The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-03
FACTS ABOUT FLAISEED.
The Uuwise Policy of Reducing
the Tariff on it
SHOWN BY ONE WHO KNOWS.
The Registers Free Trade Theory
Again Subjected to the Fatal Eff
feet of Truth-Thc Farmer
and the Paint Consumer.

Mr.. G. D. Martinez, representing
western linseed oil mill, said last night
to an INTELLIGENcER reporter:
~ see you are having something Of
tariff controversy here. In to-day's
Register noticed reference to iinseed
oil, and also noticed that the Register
was not posted on that subject. Linseed
oil is my business"
The reporter asked Mr.. Martinez to
point out the errorsin the Register article.
"Well, the first thing he says is, that
the consumer is to be benefited while
only slight reduction is to be made in
the manufacturers profits. Without a
protective duty it is not probable that
there would be any haxseed raised in
this country. 1t is not true, as the
Register says, that we do not begin to
raise flaxseed to meet the demand for
oil. The fact is that for the past ten
years the production has been ample,
and the extremely low prices for linseed
oil have been caused by n surplus Of
seed, You can see that the consumer has
proGtted by this, and he has been able to
buy linseed oil cheaper than ever before
an the history OF this country. Two
years ago there was shortage in the
foreign crop, and it happened that the
American crop was large, sufficient for
home needs with some to spare for ex-
port ut the high price prevailing abroad.
Now in an ordinary time the foreign
crop would overwhelm us without a pro-
tectivc tariff on the seed. 1t was that
protection which encouraged the Ameri-
can farmer to 20 into the business, and
it was that protection which protected
the American consumer at the time |
speak OF. The American seed grower is
not only protected in his industry, by
the tariff on his seed, but the protection
to the linsced oil industry gives the far.
mer Il market near at home and in turn
gives him cheap paints. II the seed
cannot be grown in this country the
mills would be on the seaboard and the
Western farmer would have to pay the
added freight and be virtually Mt the
mercy Of the foreign manufacturer"
slow does the price Of paints compare
with the price before the WARP"
"Paint is better and cheaper than
ever-I should say about half the price
OF good paint before the war. Why, ten
years ago white lead was selling at to
l2 cents a pound; to.day's price is st
cents. Home competition has done it.
Protection has made the home competi-
ton, without which we should be sub
iect TO extreme variations in price, as in
the case Of other imported articles"
"How much OF an industry is the lin
seed oil manufacture
"There are about one hundred faCto.
ries scattered from the Atlantic seaboard
to the Missouri river, employing proba-
bly, 1000 men at from 81 80 to s. 90 per
day. Nearly all OF the seed is now
grown in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Ne
braska, Minnesota and Dakota. The
amount OF seed grown has averaged in
the past ten years from 100000 to TO-
100000 bushels, for which the grower has
received about 81 bushel. This years
crop is estimated Mt between 100000
and IL, 100000 bushels. 1t is about the
only crop the northwestern farmer can
grow for an early cash yield. 1t is har-
vested in September and brings spot
cash. You may be sure that without
protection it would not be grown. Why,
it is only Of late years that they would
grow haxseed without contract at a
fixed price in advance to induce them.
Speaking Of the manufacturers profits,
until the past year there haven't been
any profits for five years"