New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-09-01
Flax and Hemp Culture.

the late complete fitting out Of an American yes
sci with Foreign. made Sails, Cables and Cordage
manufactured from Russian Hemp. Some OF our
contemporaries are so ilberal and bengbted las the
Free Traders consider ii as TO hold that it would
have been better for National well being III our
Tariff had been so adjusted TO make it the in
terest of the owners of this vessel to rig her In
American fabrics, while the Evening Post of course
reioices at the fact of her preerrng Foreign arti-
Giles. since this proves according to Free Tradel
that our Industry is better employed than IN
making Sails and Cordage and that we have
| bought these fabrics cheaper than we could have
made them 1t seems to amazing that men can
reason after this fashion but then we remember
that our reasoning appears equally fallacious 10
those who amaze But can there be doubt
TO those who will really consider that an article
may often be bought abroad to the immediate ad-
vantage Of the buyer, but to the perman ent dsad-
vantage of the community of which he is a mem
bert Suppose we could hire all our garments
made 25 per cent. cheaper in Europe than they are
now made at home and thsreupon should procure
them from Europe, will any man seriously contend
that our Country would be enriched thereby we
know that the Free Trade theory aftms that all
/ the American labor thrown out OF employ mcnt ny
this change would at once find other work more adj
vantageous to the community, but does not every
man who sees and thinks know better Is 1t not
a matter of every day experience that those de-
prived of employment by the failure Of their bust
ness are weeks and months finding other work
and are almost uniformly compelled to accept
lower rate Of recompense7 Does not the very fact
that the range of employ ment is narrowed by the
1 r h-o. bus tend strongly
to this
But again The assumption that an article
bought abroad is actually cheaper because IL COSTS
less money, and therefore comes IN, seems 10 Us a
grave mistake. Take, for instance, the entire mass
of Wooden Fabrics annually made in our Country
and il is probable that in the absence oil any du'y'
they could be bought in Europe tor fewer do'ia'
than they cost when manufactured here uttaSe
the articles in which these home made iaorcs are
actually paid for--the Wood. Coal Bnck stone
Corn. Oats Hay, Potatoes Butter, MIX Meats
&c. which do really buy these cloths and attempt
TO buy them Herewith in Europe, after paying
TRANSPORTATION. and there would he a woful dehcit'
Many would prove wholly unstable; others would
have persisted during the voyage; ON others the
freight would have more than eaten up the pro-
of products is exceedingly fallacious and unreliable
But to return TO the vessel just ngged WIN
Russian sails and cordage. We have not remarked
10 the discussion hitherto. any allaslon 70 the ia'
that while, under our present hybrid LOCO o.'
Tariff, the importer of Foreign Hemp Is taxed 'A'''S
per cent. on its value the importer Of that same
Hemp manufactured into Sails and Cordase
charged but tcenfy FIRE per cent Here's an ac'uS
] -. IN~>ra,c a ga n
the American manufacture And yet we are toll
= by the concocters of this Tariff nnd Its aPoiogist
that il is quite Protective enough, 4" 1t may be
many in.erests) and that if we don't be quiet
-, shall be made less so. or abolished altogether
=, But again: We believe it Will not be denie
;. that Hemp and Cordsge are anongsthe article
which are dearer now than they were under u
= full operation of the Wing Protective farm
v WHY this is so is partly explained IN the commit
nication below Take the whole mass oil article
on which the duties were reduced by the Iann
ls4s and thew are dearer in the average to-day ths
they were two wears ago. Yet Walker pretende
- TO show that his bill would save Thirty or Fort
Millions 10 the consumers of the Country IN n
prices of Domestic Manufactures.
But what harm, II is asked, has the New Tar
done il the prices OF Home Manufactures are n
generally reduced by ii 1t has done this harm
substituted uncertainty for neutrality-suspicious.
= for neutrality-suspicious. on the fluctuations
Foreign Markets for immunity az sinst them. Th'
far the bulk of our fabrics have done fairly but Il
moment general revulsion or depression in
." n,pe shall food the general market with goods,
CT oar channels of trade Will be choked with thei
And the New Tariff is adjusted that the low
ss the price may be the lower is the duty 50 that
VI Iron, abundsntly protected by duty amounting
VIZ SIS per ton while the price In Liverpool $50 W
I have but g. duty in its favor whenever the hui
80 pean price shall fall to s25. Thus the Al Nslore
49, principle operates to make the duty almost Pi
hib,ory when prices are high. but sinking "
a.. necessity tor its maintenance increases unui
ga goods should fall to 4 nominal price, the duty wo0
o.. be little or nothing Is this statesmanlike
al But We intended tot speak rather OF the grow
%, and preparation for OF Hemp and Flax IN u
%, Country branch Of Agricultural industry VIII
We are sure may be and ought to be largely
creased, under whatever policy. We have
OF abundance OF cheap and fertile soil congenisl
ad' these plants and their fibre may be produced
low cheapy to rival and sapeseds 10 q great exte
dly the production Of Cotton All that has thus Tar
lit dered the extensive cultivation Of Hemp and FL
ex in this country has been the defecuveness of g
ing processes for rorring and dressing them Dewr
Ties ting destroys hall the value Of Hemp wsterr
NJ of ting i. expensive and unhealthfa while the ~
,ms and xr.trhed processes OF Flax dressing hithe
sht tolerated rendered the cost oil sacn dressing es
pine TO the value OF the product and % rendered
Of cul,srs to any extent hopelessiy anpronsse's
.v- all this is nov to be changed There have o.
- invented IN the West daring the last hvs or