National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-26
TIE coopEns, COMPLAINT.

Discriminating Duties and Foreign
Taxes Levied Here Running the
Trade.
EDiToR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,: We re-
spectfully beg to call your attention to the
| great depression now existing in the for
eign cooperage business Of our country,
the larger portion of which is done with
the island OF Cuba.
This business has in years past given en-
ployment to several thousand men in thir-
teen different states.
The states most interested are Virginia,
| West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
| New York, New Jersey, Maine, and Mich
| igan.
| A few years ago there were annually ex-
| ported from this country about 100000 OF
hogshead shocks, 1000, 900 pairs heads, and
100000 Of hoops to the island of Cuba,
| but by the gradual substitution of English
bags the quantity Of shocks used had de-
clined two years ago to about 100000.
This was brought about by the extremely
| low prices at which bags were offered by
| English manufacturers, and the low import
| duty In Cuba being only 10 cents on five
bags, against 45 cents on one hogshead,
but planters were very generally opposed
to bags, aud II no further action had been
taken by the Spanish government, cooper
| age would have held its own, and bags
would soon have gone out of use.
Two years ago there was an unprece-
| uented increase OF sugar production all over
the world, and the Cuban planters, being in
| great distress financially, called on their
| government for some relief One of the
first measures OF relief granted was re-
duction of the export duty on sugar when
shipped In bags, duty on sugar In hogshoads
remaining the same as before, making a
saving Of about one-fourth cent per pound
over what sugars could be shipped at In
hogsheads. Under this new condition of
things the consumption Of hogsheads fell
| of last year TO 100000, or Just about half of
| former years, and hoops in the same ratio.
| The only reason why larger proportion of
bags was not used was because It was i'm
| possible to change ut once the mode of
handling, transporting, storing, and ship
| ping such vast quantity In bags.
| By careful estimate the quantity of shocks
to he used this year will not exceed 200, 900,
| or half the number Of last year. and unless
something is speedily done TO prevent IL
the whole cooperage industry of our coun-
try will soon be destroyed. The value of
eooperage formerly exported would exceed
| S3,UOO.OOO, and require about 300 vessels
| Zone trip each) to carry 1t, at a freightage
| Of about 1884 200.
III the cooperage business is destroyed,
our West India fleet Of vessels will be
driven from the sea, as they will have no
cargoes to carry out, and II will be impos-
sible FOR them to go to Cuba In ballast and
| compete with the English ''ocean steam
tramps.n In this event England will fur
nlsh the packages and vessels for freighting
| the larger portion Of all the sugar and mo-
| lasses produced by Cuba. When the fact
| is well understood that about nine-tenths
OF all this sugar and molasses is brought to
our country, the seriousness of the situa-
tnt NNFtn I. 1ANNa -,
seems to be no prospect OF having COM
mercial treaty with Spain, the only redress
is Tor our government either to make re-
| duction in the present duty on sugar when
imported In hogsheadsl Of about | cent per
| pound, the duty on sugar In bags remain
Dg as at present, or to increase our present
duty on sugar In bags.
If the tax is reduced on sugar in hogs
heads 1t cannot In any way affect other
| sugar-growing countries, as their sugar Is
| shipped In bags, for the higher cost of hogs
heads over bags Is fully equal to the reduc-
| tion proposed. In other words, sugar in
hogsheads or bags would then cost the same
laid down in this country.
We have another remedy which could be
| used in simply following the example of
| Spain, and which, in our opinion, would
| speedily settle the matter in favor of our
| coopers, and without disturbing ourpresent
tariff.
Several years ago the Spanish government
instructed her consuls in all American ports
to exact fee or export duty of ten cents
per ton Of cargoes shipped on board of
| American vessels when cleared to the West
India islands, and this consular fee Tor more
properly export tax has since been col
| lected against the indignant protest of all
American ship owners. If 1t Is right for the
| Spanish government to collect an export
tax in our country, why should not our
consuls in the Spanish islands be instructed
to collect such fees on bags, so that ship
pers would be obliged TO use American
hogsheads as formerly, instead Of English
bags, and by this means fully protect the
cooperage and shipping interests? And, rs
matter of equity and right, 70 would seem
that some relief like the above should be
granted, from the fact that about nine
tenths Of the sugar and molasses, as we
mention above, of the Spanish West India
islands comes to this country, and formerly
we could ship cooperage as part payment of
the same, while, IL no relief is granted, we
cannot ship cooperage to pay for their pro-
ducts, but must furnish cash, which goes, to
the English manufacturer of bags, this
country thus losing about $3,000,000 per
annum, besides throwing out of employ
ment all the coopers engaged In the manu-
facture, the carrying trade for the vessels,
the freights on our railroads, and the value
of the timber lands, as the class of timber
used for cooperage is Of no use for other
purposes. Thus II will be seen that it is of
great importance that something be done to
| protect SO large interests, while at the same
time no parties in this country or other in
tests would suffer from such legislation.
Trusting the above will have your atten-
ton, we remain, your obedient servants,
LORD IL HIGHr.
BALTIMORE, Dec. a5, 1885.