The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-07-27
Some Features of the Mills Bill That Are Very
Objectionable to Farmers Outside of the
Abolition of the Duty on Wool.
House Republicans Not Pleased with
the Action of the Senate Caucus,
And There Is a Bare Possibility that the Tariff
Question May Be POstponed-Probable
Duration of the Present Session.
FARMERS
Points In Which They Are Attacked by the
Mills Revenue Measure.

Points In Which They Are Attacked by the
Mills Revenue Measure.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. July ga Republican mem
Der OF the House from one Of the Western States
was discussing, to-day, the interest farmers
would take in the approaching campaign, when
he said: Heretofore the farmers have, to q
great extent. looked upon the question Of q
higher or lower tariff as or interest solely af-
fec,ing manufacturers 1 presume that was
largely due to tie fact that the Republicans in
making their revisions of the tariff have retained
or increased the duties on agricultural products,
and confined themselves to a reduction of manu-
featured articles. The Mills bill directly attacks
more Of the farming interests than all the tariff
bills heretofore proposed in Congress"
''You are right" interposed a Republican
member from Indiana 1--WE expect" he con-
tinued. ITO see the farmers in the Hoosier State
show more activity in the coming campaign, on
account Of the onslaught made on the farming
interests by the Mills tariff bill. than any other
class. Let me take just one item in the Mills
bill to illustrate what ! mean. The bill takes
the entire duty off faxseed, amounting to 20
cents q bushel, and 1t puts on the free-list
Iubcs . = III Mo " Lii "
forty tow-mills which manufacture fax straw
into tow. aud they ship it to baeging factories
to be manufactured into bageing material and
baling stuff for cotton. hides, etc., and in the
manufacture of floor mating, rope, Irvine. and
the like. With faxseed free it means a direct
reduction Of tho price farmers receive for their
faxseed, amounting to 20 cents a bushel; and with
jute free. which comes into direct competition
with fax straw, there will absolutely be no in
ducement whatever for fairness to raise flaxseed.
Flax straw is worth almost as much as faxseed.
At Muncie is located one of the largest baeeing
factories. probably. in the world. and surely the
largest in the United States. 1t employs sew
eral hundred men. women and girls. and makes
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bag
ging every year. 1t not only buys up all the
fax straw il can secure throughout that section
Of the State but in the adjoining States, and it
buys tow from the two or three tow mills located
in that region. For many years it has imported
train-load after train-load Of jute, and has paid
the duty now supposed upon it. The jute was
bought LARGELY hsesrse there was not enough
flag straw TO be procured TO keep the factory at
work. OF course. if this jute.can come in free 1t
will be cheaper than fax straw, and there will be
no inducementt to buy the home article. Through
out the State there are a large number of flax
seed oil-mills, and they have been run largely
for years on imported faxseed, of which there
were millions Of bushels imported during the
last fiscal year. Now if we have free faxseed
and free jute, these mills ARE going to run on
the imported article alofe. because 1t can be
bought cheaper and can be procured in quaint
ties desired and at the time they are wanted.
Nearly every farmer in the State raises more or
less fax. / mention this industry as an ex-
ample Of the many items in the Mills bill which
will come directly home to the farmers IN Indi-
ana; and what is true with the farmers of that
State is true 10 a large extent with those OF
other States.
'The fax and fax-seed industry" said the
NORTH western member, lis Of more interest 10
the farmers in the Northwest than in Indiana
Flax is an immense industry in the prairie
States. Delegate Clifford, of Dakota, tells me
free faxseed and free jute means a loss every
year TO the farmers of his Territory of over q
million dollars. Flax is grown throughout the
Northwest not only as a money making product,
but TO tame the soil. 1t takes the rank quail
ties out of new ground; but the farmers will
stop raising it as soon as they cease to make a
profit from it. But the idea of making a lot Of
other things free-beans. poultry and small arti-
cles of this kind-will touch the farmers closely.
as will free haxseed. We are going to organize
tariff clubs among the farmers. and expect them
to show their strength in this campaign. Free
wool alono Is enough to arouse every farmer in
the country, because 1t means the disappearance
of the focks wherever there are no home mar
kets for the lamp and mutton. and the market
for sheep meat has been so fat for years, even
with the present duty on fresh meats, that there
Is no profit in raising sheep for their flesh. ex-
cept In some unusual instances In the neighbor-
hood OF Large cities. where high prices are OBJ
tanned Tor the very earliest lamb"