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

imported 6ber that comes SO directly
and extensively in competition with our
6ax and hemp products "a jats.
During the war, the importatious ot
iute, eunny bags. and gunny cloth were
interrupted. and An Eastern demand for
flax tow sprung up, which Was supplied.
to Z considerable extent. by the estab
lishmens of mills in the West for ths
preparation of tow from the tangled
fiax straw hitherto permitted to rot, or
burned on the farms, after threshing the
seed from it. With this product, jats
and imported jute goods come directly
in composition in the American market
And the prod action and manufacture OF
hemp is similarly affected hv these inn
portations. Jute. - Mr.. Wells says,
can be and is manufactured upon the
same machinery as dax and hemp. To
such an extent is it substituted Tor these
ahers in Eastern mannfactories. - TO
entirely DESTROY the market there for
Western prepared Sax tow. The annual
waste OF hsx tiber ia the West, resulting
from this want of paying market for
the same. is estimated at $4,000 tons.
No one can doubt the ability Of the
West to supply all the fax and hemp
fiher needed to meet the demand for the
class of goods manufactured from jute.
In 1875. the Importation OF jute and jute
fabrics amounted t, 45.774 tons. Before
the war. the State Of Missouri alone
produced 10000 tons Of hemp fiber
Kentucky is also q hemp producing
State. And there is no limit to the
amount W. ich may be produced in Illi-
nois and other Western States, both OF
hemp and q TX, with ade liat. encourage
4 Al IL II
foundations for its culture raa trf'n''s 8
requires a home market for the straw or
prepared fiber TO develop his branch OF
.husbandrv amazingly, and thus diversity
and add to orir resources for wealth.
But with the &c, ,00o tons OF flax fiber
| now wasted in the West, because itsscon-
sumption is supplanted bv jute-and that
| is an under, rather than an over estimate
together with the capacity for ~
ed hax and hemp production which
would develop on all, no existing rnana-
featuring interest need suffer. no mill
need stop, and none need | e .iie, in
consequence of the exclusion of jutc
/ from The country. And since Mr Wells
| :ee;ns so soucltoas to- e .<:to, !, ii
# the manufacturing industry .of th.'
c ,untry, we may assure him and Con
/
| ern producer ~ill result in the devel
~, sIr- nstta, tvas.,-.5 -v,1o- r,s.-,ss' T
home grown fihrous materials in pre-
| cisely the same proportion to the demand
r consumption in this country of these
coarse manufactures. that the admission
OF jute. duty free, will develop the man
atactnre of that fibre.
I It - Sfinpry n qrscsoron or wu-rfzcr ~
shall grow, on our uncultivated cheap
lands. what we manufacture, or not
Mr. Wells and the Senate Finance Com
mite seem to have an car for the man
ufacturer. but not for the Yves .sfs. 49,.
ducer. Shall more than one 50 of IL
iastrv he developed here nrctee
ton of the Government Shall ths
money we send abroad be kept in tn,
country to develop its industries and en-
rich its people Shall we C, mel skill
ed labor, now supported abroad, to 70
move niti,er and consume and make 1
home market for our fihers and cereals
The Western minlfac.urer of fberi
is interested in securing protection fol
! the producer against the import .tinn o
forei n tibers, because. with the differ
ence in trans portation from the seaboarG
west against him. he cannot compel.
with the Eastern manufacturer in theil
|
that grown at home.~And the home
grower must be protected from, competi
ton with cheap foreign fibers, if he pro
duces supply. i ea. ass scs5sI- s
The report of the Senate Committee
which. we understand. embrares sub
sta, TALLY the recommendations of Mr.
Wells in this respect, protects the man
ufacturer of the foreign fiber in thii
country from competition with foreigr
manufacturers, but 1t does not adequate
ly protect the domestic producer In
deed. in some cases, existing tariffs ar
diminished. The TAX proposed on Rus
sia hemp is S2o per ton; it is now $40
; On the tow of hemp. 35 per ton it i
now SO On inte. sisal erase. and othe
: vegetable fbers, s. per ton; it is no,
Sl5 per ton Thus. il will be seen, tina
what was bad for the home producer,
4 is proposed to make worse
Contrast this proposed protection Wit
5 what the experience of Western MANI
y fact.rcrs has proved necessary w
quote from letter written by q promis
ent Western manufacturer to our Sen:
+ tors in Congress .sTo give the Wes
: fair chance in the adjustment Of thi
s question. in addition TO the duties o
manufactures. there are needed dutie
: on imported dax and nax tow Of At lea.
II $50 per ton: the same, or nearly th
a same. on hemp and hemp tow, and, mo-
. Of all, $50 per ton on juie, and $50 p,
j, ton on jute butts. when the latter are in
q ported separated from the finer portion
a. of the fiber of the jute plant
u 1t is proper to say in this connectio
70 that these ..jute butts are imported at
n cost of p cents per pound, and large
~ used in the manufactures Of gnnny zbal
e. and other coarse materials coming mo
G directly in competition with Westel
u hax tow. as prepared here for manufa
20 ture- z sad ss-t.s~sT ri usss.s@s
O. Such is fair presentation Of the ma
ner in which Mr.. Wells, in his reeoI
ie mendations, regards or comprehesds q
p best interests of the country, and d
"a manner in which he labors for the ge
VI erai good We regard II daxi rahIa III