The Portland daily press., 1885-12-28
THE coopERAoE INDUSTRY.
The Attention Of congressman Called
to it's Condition.

Messrs. j. H. Hamlen & Son of this city,
representing the New England States, and
Lord & Hight of Baltimore for the Southern
interests of the trade, have issued circular
in relation to the substitution of bags for
hogsheads in the shipment of sugar from
Cuba. The circulars will be sent to each
member of Congress, to all dealers in coop
erage, and to every shipowner in the coun-
try. The paper contains the same arguments
as were used at the meeting held in this city
at the office of j. H. Hamlen G. Son some
time ago and which was reported at length in
the PRESS at that time The circular calls
attention to the great depression now exist
ing i'll the foreign cooperage business of our
country, the larger portion of which is done
with the island of Cuba. This business has
in years past given employment to several
thousand men in thirteen different states.
The states most represented are Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New
Jersey, Maine and Michigan. A few years
ago there were annually exported from this
country about 100000 of hogshead
shook, 100000 pairs heads and 100000 of
hoops to the island of Cuba, but by gradual
substitution of English bags, the quantity of
shook used had declined two years ago to
about 100000. This was brought about by the
extremely low prices at which bags were of
fered by English manufacturers and the low
import duty in Cuba, being only fifteen cents
on five bags, against As cents on one hogs
head, but planters were very generally OPP
posed to bags, and if no further action had
been taken by the Spanish government,
the bags would soon have gone out of use.
By careful estimate the quantity of shook
used this year will not exceed 250,000, or half
the number of last year, and unless some
thing is speedily done to prevent it the whole
cooperage industry of our country will be
destroyed. The value of cooperage formerly
exported would exceed $3,o0o,0O0 and re-
quire about 800 vessels, one trip'each, to car
ry it, at freightage of about 1884, 600. If
the cooperage business is destroyed our West
India fleet of vessels viii be driven from the
sea as they will have no cargoes to carry out
and it will be impossible for them to go to
Cuba in ballast and compete with English
''ocean steam tramps." In this event Eng
land will furnish the packages and vessels for
freighting the larger portion of all sugar and
molasses produced by Cuba. When the fact
is we'll understood that about nine-tenths of
all this sugar and molasses is brought to this
country, the seriousness of the situation will
be better apprehended. The circular points
out that, as we have no commercial treaty
with Spain, our government may obtain re-
dress by making a reduction in the present
duty on sugar when imported in hogsheads)
of about one quarter of a cent per pound,
duty on sugar in bags remaining as at pres
ent or by increasing our present duty on SUI
gar in bags. Another remedy lies in simply
following the example of Spain. Several
years ago the Spanish government instructed
her consuls in all American ports to exact a
fee, or export duty of ten cents per ton on car
goes shipped on board of American vessels,
when cleared to the West India Islands, and
this consular fee, for more properly export
taxi has since been collected against the in
dignant protest of all American ship own
ers. If it is right for the Spanish govern
ment 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 shippers would be obliged to use
American hogsheads as formerly instead of
English bags
In conclusion the circular states that if no
relief is granted the cooperage industry in
this country will be killed and in place of
shook formerly shipped as part payment
for the products of the Spanish West Indies
there will be an annual payment of $780,
600 cash which win go to the British manu-
facturers bags.