Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-02
The BngginS Trust.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., September l.
| Appleton Sturgis. OF New York city, was
/ the only witness before the House Com
mittee on Manufactures to-day. Sturgis
is connected with the Eagle 5Iill Com
pany of Brooklyn, y. Y. ; with the New
York BagGing Company OF Brooklyn,
and is manager Of the Calcutta branch
Of the firm Of J.. Waterbury Il &C. i.
Waterbury & Co. are also tue agents Of
the New York Bagglng Company. The
witnesses testimony covered largely the
operations OF the mills in which be was
interested, and shows nothing OF general
interest not already known. lie was
asked by a member OF the committee.
What protection, in his judgment, would
DO necessary in order that bagging-manu-
facturers in this country might retain
their trade in cotton-bagging at fairly
profitable price! He replied Il have
given the matter great deal of thought
and attention. have gone into the sta
tistics and the facts. | have cabled TO Cal
cutta and received letters from Dundee,
and, in TACT, have made thorough and
extensive examination into that subject
Observation-Disclosures cannot possibly
get along without q protection OF at
least ? cents per yard. That Is
one third of cent per yard
les than the present duty we are
receiving. The present duty is prohibit
tory. ! do not think the protection Of
two cents yard would do. 1t would
put all of us on our mettle and would
force rs into competition with foreign
markets at times Of dull trade and low
wages, and at the same time less protec-
ton would be In an ordinary season an
inducement for smaller mills TO continue
work and not close our mills entirely,
which must be the case If the price, as
rule, is too low for them 10 continue to
manufacture at q living profit"
Question "Then from what you have
Just testified to the proposed duties in
the bin that is under consideration
would be no adequate protection
Answer: "It would be no protection
in my opinion. l would just as lief see
bagging free as given a protection OF
three quarters of a cent yard. 1t
would close absolutely all the smaller
mills and in a very short time all the
larger ones also.
Mr.. Sturgis promised 10 furnish to the
committee a statement showing the
working capacity OF the Brooklyn Mills,
the amount of wages paid, and various
other data which would prove OF use to
the committee IN its inquiry. At the
conclusion OF Sturgis's examination the
meeting adjourned subject to the call Of
the chairman.
Representatives Catchings Of Missis-
sippi and Phelsn OF Tennessee to-day
called on the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture in reference 10 the substitute for
otton-bagging made of iute. Commits
sioner Colma0 promised TO make an
official investigation OF tho proposed
substitute and its feasibility. He also
promised to write TO those cotton factories
which buy large quantities of cotton snd
which sell the Old bagging as Junk
and suggest to them to ship
what they lave 10 distributing points
in the cotton regions 1t has
been proven that this old bsgging can
De reserved and used second time. The
paper-factories also buy large quantities
Of this old bagging. The Commissioner
agreed to write TO some OF them and sug-
gest that they sell what they have on
hand. Commissioner Colman also
promised Messrs. Catchings and Phelan
to make an official Investigation OF the
whole subject and make a report to tho
next Congress. A special investigation
Of the substitute for jute-bagging will be
made at once.
Mr.. Gratz, of ST. Louis, who is at the
head Of the western branch OF the cot
ton-bagging trust, was examined by the
Senate tariff subcommittee to-day. He
stated TO the subcommittee that the or
ganization owed its origin entirely to
the Mills bill, and that but for the intro
duction of that measure it would never
have been thought Of. The cotton-bae-
ging manufacturers were driven to the
combine in order to save their mills
and machinery.