THE FARMER'S INTEREST. 1 97 



which the farmer's productions are eventually exchanged. 

 Taking this view as being undoubtedly correct, we are 

 unable to understand why the laboring farmer, who 

 throws on the market his barley, his oats, his apples, his 

 small fruits, his beef and his pork, should be exposed to 

 a world-wide competition to reduce the exchange value 

 of his labor to the minimum ; while, on the contrary, the 

 manufacturer's labor must be so protected that he may 

 be enabled to force consumers to pay the maximum price 

 for his hours of labor. For, is it not the admission of 

 the meddlesome legislator, that the tendency of free trade 

 is to reduce the price of articles exposed to free competi- 

 tion ? If not, why favor the free import of raw materials 

 in the interest of the manufacturers ? 



But we will go a little into particulars to show how 

 protection in Canada has served the agricultural interests. 

 In the fiscal year ending with June 30, 1887, the free im- 

 ports of goods classed " animals and their products, and 

 agricultural products," composed about 6^^ per cent, of 

 the total imports into Canada. The three fourths of a 

 million dollars of fruits, seeds, and trees, lately put upon 

 the free list, increase these classes to above 6f per cent, 

 of the total import. 



In the fiscal year 1887, grain and grain products, ani- 

 mals, butter, cheese, lard, meats, sausage casings, vege- 

 tables, tomatoes, canned vegetables, seeds, trees, and 

 green fruits, to the amount of $4,908,145, were imported, 

 on which, within a fraction of $800,000 in duties was 

 levied. To this dutiable import, by adding the $6,437,- 

 219 free imports of farm products (omitting tobacco), we 

 have $1 1,345,264 to represent the imports of farm produce 

 for that year. By a little calculating it will be found that 

 these imports paid about 7 per cent, into the treasury, and 



