Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-09
IMPORT TAXES ON RICE.
ARGUING BEFORE THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE.

Commissioner Trenholm Makes a Lucid
Explanation of the situation Labor
and Lands Would be Ruined by Low
erlng the Duty-The Argument of the
Brewers.
WASHINGTON, March S.--Civil Service
Commissioner Trenholm appeared before
the Ways and Means Committee to-day to
express his views upon the sections of
the Morrison tariff bill touching rice. he
said that the duty on rice imported INTO
the Pacific States was paid by Chinese
laborers, who were consumers, and was
almost the only tax paid by the Chinese.
Mr.. Trenholm told of the ill effects on rice
plantations in this country resulting from
dlsuse during the war, and said that if
the production should be checked at this
time it would be difficult or almost i'm
possible to re-establish the sources of
supply within long period.
ADAPTABILTTY OF THE LAND.
The land was fit for no other purpose,
and the iaboring people would DRIFT away
and could not be recalled, Secretary
Folger had made a ruling, assimilating
broken rice meal under the name OF gran
Nt'NANN A'COs NhN budb udu NuG thGNb
OF Increasing the Importation OF that class
ofrce from II, ,O00, 900 pounds to 275, ,000, COO,
and prices had fallen from 4 to 2 cents per
pound. The law should contain a pro-
vision against the introduction of any
rice at rate OF duty that was not In
tended to be applied to 1t. If it was the
Intention to let in this rice at lower rate
of duty, 1t would be better to state it spe-
officially in the tariff, and not leave the
q n hA h. NnhT Arnn
rulings.
COST OF RICE PRODUCTION.
AlmosS the entire cost of the rice pro-
ductiOn was In labor, 80 cents on the dol
lar he should say. mmissIOner Tren-
holm told of a planter who mad abandoned
his plantation because he found that a
cross roads stOrekeeper was selling East
India rice to his labOrers. Commissioner
Trenholm admitted that he had free trade
ideas generally, but said that il the pro-
tective system were maintained then he
should regard tariff on rice as neces-
sity. Projection enhanced the cost Of all
labor, and this country could not compete
in rice culture with Asiatie nations with
their cheap labor without including rice
in the list of protected articles.
DISCRIMINATION THE TROUBLE.
In answer to Mr.. Hewitt he said that
and another to cover rice -four.
Mr.. Hewitt pointed out that that was
the present law in effect. The difficulty
seemed to be in the Interpretation of the
law-d scrimin nation between true rice -four
and broken rice.
Commissioners Trenholm suggested that
rice might be graded by its size TO be de-
termined by screens all above a certain
size to be regarded as rice, and all below
that size 30 be graded as rice -four.
Representative Dlbble, of South Caro-
lima, discussed the matter from the labor
eTs' point of view, saying that the labor
employed in rice culture formed an ap-
preciable part of the cOuntry's laboring
population and was entitled to cOnsidera-
tiOn at the hands Of the committee.
COST OF HARVEST LABOR.
Representative Gay, OF Louisiana,
spoke Of tine excessive cost of harvest
labor on the rice plantations in his State
as compared with the cheap East Indian
labor. He said that it had become prac-
tIce for European exporters to break up
whole grains of rice so as to take advant-
age Of the low tariff on that grade in this
country.
MIR. Morrison, representing the rice
dealers said that the brewers consumed
broken rice to the extent OF several mil
lion bushels per month, and that the pro-
ducti0n OF this country was too small TO
supply this demand. 1t had been shown
that Southern dealers bought foreign
broken rce, mixed it with their whole
grain and sent it West for sale. Rice
was necessity in brewing lightcolored
beers, as our native barley was teo dark
in color for the purpose.
NOT SOLD FOR FOOD.
Nearly all broken rice was used in
brewing. and not one respectable grocer
in New York could be found who would
state that broken rice was sold by them
for food.
Louis Schade said that one brewing firm
in the West used an amount of broken
rice equal to the entire production OF the
country.
II. b. James, representing firm OF New
York rice dealers, also cOntended that the
native production was too small TO meet
the brewers demand.
T. 5. Wilkinson, OF Louisiana, planter
and miller, denied that Louisiana dealers
mixed foreign broken rice with the home
product. He declared that there was an op-
pOrtunity for fraud; imported broken rice
was fit for food, and twO-thirds Of the
Louisiana crop this year was very little
better than broken rice.