Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-14

ease and abundance throughout all the
hollands of these coasts. In recent years
all exports of flour from the United States
have been made III sacks Of India lute, and
the number used annually is enormous.
The use Of jute in ma ufactures was not
begun till the year 1928. This was in
Dundee, Scotland, where the industry now
employs more than 10000 people in over
hundred mills. The sacks are seamless,
made on looms constructed especially for
that purpose.
India now derives Sl00,00O,000 year
from its jute culture, and the an
nual product amounts to 100000 bales.
The demand increases so rapidly that the
price is steadily advancing in the better
grades. But India produces great
amount of very inferior jute, not equal to
the demands of the manufacturers-owin
to the uninteliigent cultivation and man
ipulation practiced there. Here is where
Mexico's opportunity comes in, for by the
aid OF machinery the fbers can be ex-
tracted in first-class condition, and bring
prices correspondiugly high.
The purposes for which jute is used are
rapidly multiplying. Besides the coarse
fabrics already mentioned, it is made into
various fine goods, such as cambrics, room
hangings, furniture Innings, etc. By re-
cent improvements in dyeing, the brilliant
colors and beautiful finish of silk are TIM
parted to it, so that some jute fabrics can
not readily be distinguished from the
former.
The plant-here called henequin-is
found in wild profusion all over Yucatan.
Planters say that it requires from FIVE to
seven years to attain full perfection. A
stem shoots out from the center of the
plant and the leaves gradually detach
themselves therefrom in spear-like form,
with sharp thorns along the edges and a
strong, needle-like point An ex-Consul
of the United States living here tells me
that to his knowledge hemp plant in his
yard bore for fifteen years, each plant
yielding about twenty-six leaves per an
mum, each leaf averaging four feet in
length and producing an ounce of fiber.
A bale of 400 pounds contains the product
of about 1000 leaves.
For some years previous to 1887 there
had existed in the United States, among
rope and Irvine manufacturers, one of the
most successful trust companies" or COM
binaticns for enabling one another to
reap undue profit, ever known in any
business. You know the old adage,
when thieves fall out" etc, and its
truth has again been exemplifed. In
July of last year, when this "Cordage
Association" as they called themselves,
met in secret conclave, it was asserted by
the rope manufacturers of New York and
vicinity, that the Boston brethren had
not paid into the pool their proper per-
centage of profits, and had been guilty of
several other high crimes and misde-
meanors against the well-being of this
precious combination. Whether there
was any truth in the assertion / do not
know, but at all events it caused the dis
memberment Of the Cordage Association,
the immediate result being a reduction of
consumers, or from 10 to 20 per cent in
the price of rope and Irvine. While the
combination hourished each manufacturer
had paid into the pool about $40 per ton
on all sales-that being the amount gained
over and above a reasonable profit-the
aggregate being many millions of dollars
a year, to be divided among the lucky few
The New York men, enraged at this
unlooked-for termination of their charges
against their Boston confreres and consid-
ering the latter the primary cause of the
breaking up of the pooled by the genius
and capital of Laurence Waterbury, of
New York, one of the largest manufactur-
ers of rope and cordage in the world-de-
termined ON revenge. Their scheme was
to prevent the Boston manufacturers from
procuring any raw material or fiber, either
sisal or manila, aid at the same time to
enrich themselves by advancing prices
away beyond their actual value by cor
nering" the fiber market. A new Trust
Company was formed, large amount of
which at that time there was only small
quantity in the country-successfully cor
nered. Then came the tug of war to Sc
cure all the manila fiber, not only that
held in the United States, but also all that
could find its way into the country from
the Philippine Islands.
Gigantic as the scheme may appear, thanks
to the large amount of capital registered
to perfect it, it was successfully completed
so far as the combination could foresee, and
there was not an ounce of fiber left for the
Boston manufacturers to buy. But in their
anxiety to iniure their brethren of the
Hub the New York men entirely over
looked the existence of the wealthiest and
most successful rope manufacturer on the
globe, who had never belonged to the pool,
but conducted business in quiet and
honorable manner. This is Edward II.
Filter, the present Mayor of Philadelphia,
for years one of the foremost of its citi-
zens. This gentleman, on being made
aware of the National Cordage Com
pany's" intentions, quietly intimated to
them that if the Boston manufacturers
had little or no fiber on hand, he, at all
events, had some thousands of bales, and
by putting his rope and Irvine in the mar
ket at fair prices, he would prevent the
contemplated advance and force the would
be monopolists to sell their products at
the same rate.
To this action ON the part of Mr.. Filter
is due the fact that, so far as manila rope
is concerned, prices are about % per cent
lower than they would otherwise have
been, and the consumers thereof, and of
binders Irvine, owe him a debt of graft
tude. During the present year the Ma
tional Cordage Company has been exerting
all its strength to draw into the combina-
ton number OF the smaller manufacture
ers, and have succeeded in "roping in !"
four or five of them. The question now is
whether the Boston men, all of whom have
large capital, will continue, either by
themselves or in conjunction with Mr..
Filter, and give the New Workers ga taste
of their own medicine" The Boston
manufacturers have already sent agents to
Progreso to secure this years crop, and
trustworthy agents are also en- route to the
Philippine Islands.
FANNIE B. WARD.