The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-11

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profit that would accrue from the harding
OF these goods, instead of giving it TO the
foreigner. as Is the case under the advanced
rate of duty. No, the cost of the resultant
product OF the unceaned being equal to
that imported In the cleaned state Is con
elusive proof aud evidence that these i'm
ports are not a menace to the value of the
American production. Therefore any such
view is fallacious.
THE VALUE OF AMERICAN RICE.
The truth is this: The value of the
American product depends upon itself. II
we have large crop, the market is depressed
by its own weight and is not governed by
the imports, as they correspOndlngly de.
crease. II the crop is short, imports en-
large simply TO supply the deficiency re-
quired for the trade demands. Now, the
all-important question in the tariff as 1t
bears upon rice is that relating TO the i'm
ports of graduated or broken rice. The
new bill confirms the Treasury ruling, and
places a governing screen at No. 10 brass
wire sieve, while the proper screen or
sieve which should govern the imports
of broken rice, is a No. IA brass wire
sieve Any other larger size admits
a larger form of broken, the No. 10 admit
ting almost, if not quite, half grain.
Herein then is the menace to the value of
the crop, in that through imports that are
and can be made Of these larger styles of
broken rice. The duty on whole rice is
actually nullified over one-thrd, and in fact
nearly one-half, in that it is premium on
fraud in the separation of the broken from
the whole rice abroad, and its conjunction
again AFTER passing the customs in this
country the whole at exc. per pound and
the broken at 20c ad valorem duty.
Now ! have expressed in as brief man =
ner as possible why have come TO Savan-
nah, and think am fairly and honorably
entitled to the cooperation of your people
here: First, as to the elimination of the
defining clause and second, the change Of
the screen which, as l said before, is the one
and all important thing necessary to justly
and fairly protect our Southern industry.
MR.. BUCHANAN's POSITION.
an the Charleston Nelcs and Courier of
this morning, and reproduced in the Savan-
nah EUening Times, | notice that Mr.
Buchanan, manager of the lower mill, is in
Washington in defense of this 'unceaned
defining clause aud these papers report
that Mr. Buchanan declares that the cargo
of the bark Hos was composed more of
clean than of uncleaned rice etc : further
that it can be milled and polished at a cost
not exceeding l-l6c. per pound. J"
II may say in the first case that Mr.
Buchanan rather stultifies himself, and his
own conduct, If it is true, as am Informed,
that he, in injunction with others, signed
a statement or letter at the request of the
Collector of this port to the effect that the
cargo imported on the Hos was 'unceaned
rice and therefore entitled to the benefits
of the uncleaned clause of the tariff-con-
frEling the Judgment of the Collector of
this port, who also adiudged this importa
tion under the sGhne standard. There
fore his present action in taking samples of
this cargo to Washington place him in a
rather ridiculous as well as inconsistent
light, to say nothing stronger.
'Secondly-His statement regarding the
cost Of milling is equally misleading.
THE COST OF MILLING.
1.-The charge for milling the 400 bags of
rice which were assigned to him may have
been 1-l6c. per pound, but does not truth
fully represent the cost of the product as he
very we'll knows. The true cost OF putting
the parcel in cleaned condition was actually
&c per pound, and therefore the true cost
of the rice is the original cost of
the rice itself Slus the duty and sc. per
pound in addition thereto. This mistakes
the facts in this case. | say this in behalf
of the importers, though | have no interest
in the cargo in question. 1t is, however,
but an act of justice. Consistency and a
complete statement of the facts are all that
are necessary therefore, to show the evident
intent and design Of Mr. Buchanan's decla-
rations."
MR.. TALMAGE'S VISIT HERE.
Mr.. Talmage's visit to Savannah has
stirred up things Mt three pivotal cities,
New York, Washington and Savannah
Col. John Screven, who has been in New
York for the past ten days, was called on
by Mr.. Talmage Tuesday of last week, who
had incidentally learned that Mr. Frank
Buchanan was about to go to Washington
with samples OF the Hos cargo, in the in
terest of the Savannah planters, to urge
the retention of the defining clause.
Mr. Talmage said that he argued long
and earnestly with Col. Screven to show
That the price of milling the rice was Zoe.
per 100 pounds, which brought its cost ND
to that of cleaned rice after the duty was
paid. Col. Screven was impressed with the
line of argument, and without committing
himself abSolut Fly, was inclined, Mr. Tai
mage says, to believe that such was the
case, and hence the interests Of the planters
would not be jeopardized by the elimina-
tion of the defining clause. He thereupon
suggested that Mr.. Talmage visit Savannah
and present these facts to the Georgia Rice
Association, and he consented to telegraph
to Col. Clinch to call meeting and hear
Mr.. Talmage before taking any further
action at Washington. He also telegraphed
TO Mr. Buchanan and wrote fully to Mr..
Clinch.
THINGS NOT AS HE LOOKED FOR.
When Mr. Talmage reached here yester-
day and found that Mr.. Buchanan had gone
to Washington, he was highly indignant
and telegraphe1 Col. Screven that there was
bad faitu somewhere. Col. Screven tele-
graphed back that Mr.. Buchanan had left
for Washington before the telegram reached
Savannah.
Meantime Col. Clinch had written the
result of his Investigations to Col. Screven.
which put the matter in new light, and
the latter FASTENED to write Col. Clinch that
because he had been impressed with Mr..
Talmage's statement it did not follow that
he was to be held committed to it # it was
inaccurate.
Last night when Mr.. Talmage learned
that the Georgia Rice Association had not
been converted to his side of the question,
but on the contrary had taken decided ac-
ton in the negative. he was very much put
out, and signified his intention of a new line
of action.
He intimated that the rice planters
wanted the earth. There are only about
800 rice planters in this country he said
land 60, 900, 600 rice eaters.n The rice tariff
is 1874 per cent, and rice brings 30 per cent.
more Low than it did before the war.
WILL GO BEFORE CONGRESS.
'If my interests as an importer and miller
are TO be antagonized by the planters when
do not ask anything unjust to them, why