Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-16

The Junk Business DemOralizcd by
the Tariff LavV-Men Thrown Out of
Emp1Oy ment-A Glutted Market.

STAR reporter, recently passing the Junk es-
Enlistment Of Mr.. E. G. Wheeler, on and 9TH
streets, was somewhat surprised to see his
three-story warehouse stored tuIl Of rags and
paper In bales. and to learn that Mr. Wheeler
had in this house probably e1O, 900 invested In
this stock, and that the market for 1t was fiat
and inactive.
HARD TINES FOR RAG GATHERERs.
There was good demand for this stock. 81
said Mr.. Wheeler. It'll few months ago. but
the tariff bill has played hobs with the business
Some OF the gatherers with push-cart and
wagon have been known to make, frequently,
from 50 to So per day, and, at times, nearly o.,
but the majority of those in the business now
lind 1t difficult to make more than o. to s5 per
week"
How many are there in the business of gath
erlng in the District" asked the reporter
"A few months ago." said Mr. Wheeler,
counting those who run wagons, there were
perhaps 300 men employed, but now 30 will
about strike the number. They We're able to
pay, few months ago, for rags. 2L cents per
pound. and, for paper. to 81 cents. but now
they cannot afford more than and X cents
for rags and Is to 9 for paper."
Then many Of the gatherers are unem-
ployed, and those in the business are not doing
Weli!" said THE STAR reporter.
". MT. W neeier, "ther0 has
been demand for laborers ion the railroads
| building In Maryland. PENNSYLVANIA and Vir-
ginla. and many OF these poor people (nearly all
OF them coiOred) got to work On these roads or
at the fishing shores. II all were gathering
they could not earn more than their bread to
say nothing Of butter"
EXTENT OF THE RAG AND OLD PAPER BUSINESS.
"What is the extent Of this rag and paper
business!" asked the reporter
tsYo,1 u-oul6 horfj1v to1;oro u ..,s
Wheeler. but last year we shipped over
$50, 900 pounds and it is safe to say that over
1000 pounds were shipped from here This
has been q good market for rags and paper.
much of it coming from the adjoining counties
OF Maryland and Virginia, and even as far "a
Lynchburg. The business has heretofore fur
nished the means of subsistence to many who
would have otherwise become q charge on the
public. The demand for the stock Is now so
light that the business may be said to have
nearly collapsed"
"Now for the cause. Mr.. Wheeler"
THE TARIFF BILL AND JUTE DEMORALIzE TIE
TRADE.
"Yes. The operation of the tariffhas much To do
with 1t. Some Of the mills have already closed.
The Introduction Of jute and wood pulp in the
manufacture Of paper has much to do with the
decline In rags Then, this pulp il free Of duty,
and the crop Of jute from tho East indies ia
large. The jute Is made into MANILA paper,
some OF 1t into writing paper after having under
gone bleaching. Foreign vessels coming here
for grain are enabled to bring the jute here at
the bare expense Of loading and unloading. II
we bad our own shipping 80 much of this slut,
wopld not be brought here, and to-day we would
not have such tremendous stock of rags here.
Why, / have 200 bales ready for shipment, but
there Is literally NJ 1emand for them. What
makes matters worse is that wooden rags are de-
pressed, too; the market has gone to pieces.
Tailors' clippings, which brought 12xa14 cents
per pound few weeks ago, are hard to work
Of at from more than to scents This. I nre-
sumo, Is owing to the wool crop being heavy.
Iron Is also down, and In wrought scrap iron
the market IL demoralized. While We got ar
per ton easily . few months since, we have difi-
Guilty to work 1t OF now at SlS to $40 per ton.
So you see that 1t ID not alone In rags that the
business Is dull"