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364      THE COMMUNIST

pressed though it be in railroads, factories, etc.) are equal because they are both "capital," but concealing that they differ not only in magnitude, but that one is subjected to the disadvantage of being robbed by the other. Thus we see that the poor farmers, who see the rich farmers dodging taxes by influencing assessors, etc., who know that the rich of both city and country evade paying taxes in all ways devisable, are forced to pay inequitable taxes while most of the country roads they use go unimproved, their schools are inadequate and the government, from the State Constabulary and Sheriff to the National Executive, represents only a growing burden that pillages him, aids all his enemies and calls him and his sons for imperialist cannon fodder.

(f) Again, the inescapable advantage of finance capital is shown in the matter of tariff. The average tariff on agricultural products is now 22 per cent, while the average of all duties is over 40 per cent. But it is complete folly in a country dominated by manufacturing industry amalgamated with and dominated by finance capital to expect tariff consideration for petty bourgeois agrarian capital equal to that claimed by finance capital. This would again pre-suppose the "equal consideration" between two inherently unequal factors, one of which is seeking to subject the other and finds the factors, one of which is seeking to subject the other and finds the inequality of the tariff an actual aid in extending its domination over the other. Therefore, the tariff advantage will continue unless and until, firstly, finance capital has secured sufficient control of agricultural products through marketing monopolies to establish higher tariff as a monopoly benefit; secondly, finance capital, in fear of a nearing clash with the revolutionary proletariat, makes tariff concessions to agriculture at the expense of the proletariat to win the agrarian petty bourgeoisie to its side against the revolution and for fascism. In neither case, of course, will the majority of small farmers gain anything more substantial than a hope, for even in the latter case the lion's share of what the proletariat is robbed of will be extracted from the agrarian bourgeoisie by finance capital.

The tariff is now an offensive weapon of imperialist capital, the lack of tariff on agricultural products aids it to subjugate petty bourgeois farm capital. Higher tariff may be expected, however, if finance capital is successful in getting a monopoly marketing control through Hoover's Farm Board "co-operative" scheme to the extent desired by it on agricultural products, enabling it to take the offensive against foreign production. But here once more the impossibility of "organized capitalism" is revealed. Higher tariff is an attack through increased prices on the proletariat (which will not remain passive), reducing the market demand and accentuating