Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-25

1885 SI, 1856 ss,s45,e2O si76,O4s . 20
1885,. 3s,9i6 s,l4s69S 4gS,15l 65
1887. .33.257 3,373,6l9 499,3lO 10i
1855 -. .&.T76 4,Ssi,sis igi,654 I47
lReport Bureau Statistics, Treas. Dept.
Our cordage companies are taxed 80
per ton on the raw material. and pro-
tected by u tariff of 35 per cent from
foreign competition. This tax on the
raw material was 90 per cent in 1886, Is
per cent in 1887 and 10 per cent in 1888.
because the price of the raw material
abroad has more than doubled within the
past two years. The increase in the cost
of the raw material has been followed by
corresponding increase in price of
twine.
The increased demand not having been
met by an increased importation of raw
material. the mills hoping for lower
prices, all of the available stock of grass
on hand has been used up and our mills
are only importing what they need as
they require it. The country dealers.
hoping for break in price, have held
back orders. and the output of one com
psny in this city is 10000 tons less than
it was last year at this time, while the
output of the other mills is In proportion.
The amount of twine in the hands of the
dealers is very low. and the mills are not
making preparations for heavy orders by
carrying stock. Unless orders are soon
received there will not be Irvine to be had
at any price to harvest the crop. The
increase in the price of raw material is
owing to the supply being limited and
smaller than the demand. The increase
of the price of Irvine has been by con-
certed action-the formsuon Of trust
they deny-to preserve the full benefit of
protection. which authorizes them to
charge their countrymen 80 per cent
more than the Irvine is worth abroad.
The cost of raw material having dou>
bled everywhere, the cost of foreign
Irvine has increased. AS the foreign
price has been advanced to that of the
American, the price of the American has
been showed ahead so as to keep 35 per
cent beyond it. This is, of course. right
and proper. 1t is to enable them TO do
this, and to compel the farmer to pay 35
per cent more than the twine is worth
that the American mills receive their 81
per cent protection. They must do it,
because they pay a heavy tax on raw
material, and from one third to two
thirds of this revenue farmed out to them
must be paid into the treasury. They
pay three quarters of q cent per pound on
raw material for permission to tax their
countrymen all they like under 80 per
cent on the manufactured product. They
farm the revenue" and of course do it
at profit to themselves.
The steady increase during the past
three years of the cost of the raw mater
ial abroad, and the consequent advance
in the price of Irvine threatening to be a
serious burden to the farming cOmmuni>
ty. the democrats in the last congress,
under the lead of Mr.. Mills, voted to put
sisal grass on the free list, and to reduce
the duty on foreign sisal Irvine to 25 per
cent. This would not affect the protec-
ton granted the Irvine mills. Their per-
centage of profit would remain the
same. but the burden to the farmer
would be greatly lessened. 1t was cut
Of 10 per cent in the protection or tax on
the foreign Irvine.
At this and other reductions of like
nature in the cost of sugar, salt. lumber,
rice and other materials entering into
their expenses, the republican farmers of
the northwest rose in their wrath. They
would not have it.
The republican senate, in obedience to
their wishes, so amended the Mills bill as
to raise the tax on sisal grass from Si5
per ton to $50 and the protection of the
Irvine mills from 80 per cent to 40 per
cent duty on foreign sisal grass.
The republican farmers of the north
west last November wanted dear Irvine,
not cheap Irvine. They approved the
senate bill, and will doubtless cheer
wildly for dear Irvine next winter when it
passes the republican house of represens
tatives. The treasury does not need the
revenue from the tax on sisal grass. and
it was put on by the republicans and will
be doubled by the republicans solely to
increase the cost to the republican farm
er OF the Irvine made from it, because he
wants his supplies to cost more, not less.
In the meantime the republican farmer
is not happy. He defeated the Mills bill,
which would have prevented any increase
in the price of Irvine by relieving the
manufacturers of the duty on raw mater
ial and reducing their protection cores
pondingly; but he must wait until next
winter before he can double the present
burden of the Irvine mills and increase
their protection. He should be content
until then with the normal increase in
price under the present tariff, which Mr..
Mills tried TO prevent. He should con-
slider even q small increase better than no
increase.
Strange to say. he is not content. The
prOverbial steer is not harder 'kicker"
than he is at the advance in the price of
twine ordered by the mills-not because
the increase is not larger. but because it
is so Target Indignation meetings have
been held in nearly every county of nine
states. and state associations have been
organized in five, pledged TO oppose by
every lawful means the present advance
In price, which is not one-h half what he
voted for. and much less than he wanted
last fall. He even proposes to go to the
length OF not using Irvine or harvesting
machines. Says the Omaha Daily Bee:
THE proposed course of the farmers, il |
it should become general-and to make a |
successful fight against the trust it must |
be genersl-would undoubtedly involve |
quite serious consequences to them. They |
cannot return to old methods without |
suffering great inconvenience and more |
or less loss. The self binder is one of |
the most valuable of labor saving inven-
lions, and is nearly indispensable to the
extensive wheat grower. To do away |
with 1t would necessitate the employment
OF labor to an extent that would eat up
the profits of most farmers, and there
would be also loss from having the grain
improperly bound. Undoubtedly the
aggregate loss to the grain producers of
the country for having to return, for even
q single year, to old methods would be
very great. But it is hardly questionable
that il will be wiser to make contest at
ouce against the Irvine monouolv at