Telegram-herald., 1889-05-05
TOPROTECTPLASTER
Congressman Belknsp Interviewing
Secretary Window.
PRACTICAL WORK At WASHINGTON
Our CoagrsssaaAB Also Trying - see
mh4t ca % Done - Insgross tbs
flsi1 of FOt.toes sB4-
aaksr.s Good " ORA.

week ~ lEr-t NATIVE De r-2l4a u AlA- Ht-f-
very busy before the Treasury Depart
ment and the Department " Agricul-
tuEs 10 trying - have matter re-
zliated that + of considerable import
ance D. the people VI the state Of Michl-
Eau anc lle entire country.
Under the existing, tarh plaster that
Is imported Tor ferrlzlns purposes Is
admitted daly free. but plaster that e
c4lciaed. or which Is intended 70 De-
used for any u The mechanical arts,
pays a tlty 0I A dollar = ton. livery
wear thousands or tons 0f free plaster
are imported. Last year. believe, the
amount vas 1850 900 tons. OF coarse,
presumably tAis MAS all % oe used Tor
the benefits 0f the crops. bat the
domestic manufacturers 0I plaster have
very good reason o. believe that a gery
large per centage Of 10 was caiclned .n
this country. so that 10 became All
entirely different article, and was then
sold Tor commercial purposes, and be-
came what is known u the trade as
plaster OK Paris, sJuccO, aiabastine,
Wall-hn.sA and -O forth. 10 II evident
that the law never contemplated such "A
thing, and t now works great injustice
o the owners OF domestic mines.
Mr. Bslkuap has had several inter
views w.tn the Treasury officials IN IT.
gard o. the matter, and Viii have an
other and more extended interview
w.th Secretary of the Treasury VIM
dom during the early part OF the week.
H il convinced that the Treasury can
impose such regulations "a Will prevent
the law from being evaded IN this man
ner and at the same time he feels that
X the proper amount of attention II
gwen % the domestic manufacturers It
Will b. a good thing 20 them, as y will
enable several mines now ldle 70 he
remuneratvely worked. and Mr. Bel
knap tells me that there Is scarcely a
State in tine Union that has not got
plaster IN larger or smaller quantities,
while the works near Grand Rapids are.
a. IS well known, the largest IN the
world.
In tine opinion Of Mr. Belknap, if this
J. done, the domestic manufacturers
who arc now unable 70 compete with
the foreign manufactures. because OF
this EVASION Of duty, VIII be- able 10
work their mines az 4 profit, and the
result VIII be- that tie price OF plaster
viii eventually be much reduced 10 the
consumer. And every farmer knows
tDat plaster = a very necessary article
On the farm.
The action Of Mr.. Bclknap in trying
D. have The duty properly collected on
plaster. shows that the Otl-rcpeatcd
charge in free trade organs that "the
tariff IS a tax ia favor OF the rich as
against the poor, which the former al
WAYS try 90 cyade. does not hold good
IN tlis instance. Mr.. Belkuap uses con-
siderable plaster in the course OF year
IN las business, and while be believes
that II the duty was properly levied the
price OF that article might not be much
affected at first, and might. perhaps. be
even "a sed somewhat, ne thinks that
the benefits arising from the rightful
taxation would b. OF so much advan-
tage % the people at large that a
change should oe made as soon as pos
sibic.
Mr.. Bclknap's business before the Az
r'cultural Department has also had 10
do with plaster. bat ia a different form.
it Il fac, well known TO most house
wiy,'s that it IS q very q tficult thing 20
get good potato. a few years ago
potatoes were hard and mealy. now
they are mostly ,oggy aud wassyy. In
she good old days, when the potato bug
was comparatively unknown. the tuOel
was q better article than % Is now.
Whether fnis IS cause OF effect Is not
known hut NJ. g.. Sn1n lls reason to
hcIIevc that the detor.orat .1n of the pc-
tato Keeps pace wlt1 the increase OF the
potato bug. It's theory of the matter
Is tult che Paris Green shat has been
used ia sgch quantities. % extorunate
the bugs has affected the vines and de-
srroyea their bearing qualities. and be