Less Foreign Demand Intensifies Home Competition. 53 



" The report for the year ending August, 1887, thus 

 states the further experience of the Cincinnati market: 

 'Low as were the prices of breadstuff s in the previous 

 year, they touched in the past year (1887) still lower 

 points. The same is true of cattle, sheep, molasses, 

 sugar, rice, syrups, salt, and, during most of the year, 



potatoes.' " ' 



Confirmatory evidence of the above is furnished in the 

 seventh biennial report of the Wisconsin Commissioner 

 of Labor Bureau, according to "Farm and Fireside" 

 journal. ''The depression has been severe since 1884. 

 About this time a rapid fall set in, which continued until 

 temporarily checked by the short crops of this country in 

 1890, and in Europe in 1891 and 1892." . The Commis- 

 sioner attributes the cause of agricultural depression ''to 

 the fact that our power of production increases at a much 

 greater ratio than the consuming power, resulting in 

 what may be called over-production. ' ' 



Exactly, "over-production," produced in part at least 

 by the partial closing of the foreign door ! Just as west- 

 ern production began to move eastward in great volume 

 the rates of protective duties were doubled. Largely pre- 

 vented from passing off over the sea, these western prod- 

 ucts filled full our eastern markets, driving our farmers 

 here into other lines of farming. Year after year the 

 competition grew more intense all over the nation as 

 western and southern farmers multiplied and broadened 

 out into new branches of agriculture. Year after year 

 the production of fatted animals, of hay, of grains, of 

 butter, of many vegetables, of small fruits and orchard 

 products rapidly increased till the eastern farmer had no 

 chance save in a few products such as milk, a few vege- 



* "Recent Economic Changes," 202. 



