The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-02-21

Western Flax and Hemp Interests.
Since the commencement Of the var.
these interests in the West have oeen
growing in importance. The manutac-
ture Of the seed into oil and Oil cake. and
the preparation Of tie fber. hitherto
wasted, into > marketable proJnct, mas
largely increased Bnt both western
p-oducers and man nafacturers labor uu-
der great disadvantages in consequences
Of ina.lequate protection And this pro-
lection is demanded by the manufsctnr-
er. both 70. himself and the producer
The former deems his own prosperity
dependent upon the protection Afforded
the producer bv q tariff upon the raw
foreign product. both Of seed and neer.
I Fkex Sod Foreign seed can now
he imported for less money per bushei
OF 81 pounds than our own seed can
p-oitably he grown for. The duty on
y.llon of foreign linseed oil is % cents;
that On bushel OF foreign dax see'f.
winch wi We'll t~n gallons and one
pin, of oil. is Is cents nominailv, but
really only 3 cents. And most OF the
oil cake manufactured in this country Is
exported 70 En gland thus the drawback
is sure. and the cost of the seed to the
manufacturer who uses it greatly dlmin-
ished.
1t will be seen, therefore, that there is
an oppressive discrimination against the
home producer of seed, and in favor OF
the foreign producer; and against the
Western manufacturer, in favor oil the
seaboard manufacturers. For so long as
the Eastern Manufacturer can import
foreign seed that will make more OH ana
at less price per bushel than the Amer
lean grower can produce 1t, he VIII SO
i'm port it, and thus control the prlce OF
w estern seed Controlling the price he
controls the supply, because he controls
the demand. If foreign seed can be lm-
ported at less price than it can prottapiy
be produced here, as compared with
other crops, home production Is dis
couraged And this affects the interests
of the Western manufacturer for his
products must compete with those OF the
East He cannot go to the same source
Of his seed, because the difference IN tue
cost of transportation of the seed from
the seaboard hither is against him. He
must transfer his manufactory to tie
seaboard. or depend upon Western
grown tax seed for q supDly. he can.
not do the latter unless he can pav
compensating price to the Western pro-
ducer to induce its production; and this
he cannot do and sell his oil and OIL
cake in the same market. aud at the same
price. that the Eastern manufacturer may
offer his products for. Saeh is the po-
sition of the Western fax seed interest
relative to the present tariff
I ufacturer wants the tarin on .ur-fgn ua1E
| seed to equal that OF the present duty
| on an equivalent amount OF foreign on:
And he does not want any drawback al
| lowed on the exported product OF for
eign seed. This, it is claimed, will
place the manufacturers Of fax seed IN
all parts of the Union on u fair footing
relative to each other. and build up man
ufactures anil develop the production OF
this crop Such tariff will oparess no
related interest. but will distribute its
| benefits more equally.
/ BY reference to the recent report OF
the Senate Finance Committee on the
tariff, we find that the duty OF 16 cents
per bushel on foreign seed is retained,
hut no drawback is allowed on exports
%: oil cake manufactured Of imported
lnseed But this is not enough To
place foreign anil domestic producers
and Eastern and Western manufacturers
upon an impartial footing. SO as to pro
cure to each only equal competition
the tariff IN foreign fax seed should be
about tiftv cents per hushei
Tnis vi.v of the q ,estion Of protec
ton for iaese interests is taken without
regard to ctte fns,ner in whici, it NAV al
feet the revelie The value of tho
fax seed imported i'm 1856 is not fal
from four AMI t.alf millions of dollars
+, in gold. with this desired protection
on the part Of Western men. a large
proportion of this sum would go intt
the hands of home pro lucers, and ,
considerable amount OF it into the pock
cts of the farmers of tie West. for /
would enable Western oil manufacturer
to offer prices for that product tia
would stimulate flax culture on on
soils which are peculiarly adapted to tn
protection of both seed and fiber.
The producers of .he West woul,
thereby, and to that extent. be bette
enabled to pay such revenue taxes a
the Government might deem necessar
in consequence OF any diminution of i'm
ports resulting from such taxation.
2. Finr Fsber In the report OF Com
missioner w eiis on flax, hemp and jHtt
aud his tariff recommendation. he ha
ignored the needs of both w estern pre-
4 ducers and manufacturers of this elias
of ibers. He has not only ignored the
interests. but he has positively lnisstate
or suppressed facts which might mat;
rally affect the projects of Eastern 1laI
ufacturers, the profits of importers, an
the ocean carrying trade with 1nai
The relation of the producers and maj
ufacturers of these fbers in the West I
the Eastern manufacturers and foreig
producers, is similar TO that of the set
producers AMI consumers - stated abov
IL Illustrating Mr.. Wells fairness and a
curacy. he states. in substance. that L
dia hemp. or jate, i¬ analogous
nor does it compete with any Of the pr
dacts OF the United States. Il is
cosrser, weaker, and far less Aexib
fiber than that Of either dax or hem
And yet be asserts that IL can he work.
on either heap, dax or tow machiner