New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-29
CONSIDERING THE TARIFF.
THE TAX ON THE FLAX INTEREST.

tho representatives OF the fax growing and flax
spinning interests. Their yews were presented In n
paper read by Thomas Barbour OF tho Barbour Flax
Spinning Company Of Paterson. n. ]. Tne paper was
signed by the committee appointed by convention held
Saratoga July 49, representing the fax growing In
teres of the state ok and by the representatives.
OF laxspinnng companies in Paterson, n d. ana Troy,
Y IL represents that several millions OF dollars have
been expended by than fifty haxspinnng mills IN
efforts to manufacture linen goods I'm the United StAtes
hut that although capital not lacking the American
Linen Company at Fall River, Mass, the Wiilimantlc
Linen Company the United States Linen Company, the
spragne Linen Company and many Others. had had TO
the business This was on account OF the great
DISPARITY OF the labor in Europe and America and
because the protection afforded by the tarih was not
equal to that disparity. There were now about dozen
linen factories in the United States that the industry
might be designated in its infancy, and
as needing such protection as was and Is
accorded to cotton. wOrsted and silk manufactures.
1t uniform duty OF 80 per cent ad Valoem
OH manu- lacturcs Of flax, hemp and jute This would
give impetus to the manufacture OF inc coarscr
fabrics and give value the flax, OF which 100000 tons
are annually burned or allowed to rot IN the western
States 1t recommends that the present duties on raw
and dressed fax and hemp be increased, as protection
to the agriculturists and nax-drcssers rs follows:
Tow. Sl5 per fax, $50 per tom fax ackled) 800
per ton Also Schedule c. paragraph A. be amend
ed SO that where the words "linen yarns" occur
the words "naXtOW yarns DC huDsllbuttu
and place of 80 and 40 per cent al vaorem there
shall be n duty Of 30 per cent all yarns, threads,
twines and woven fabrics made from flax fax tow,
hemp or uto. Also, that paragraphs AZ and 43 Of
schedule be included in the 80 per cent ad
valOrem duty. Also that schedule l., class 3,
paragraph 257 be changed that 1t snail read, Hemp
jute carpeting cents per square YARD and on AL
colored parity cqored Manufactured OF nte hemp or
flax, of which these compose the chief part cents
per square yard except that carpeting by whatever
name known, when made substantially IN
the same manner as Brussels carpeting,
on the warp otherwise, after the manner Of
tapestry carpeting. tapestry velvet carpetng any
otner kinds OF carpetng snail IN each case pay the same
duty as carpetngs that they made 10 initiate.
Also that it shall be lawful TO allow any drawback
on BAGS made jutc, fax hemp. The paper also
Inat there are annually Imported INTO this cOun
try manufactures flax jute nemp to the extent of
about $50 OO0 900, and that large proportion OF those
goods could be made IN this country Under the present
Iarin hemp and It's produces pay average cuty of
about - Der cent ax 80 per cent silk go Der cent cot
TO per cent ana wool 30 per cent, while raw jute
only pays an average duty ol 20 per cent and manulac-
tuicd jute goods - 10 30 cent, tnaj jue
gOous comparatively without protection.
I'm reply to questions by the COmnss oners Mr. Bar
bour stated he employed 1000 persons his
= 500 in and LOO IN Paterson. rhe Paterson
factory mad been running Tor fourteen years, ana tne
Irish factory for century. lie had carefully compared
me wages paid DOh, and knew thai tue wages paid in
Tor the same kind of labor work people here dd
LAY up any money than those Ia ireland but
nram ssson, OF Eagle Bridge, N Y, made a state
mont IN the interest OF the haxsQ"ors 81 inc STATE Of
NewYork lie SAID mat 800 pounds 81 lax 20 the acre
good YIELD and tnt tle price was ABOUT ten cents
UsIp
raised tnere entirely Tor the seed and
tAe straw The cost laoof there great TO
al ow OF tue treating The flax for It's ire.
Mr.. McNahOn-A maj would DC the practical effect or
putting ax. ncmp and jue on tue Tree rs, and leaving
the the manufactured drucles just az II II
Mr sissUl-lt would destroy the cuurc OF flax in this
county We could not compete with foreign countries
,lr BARBOUR the prior witness. asked whether a
pccno uuy ad ValOrem duty was better Tor linen
tnat there wOud De great difficulty III applying II ~
give UNIFORM prOtecton Ihcre was no cnance Tor
M tIII ne "A mi
soaP, ", rs ~ I pHar row. in Ireland
,ir Medallion asked MI Barbour what would be the
,r - a. tha nor a pomnd OF FAX would be raised m
the United Tor nUrc and tnaC not pound OF hemp
would be Raised IN Missouri or kentucky. There might
he some rai,ed for seed
John sloan OF Now-York City, next heard He
SAID tnat he somewhat familiar with cul-
ture. and perfectly tamiar with the manufacture,
OF jlte There were sN or eight jutc maEufac-
turing establishments in the United States.
There was one III Brookyn, one IN New-fOfk city, one
Paterson, and one or Two IN Icnnsy Inc cap
i.al inye.io about S2OOO,OOO. The de
mand FOR Jutt goods was amos unlimited ana the ques-
ton wac wat proportion Ol them should Da maze in
ms country. The OILY Jute cultivation III tns country
that climate and soil w,rr favorable To It's growth;
uut ulfhcuy III the expense OF getting the
hble and making 1t meichan.aDc COMMODITY Even
tine cneAp nand labor IN the south could NOT compete
had no mechanical device TO gCt at the
nDrc cheapy. Dat OF t"c 2OOOOOO bales of jutc pro-
ducei in India only $4,000 bales the United
states. Jute different thing from jutc butts,
duy Oh wulch 50 ton hlo tnat Oh jute Vas
a ION. he thought that IL the duty iutc bntts was
taken OIL the cuiuy8tlon OF Jule III TINS country would
b discouraged. lie di1 noC boevc that either tine
mo, al retention Of the duty would affect
baggine which Was regulated by the ques
Mr. sc 4anon c4cd attention to the fact that in SCI
the duIy on ju.e QUITS Wa fixed - "A ion; IN 1862
mi 81 in 1870 at 80; n 1872 duty was removed
ana Ia 1870 II AGAIN placed al % per ton. lie
asked whether sloan knew any reason this back
ing hug Mr.. sloan could not say positively, but
he Presumed tha there were certain influences brought
10 Dear where they could do the most good.
T. A. uarlsnOrn, OF Troy, y. y. manufacturer OF fax
ana hemp goods, was TIE next gentleman be
Commission. lie read statement embodying
tine facts winch ne "sheI 10 present lie sad THAT for
seventy years ia1 had Deen grown IN New YORK STATE
Ia Quantities and of quality quite suitable
Tor nearly all Kinds OF yarns, threads linens. In
many nearly ali the Northern lax had
been grown aud good hDre produced He recommended
that duty be- increased Oh flax not hacked, lax
hacked ana IiaX TOW. Most excellent hemp grown
la Kentucky ana Missouri and IL would DC IA natinoal
calamity to put stop to It's cultivation
maj the cultivation would unless protected by
duty on iorelgn hemp. The present duty flax and
hemp yarns, twincs threads and cOtns especially the
er sorsJ insufficient He su @gcsed tat tne duty
snou. pc 30 per ad yalOrcm all manufactures
lax, nenp and Jute; ana predicted that, with the
cncouIa cement thus gwen to the home manufacture
OF these goods they would be steadily cheapened The
nnesI goods could Oe fabricated Ia ths country,
Mr. McSahon a4kcd what the objection to putting
flax hemp ana Jute ON the Tree list just silk anu
raw cotton now Oa The free list
Mr. Har snorn replied that that would spoil magnl-
SD q tou Jute war not lelI ana il was conf
denuy believed that, III The near future the cultivation
u,e tine souh would b. as great all interest," and
Profitable AZ tina; Of cotton.
mr. Mcsianou-Then, OF course, you would put a duty
o cOttOnf
Mir Harlsnorn-I would II its growth not now so
great "A success II could produce
inns country as we nnding out That cam, would
encourage It's cultivation by putting tax on imported
silk
Mr. Kenner-If the duty on imported hemp taken
or would that Affect The cultivation OF hemp in this
country
mr. IIartshorn--I do not believe that the cultivation
would for three years II the duty OF 50 ton were
taken II you put nte on the TREE ls the people
experimenting on II Will abanaOn thcir eX-
pcrime1its. 49,.
MI Kenncr stated fact within is own knowledge
that pDier IN Louisiana had grown twenty acres
oil lute iuat was quite equal To tue Indian article The
soil and O the south were peculiarly adapted 70
the culture of Jutc