Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-05
Tariff Talk on Flax.


WASHINGTON. January 4.-The hearings
before the Committee of Ways and Means
were opened this morning with an argu-
ment by Edmund A. Whitman, OF Boston,
in favor of the removal of the duty on flax.
The present rates, he said. had now been
in force nineteen years, and yet the pro
duct of flax in this country had steadily
decreased. 1t was practically non-exlst-
ent industry. Its culture required too
much arduOus manual labor ana technlcai
skill. The product had fallen oil from
twentv-seven million pounds in 1860 TO five
million pounds in 1870, and to-day 1t was
so INSIGNIFICANT that no one could tell what
il was. The duty was therefore burden
to the linen-manufacturcr without being
compensatory TO the farmer.
The next statement was made by Mr.. An
derson, of Maine, manufacturer OF fancy
cassimeres, broadcloth, etc. lie argued IN
favor of q restoration OF the duties on such
goods To about where they stood prior TO
the change made in the tariff laws OF 1883
and in opposition to removal of the duties
on wool. -,
In reply to q question by Mr.. Carlisle,
witness said that he did not want the rates
which were increased by the tariff OF 1883
reduced to what they had been, but that
he wanted the rates which had been re-
duced put up TO what they had been.
A DtllIlOu from tilt VI Il ~
terson. n. j., in favor of duties on flax was
presented by the chairman, and one from
Philadelphia, signed by a large. number OF
persons asking for free materials, was pre-
scented by Mr.. Carlisle.
The next statement was made by j. X.
Turner, Jr., of Boston, president OF the
Flax and Hemp-Spinners Association. lie
complained that his business had not the
same degree of protection as other INDUS
! 1. NJ ltr4 in "a "
lines of goods competition with foreign
countries could not be kept up. He argued
in favor of an increase of duties on some
grades of linen goods. so that there
might be home production and a home
market, and of q retention OF the present
duty of IS ton On fax straw and so ton
ON dressed. He asked for duty OF cents
"a pound on all linen coarser than 1000, with
an additional rate of so per cent. al unloreni
instead of the present rate OF 80 per cent.
1d pdlorenl. Mr.. Combs. OF Kentucky. u
hemp-crower, made an argument in favor
of duty on hemp and against the PROPOSE
ton TO put jute, sisal, and manila on the
free list. He would like the duties on
lutte. sisal. and MANILA raised one cent
pound. but he would be content II present
duties on them were retained.
In reply TO questions by Mr.. Carlisle the
witness stated that the hemp production
of the country had gone up from 2,JOO tons
in 1869 until it was now about $4,000 tons.
IL had been at one time SO 900 tons, but its
use had been largely diminished by the
substitution of wire and other materials
for ropes and of iron hoop for cotton
baoging. He stated the average produc-
ton of hemp at 500 pounds to the acre,
the entire cost of 1t at $500 per ton. ana
the market price at $40; SO that the proht
per acre is but $40. and MI CarIsio put
- chou That TnnFn DetfHr
result would be obtained by the .srlner IN
cultivating corn or tobacco.
The committee heard statement RON
William Bright. of Newark. y. D., repre-
senting the hax-dresser operatives OF that
section. He asked that the duty on dressed
fax be increased from $40 TO $50 q ton. In
support of this demand he said the IN
dustry in this country is languishing be
cause of the insufficient protection. Inc
cost of dressing ton OF max IN tnis
country is Ga. while In Europe !, Is
but rs. He said it REQUIRED great skill TO
dress fax and presented to the. committee
specimens of the rough and dressed pro-
In answer to Mr.. Breckenridge witness
said he asked additional duty upon the
difference in wages alone.
Mr.. breckenridge: But the present outy
is $40 and the difference IN the cost Oh
labor rs but S2s. n ,oo
Witness explained that it required S,foo
TON Of the dressed product. He was
asked TO prepare in detail the figures
and process by which be fixed upon $50 {,
ton as the necessary amount of duty, and
have them incorporated in his remarks;
MIR. Bright was accompanied by several
other hax-dressers.
Mr.. Abram Bently, twine spinner OF
Brighton, Pa, asked that the present di-
ties be retained on jute. sisal. and manila.
obtained formerly, and which could be
reproduced with adequate encouragement
the existence Of the bagging trust would
have been impossible. Mr.. Bentley. said IN
his opinion the home demand tor binder
twins can be wholly. met by American
hemp. Witness said that 6ax could bepro-
ducsd suitable for cotton-baggage at rom