The Portland daily press., 1886-01-15
THE cooPERAcE iNDU0TRY.
A Petition to Congress for Pro-
tective Legislation.

A petition to Congress asking for prOtec-
tion to the cooperage industry has been pre-
pared and a copy will probably be placed at
the Merchants Exchange for signatures this
afternoon. 1t is desired that all interested in
the revival of our cooperage industry will
give their names to this paper which has to
be forwarded to Washington by the oath
inst. Copies of the petition have also been
placed in the hands of the following parties:
Barnes Walker, Lowell; Shirley and Cous-
ins, Fryeburg; Albion Kimball, Harrison; !;
VIM. Dingley, South Casco; A. and p. b.
Young, Hiram G. o. Goodwin, West Poland;
George A. Morrill,, Gray. The petition is
as follows:
sentdtiUes in Congress assembled: =
. Your petitioners respectfully represent that
tney are citizens OF the United States engaged In
the business OF manufacturing and shipping, di-
rectlX and indirectly, cOoperage TO the Spanish
and West India Islands.
That said business employs thousands Of men
and large capital, TO wit; more than SO 900, 900
annually and renders valuable vast amount of
value; that the volume Of this industry until two
years ago was yearly about 100000 hogshead
shook, 100000 pairs of heads, representinG
1900 900 feet Of lumber and 16, DOC, 900 6ocns;
that this vast and valuable trade Is now about to
be entirely extinguished unless your honorable
lection that its Importance In our opinion merits.
This was brought about by the extremely low
prices at which baes were offered by English
manufacturers and the low import duty In Cuba,
being only Is cents on five bags against As cents
on one hOgshead (nve bags holding the same as
one hOgshead.) The planters were very general
ly opposed to bags and If no further action had
been taken by the Spanish Government, cooper
age would have held its own and bags would soon
Two years ago, however there was an unpre-
cedented increase in sugar production over all the
world and Cuban planters being in great distress
financially called on their government for re-
lief. One Of the first measures of relief granted
was the reduction OF the export duty on sugar
when shipped In bags (the duty on sugar In hogs
heads remaining the same) making the saving Of
about One-quarter OF a cent per pound, including
the import tax on bags over what sugar could be
shipped at in hogsheads. Prior to this time the
export duty from Cuba on sugar in bags was high
er than in hogsheads; now it Is the same.
Under this new condition the consumption Of
hogsheads fell off last year to 100000, or Just
about one half of former years, and heads IN the
same ratio. The only reason why larger pro-
portion of bags was not used was because It was
impossible to change at once the mode of hand
ling, transporting storing and shipping such
By careful estimate, the quantity of shocks to
be used this year will not exceed 100000 or half
the number of last year, and unless something Is
industry of our country will soon be destroyed.
The value of cooperage formerly exported would
exceed S3, ,0o0, 900 more than oDe-half of which
was paid out ior labor, and required about 300
vessels, one trip each, to carry It.
II the coOperage business Is destroyed our West
India heet VIII be driven from the sea, as they
will have no cargoes to carry out, and 1t will be
impossible for them to go to Cuba in ballast and
compete with the English steam tramps." In this
event, England will furnish the packages and yes
sells for freighting the larger portion OF all the
sugar and molasses produced in Cuba. When the
fact is well understood that about nine-tenths of
all this sugar and molasses is brought to this
country the seriousness of the situation will be
better appreciated. As there seems to be no pros
pect of having a commercial treaty with Spain,
the only redress is for our government either to
make areduction Of the present duty on sugar
(when imported in hogsheadS) OF about one
quarter of cent per pound, the duty ON sugar In
bags remaining as at present or to Increase our
present duty on sugar in bags.
can in no way affect other sugar growing countries
as their sugar is shipped In bags, ana the higher
tion proposed. In other words, sugar in hogs
heads and 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 SPAN, and
which in our opinion would completely settle the
matter in favor of our cooperage, and without dis
Several years ago the Spanish government in
structed her consuls in all American ports to ex-
act fee or export duty of 10 cents per ton on
cargoes shipped on board of American vessels
when cleared to the West India Islands, and this
consular fee OF more pr properly PEI export tax has
Of all American ship owners IL it 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 shippers would be obliged to use
American hogsheads as formerly, instead Of En-
gliSh bags, and by this means fully protect the
cooperage and shipping interests; and as a matter
of equity and right 1t would seem that some relief
like the above should be granted from the fact
that 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 snip
cooperage as part payment for the Same while II
no relief is granted we can not ship cooperage to
pay for their products, but must furnish cash,
which goes to the English manufacturer of bags,
this country losing more than $4,000, 900 per an
mum, besides throwing out Of employment all the
eoopers engaged in the manufacture, losing the
carrying trade for the vessels, the freights
railroads and the value Of the timber, as the class
of timber used for eooperage is of no use for any
other purposes. Thus it will be seen that 1t is OF
great Importance that something be done to pro-
teet interests while at the same time no trades
in this country or their interests, would suffer
from such legislation.
In view of these facts, therefore, your petition
ers confidently look to you to give them relief and
secure to the country this valuable trade, and
they will ever pray, etc.