The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1890-06-14

L II AAbAA0UAy : #s#vy G6VEAAs A0KlxkCI0
who have been burning their corn during
the past winter viii appreciate the truth
Of This.
A careful estimate, said to be based on
actual facts, has been made, which shows
that q corn starch factory with q capital
Of 500, 900 will grind daily 1900 bushels
Of corn. Putting this at 80 cents a bush
el, allowing 800 working days In the
year and deducting all expenses for
wages, freights, commissions to middle
men and other charges, and a factory Of
this description can clear q profit OF SO
per cent. This assumes, Of course, that
the factory is run with the latest scien-
tifc improvements. That, however, is
not done by most Of our factories, and
this is the cas- that they complain Of
low profits.
There is one fact which shows that
starch manufacturing lie not the unproft-
able business which the trust .spromot-
ers' represent it to be. Il Is that the
business has no failures. Almost every
business has its failures-many Of them
are marked in their whole course BY dis
aster-but starch makers never fail.
One failure can be found; but this was
not brought about by the Improbable
ness OF the business. The American
Starch company, OF Columbus, Ind,
failed some time ago by reason of the
action of the municipal authorities in re-
fusing the company permission to con-
tinue its factory inside the corporate linn
its on account OF the Offensive odors from
the works.
The number Of factories, on the other
hand, has been constantly increasing,
and there has been a very general move
ment toward charging the capacity Of
existing factories.
Furthermore. the factories have begun
to export their product in considerable
quantities. They exported last year near
" 10000, 600 pounds, or about twice az
much as in 1883. Nearly three times as
much was sold abroad last December as
In December, 1883. or course this export
will. be checked, If not entirely stopped,
when the Trust gets rid of its "unreason-
able competition and puts up the price to
a point just under the duty on foreign
starch.
The trust, however, will most likely
hold its export trade by selling abroad at
a lower price than at home. The EEK.
port discount" has grown to be a recog-
nized feature Of trade in our seaports.
People who believe that our protection
tariff is an unmingled blessing to us,
while it Injuries only the foreigner, would
do well to investigate tfeSe export dis.
counts" and try to find out how it is
that many American made articles are
sold more cheapiy to the foreigner than
to the American consumer, for whose
special benefit it is pretended that pro-
lection exists.
Mr.. McKinley's proposition to double
the duty on dextrine has called forth a
vigorous protest from the industries
which use that article. These industries
now import some ten million pounds OF
dextrine every year, which is q tenfold
Increase in twenty years. This Is potato
dextrine, of which none is made In this
country. This dextrine and other forms
Of starch are used by more than sixty OF
u industries. They paid about $780,
600 in duties last year on potato dextrine
and are not able to see why that sum
should be doubled at q time when the
problem is to reduce the surplus. They
denounce the increase as an uncalled for
and unjust step, and n representative
Of these industries calls attention to MI.
Burrows declaration that he was In.
favor Of removing all duties which serve
to protect trusts.
Let the people watch and see the re-
suit.