Less Foreign Demand for Products. 43 



duties levied on such goods, which are imports in other 

 lands. This item may exceed all other costs put together, 

 and be so large as to cause a certain loss if such goods 

 are sent to some nations. The exporter's examination of 

 tariff charges will show that all, or nearly all nations, 

 save the United Kingdom, impose duties on American 

 products, often to the point of prohibition. In conse- 

 quence, that small free trade country, hardly more than 

 a spot in extent on the world's big map, annually takes 

 half or more of our agricultural exports. Is not this fact 

 strong, presumptive evidence that these hostile tariffs of 

 other lands (generally recognized as retaliatory for our 

 own high duties) exclude our farmers' products from 

 those nations! 



Mark, too, the effect that the free trade s^^stem has had 

 on the industry of the United Kingdom. Agriculture in 

 consequence has become unprofitable. To a large extent 

 the people have been driven into manufacture or into 

 mercantile pursuits. In other words, free trade has 

 given our farmers a far larger market there, and the 

 same cause would produce similar results in other na- 

 tions. 



There is another ''hard-headed business considera- 

 tion" which causes a loss of trade to our farmers. When 

 the exporter of any foreign land is determining with 

 what country he will have dealings, he is likely to find 

 that some grades of every class of manufactured goods 

 cannot be sent to the United States because of our heavy 

 taxation of imports. A market is found for this portion 

 in other joarts of the world. Often this will be an agri- 

 cultural country. Well, when the cargo is discharged the 

 next step is to load for the return voyage. Whether that 

 foreign exporter is in the United Kingdom, or in France, 



