The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-09-29


Henry w. Oliver, OF Pennsylvania a. NJ.
Garland, OF Illinois; Robert =. Porter, OF
the District of Columbia, and A. X. Bote-
ler, OF West Virginia, members OF the
United States Tariff Commission, reached
this city Nom Wilmington, n. c., yesterday
morning, Ind at II O'Clock met in the room
OF the Chamber Of Commerce to hear such
OF our citizens as had opinions to express
relative to changes needed in the tariff.
Mr.. Hayes, the president Of the Commits
sion, called the body TO order, and said that
they were present for the purpose Of hear
ing statements from individuals or corpora
tions bearing upon the revision OF the
tariff. They invited the utmost freedom OF
expression, and. being businessmen,
wished to be talked to as businessmen.
WELCOME TO RICHMOND.
Mr.. X. f. Blankenship said:
Gentlemen, n,-On behalf OF the Chamber
OF Commerce and OF the businessmen OF
Richmond | welcome you to our city, and
] express the general opinion OF our peo-
pie when | say that we are in hearty accord
with the spirit which prompted the forma-
ton OF this Commission. While many OF
us are protectionists, and perhaps aS many
more free-traders, we believe that the time
has come when the tariff should be prompt
ly revised. There are n great many things
in it which require attention. Ii can only
be done by commission OF gentlemen re-
presenting the best interests OF the country,
and we hailed the appointment Of this Com
mission with great satisfaction in the be-
lief that its labOrs will be OF great benefit to
the country.
Again, gentlemen, we welcome you to
Richmond.
FREE FERTILIZERS.
Mr.. William G.. CrenShaw. president Of
the Atlantic and Virginia Fcrtilizing Com
pany, and vice-preSidcnt OF the Sulphur
Mining Company Of Virginia, addressed
the commissioners not TO tax fertilizers, but
in favor Of duty OF 50 per ton on sulphur
pyntes, which is about the present duty on
the copper and iron contained therein, but
under the recent ruling impOrtatiOns have
paid only 20 per cent. on valuation OF 50,
while the same imported into England has
been invoiced ut an average OF So for the
last fifteen years. Sulphur pyrije5 enters
largely into the manufacture Oh commercial
fertilizers, and Mr.. Crenshaw's company
are mining iron pyrites in considerable
quantities near TOlcrsvlle. Va. He said
that there is any quantity OF this article In
Virginia, and that its successful develop
ment is only question of cheap transpOrta
ton, and it is an infant industry in the in
terest OF the agricultural community.
Mr.. Crenshaw said that the Virginia py
rites is absolutely pure, While the Spanisl
pyrites contains arsenic.
sUMAC.
! Mr.. w. Y. Jones, OF Petersburg, sccre
tary of the Sumac Manufacturers Asso
citation OF Virginia, appeared before th'
Commission and laid before it a mcmoria
advocating a change from dd UdtOrem TO
specific duty on Sicily sumac, and also ad
yocated an increased duty on East lndi
tanned goat and shecp-skins, hoping there
by to largely increase the consumption o
Virginia sumac.
Mr.. Jones stated that the manufacturer
OF Sumac had found it very improbable a
the present prices; that last year thcr
were twenty-five manufactures in thi
State. and now there were only twelve o
thirteen. The others had TO succumb 70
the simple reason that they lost money Il
the business.
As eolng TO show the interest OF the pee
plc OF Virginia in the sumac trade, MI
Jones said that in the gathering and curin
OF sumac some 100000 or 800, 900 people
men. women, and children-were en-
plovcd i'm this State for from two to thre
months in the year. lie also stated tha
with a higher tariff, the article could !
} proftably cultivated in this State, and th;
the cultivated article is better one tha
that found growing wild.
TIE IRON INTEREST.
Mr.. r. f. Blankenship, president Of Il
! Old Dominion Iron and Nail-Works, sal
that the views OF the ir0n-manufacturerS
| Virginia were correctly represented in Il
t resolutions recently adopted by the col
yention held at CresSon, Penn, whiC
would be presented to the Commission
' due time bv a committee OF that CONVEX
fion. The iron interest OF Virginia hi
heen built up entirely under the presel
: tariff. and in some parts Of Virginia irOl
ore is almost regarded a. an agricutur
: nroduct-the farmers in the James-Riv
Valley nearly all having it on their land
b lie alluded to the large iron-iuInaces
: ro,dv in existence, and the great Victor
furnace, soon to be put Ill operatloh' IL
h Iiron-manufacturcrs want to be let alone,
Il If any change is to be made, thlt the uu
should be put up little.
a Mr.. Blankenship, in answer to an
y couraging question from Mr.. boteier' 81
that we are essentially working peopI
d and he stated how we had taken Richmol
d in ruins and built her up, ana, Darrll
G como of the worst legislation in the WOr
d I'm reference to our state deDt), the pre-
o meets are hopeful, and he believed that
State is richer now than ever before; III
7, is. counting the negroes at the same va
ii as formerly; now they belong to themseiV
instead Of to other owners, but are as VI
!, liable as ever to the state,
n Mr.. Boteler You say that the lntrodl
s. ton of iron ore free OF duty would be We
d disastrous TO Virginia!
Mr.. Blankenship: 1t would be indeed
Mr.. Boteler: II has been very stroht
l. urged on the Commission TO recomuie
< that iron ore be put on the free list!
:. MIR. Blankenship: | read with go
n deal OF curiosity Mr.. Abram >: heWi'
= statements before this Commission III
le Paul. and l turned the paper ups
< down and crossways and have not be
y able to understand it yet. cannot ma
T. anything OF it.
y WORKING PEOPLE,
~ Mr.. Boteler: Is there not an awakehl
" " feeling in Virginia to develop her
r. sources! :. ,-,.o,;
Mr.. Blankenship: We are IN Nirgr
essentially q working people. There Is
A people on the face of the earth that We
- harder than the people Of Virginia.
~ ~ ISG5 this whole city was in ruins. so
q. o. .34O houses in the principal business p
( ton were destroyed. We did not cole'
~ doiior NJ insurance. Our currency was
~ ~ solutely worthless and all our property
o % Guiding that in slayes) destroyed;
y" w. started with nothing but our hands
~ n' "mr M ability to work. You see to-day
-. % c;tv which we have built up, and what
ne been done in the State. ,, o;.,
ov ov In In all my acquaintance in this city I