way, and which as Mr. Roosevelt says insists 

 on keeping their feet in the trough. The great iron and steel interests 

 the manufacturers of rails, all ship plate and all structural iron particu- 

 larly. Everywhere men are beginning to see that we can sell an enor- 

 mous quajitity of our manufactures abroad. 



In 1892, I made my first visit to England and Scotland, and I was sur- 

 prised to find in every Scottish Village American axes and saws and nails 

 for sale, for less than I could buy them in Kansas City. In 1902, I visit- 

 ed the Royal Agricultural Show which was held that year at Warwick, 

 on the grounds of Warwick Castle. They number everything that is on 

 the ground, put it in a catalogue and if it is for sale, the price is given, 

 and I found almost every agricultural instrument I am acquainted with 

 for sale on the grounds at that place in 1902, for less than they could 

 be bought for in Kansas City and I brought back a catalogue and nau 

 it verified by implement dealers in Kansas City. In 1903, I was over 

 there again, and I found in every town of consequence in England, Ameri 

 can shoe stores, an euoimous sign "American Shoe Store", and I found 

 I could buy American shoes of precisely the same character that I had 

 been in the nabit of buying in Washington for about 20 per cent less 

 than I could buy them in Washington. I found barbed wire for sale in 

 Liverpool for $2.50 a hundred when it was $2.75 a hundred in Kansas 

 City. And so on. If they can sell it at a price, that I know is at a good 

 profit over there, then we can ease up a little, on these demands which 

 they make for us on this prohibition of competition from abroad in some 

 articles. If they can compete with the world in the worlds markets, let 

 them compete with the world in our domestic markets somewhat, and 

 thereby encourage the purchase of agricultural products, for foreign sup- 

 plies. What does Mr. Pratt say as to that point? 



"There are two phases of this question to which I shall for a moment 

 ask your attention; both are economic. The first has to deal with the 

 effect upon our manufacturing interests of the continued selling of raw 

 material, machinery, finished goods, and other exported articles at lower 

 prices to foreign consumers than they are sold in home matkets. 

 This question is oiic- of grave depth; it needs careful consideration. To 

 what extent this is done I am not prepared to say; that it is of almost 

 universal practice I have full knowledge." 



That is a statement made by a great hardware dealer to the associa- 

 tion of American Hardware dealers. Is it possible that it would not have 



