256 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



countries abroad to Avhich those products go ; and the fact 

 that our manufacturer here is paying two dollars a day as 

 wages to his workmen has nothing whatever to do with that 

 price. If the tariff was reduced and the workmen in New 

 England only got one dollar a day, the price of wheat, of 

 pork and of beef would be just as great, because the demand 

 would be just as great, and that is the only thing that con- 

 trols and regulates the price. [Applause.] I say, — and 

 I know whereof I speak, because for nine years I have 

 been travelling among farmers in the eastern States, — I say 

 that farmers are suffering more injustice from the present 

 tariff, they are feeling the effects of it more seriously, 

 than any other class of people in this country. It is an 

 unjust thing from which in great mercy they ought to be 

 delivered. [Applause.] 



Mr. Myeick. It is about twenty minutes past five, a 

 little too late in the day to open the question of the tariff. 

 Can we not take up one or two other subjects which were 

 brought out in the very excellent address to which we have 

 listened? The essayist referred to the matter of co-opera- 

 tive fire insurance. I have made some study of that ques- 

 tion. I knoAV that in some States, notably in the State of 

 New York, the farmers are saving an immense amount of 

 money by insuring their property themselves in their own 

 companies, limiting their risks to their own property, so 

 that the expense is limited to the actual loss by fires on 

 farms, and they do not have to pay the losses by fires in 

 cities, as they have to do when they insure in the ordinary'' 

 stock companies. I would like to hear from any gentleman 

 who has had experience in this particular. I believe a 

 co-operative insurance company has been started in this 

 State, the president of which is here, Mr. Douglas. 



Mr. Douglas. It is pretty late in the day for me to 

 attempt to say anything that will enlighten this audience. 

 It is so late that they are rapidly going out, and I believe 

 if I should talk here for ten minutes I would clear the hall 

 entirely. 



We farmers of Massachusetts, belonging to the Order of 

 Pati'ons of Husbandry, have been looking up this matter of 

 fire insurance for years ; it is part of our farming business 



