New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-05
PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE DUTY or CORK

There Is much excitement among the cork I'm
norters and manu- aoturerS OF this city regarding the
tarl Oh cork. American manuiacturers ana spanish
imr orters have sent memorials to Congress on the
subject taking opposite sides on the question. ne
present agitation has risen from petition presented
10 Congress by American FIRMS ~ TINS city asking
that tho present al yaorem duty OF 80 per cent on
corks and cork bar manu- actured shall be changed 10
a specific duty of 80 hundred pounds. he petit
TONERS assert that the change VIII give better pro-
lection to American factories. as the industry Oi
cork cutting is new in this country. aud that the
INSCRIPTIONS spanish or Portuguese houses VIII
then be prevented from bringing their goods 10 thlS
countr, with fraudulent invoices. " with or with
ont co luslon' In this way. II IA added the grow
ing industry will be saved from competition WIN
Spanish and Portuguese cheap labor The petition
states that the proposed change Will give an IN
creased OF duty on some cOrksi ana decreased
rate on Others tho latter being the highest priced
or champagne cofks.
lanes Trnslow of Truslow 4 Co.. dealers in corks
at No 2l9 Pearl ST.. said recently; We need III
creased protection IN order TO compete WIN Iofegn
beer md " inc corks American machiLery has placed
the American machinery -Cut cork IN advance OF
the foreign hacd-cut cork. Now, "a foreign cork
bark ~ tree. and American machinery is being IN.
troduced in spain and Portugal. whence about an
the cork bark comes We need protection against I'M
portatons especially pan Sh anu Iotug'se Iaoor
is much cheaper than ours
Francisco Llado 4 TO. have taken very active
measures against The proposed change and have
issued circulars To all tho boiing interests vi the
country. M Llado said the other day Aiew cork
houses eudcavorng TO get control oil the corh IN
pottatOn and manufacture OF this country lie
proposed change IN the thTIl n equNaIrht 10 Ah
Increase of the duty from % 10 loo per cent, nc
cordug TO the 0uality Of the cOrks. The amber OF
houses engaged IN importing IL not moro Than Ten,
ana threu OF the principal ones OF these Will control
the importation and manufacture OF COrks II the
change il made. Tho new tariff would destroy tho
business OF cork importing houses and wnen tLeSc
are killed OIL these few firms coul' raise the price
of corks az their pleasure The pr0po-d change Will
affect boitlrTs of vine. beer. medicines aud min
eral wa ers The proposed duty would exclude
:mportcd corHs altogether, except one or two kinds
of the finest qualities, which cannot be
manufactured here. and those are used IN
very small quantities. The second and third quail
ties are used principally tor beer mineral waters.
wine. and medicines With the proposed change
few manufacturers have al tho Ootters 1t their
mercy. Foreign cork is hand made, and bother OF
steam beer have always preferred that The dutg
on spanish cork is already higher here than Ia any
other county.
Mr Llaln stated that IN 1876 tho Cortes empOw-
cred the Secretary of the Treasury To put a heavy
EXPORT duty cork bark, out that this had not set
been done.