St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-03

| nothing would give us more pleasure than to
meet the members of your alliance face 10
! face and to answer any questions they may
wish TO ask Very respectfully,
c. p. MARSH, Sec. Nat Cord. Co:
Now. gentlemen, when l wrote the
National Cordage Go. hardly expected
an answer, l had no idea they would
sell the farmer direct their twlne, nell
ther did | intend to engage in the busi-
ness, but wrote them to find out II
could the price in first hands so when
we go to our dealers here to order our
twine, we may know exactly how
much we are obliged to pay above
the manufacturers prices. Further
than that was anxious to find out how
much more my twine was to cost me on
account of the tariff that the farmers of
the grain producing states Of the West
who consume the great bulk of this
| twine voteC. on themselves. MIR. Marsh,
OF the National Cordage company, says
the tariff is not needed for protection
or for revenue and that he would
like to see the raw material placed
on the free list. Then the duty on
MANILA fibre is $25 ton. 1t is said
that over forty thousand tons OF twine
was consumed last year and that $4,000
tons will be required this season. The
duty on $4,000 ton at $25 a ton is only
$780, 900 taken out of the pockets OF
the farmers who consume the twine to
swell the enormous surplus in the
United States treasury above the needs
of the government. Our dealers
here inform ME that it will require
fifty tons of twine to bind the grain In
Rock county this season. Fifty tons at
S25 a ton is 81 ,250-our contribution on
account of the tariff, for twine alone.
And as long as we elect members OF
congress who vote this tax on us we
should pay the price like men. without
murmur. For one, am not in SYM
pathy with the resolutions passed by
the farmers of our neighb0ring village
of Sibley, To-, and all over the
west to harvest our crop without twine,
10 put it up loose or any other way
rather than pay the advance, that the
laws. our members of congress who we
elect to represent our interest, vote for
and sustain, enables these corporations
to charge this advance. l prefer
to attack the laws that we our
selves are responsible for, and
elect no man to congress that will not
vote and use his influence to relieve us
of this unnecessary portion OF your
burden. But, as have told you before
to- day, we are not yet quite poor
enough to adopt the plan of the bold
prOtectioniStS of Pennsylvania to elect
no man to congress, Republican OF
Democrat, who is not in sympathy with
their industries.
Now, from all l can learn l do not be-
lieve there is really any combination
among the manufacturers of tWine to
advance the price. How can there be?
The sisal fiber last year in cargo lots
was cents, the MANILA 9 cents. The
manufacturers price for the twines
from these tibers was IL and II
cents. This would only leave a
turing and profits. This year the sisal
fibre in cargo lots is II to 1870. The
MANILA IA to 1411gc, and they offer to sell
us this twine IN 10000 lb. lots for 1411az
and 161Sc, leaving them only 2 to
215c for manufacturing and profits.
Still further proof the Orange
Judd Farmer. a paper that never
fails to speak out in the interest of the
farmer and against monopoly, sayd
there is nOtrust on twine; that the as
vance this year over last is caused by
the great advance in the raw material.
Now if there is any trust it is IN
its infancy, small indeed in cOmDari-
son to the great iron and steel
trusts ana OCnef cOnlDlHdClOllS lIldG
are formed to advance the price of near
ly all the necessary articles OF con-
sumption. and am not in favor OF boy
cotting one industry and that one so es-
sentiaI to the saving of1our crop, when
there are so many others that
need our attention. Therefore, I am
in favor OF using twine; of doing
our work well; but if the farmers in
this county, by any honorable united
action can do anything to lessen the
price of twine it is their duty to do it,
and abide the time when the laws may
be changed that the great agricultural
being taxed as they now are to central
ize wealth, build up monoplies and for
ter combinations and trusts all over the
land. 1 thank you, gentlemen, for your
attention.