Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-05
WASHINGTON VIKINGS.
Further Hearings on the
Tariff.
FIBRE MEN HAVE THEIR SAY
The Jute Manufacturers ClamOring
for More Protection-Capital
Cuttings.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, January AT the hear
ing of the Ways and Means Committee
today, William Bright, of Newark, N. j.,
representing the fax-dresser operatives
of that section allied to the Knights Of
Labor, asked that the duty on dressed
fax be increased from $40 to 500 per ton.
He said the industry in this country is
because of insufficient pro-
lection. The cost of dressing a ton of
fax in this country is $64, while in
Europe it is but $35. He asked addi-
tional duty upon the difference in wages
alone.
Abram Brentley asked that the present
duties be retained on jute, sisal and man
lila. He asserted that under the condi-
tions that obtained formerly, and which
could be reproduced with adequate en-
couragement. the existence of the
bagoing trust would have been impos-
sible.
Treasurer Babbitt, of the Chelsea jute
mills, said the laborers in American jute
mills are paid more than twice as much
as in Scotland, and from five to ten times
as much as in India. He read tele-
gram from the Dolphin Manufacturing
Company, of Paterson, N. j., saying
that unless Congress gave them free raw
jute, they would be obliged to suspend,
being no longer able to meet the COM
petition of the Dundee manufacturers.
Witness argued in favor of free jute.
| Charles T. Pearce, of st. Louis, made
q comparison of the cost of Calcutta aud
American bsgging to show that with jute
butts free, duty of at least two cents
per yard upon the manufactured product
must be made in order to maintain the
industry in this country, and if the pres
ent duty of S. per ton is retained, then
the duty on the manufactured product
must be two and half cents per yard. :
| Mr.. McMihin questioned Pearce as to
the cause of the extraordinary rise in the
price of bsgging from ~ cents in '87 to
121 cents in '88 Pearce explained at
length that in the spring of 1887 seven OF
the probably twenty-five manufacturers
in the country cornered the product; and
| the manufacturers we're badly scared by
the probability of the passage of the
Mills bill.
McMiliin asked Pearce if he justified
the organization of the trust or corner.
Il say" responded the witness, "that
when you undertake to destroy my bust.
ness am justified in protecting myself,
and will do it every time"
ton did not realize it's grip upon the
people after the danger of the passage Of
the Mills bill was over.
| NJ Dv1oLxou~;lro co;I en- xo,~ L.
of any manufacturer returning the in
creased price of bagging?"
81 do not," said Mr.. Pearce; "they
did not have it,"
The Chairman-'You say you did not
put that $4,000, 900 of increased price into
your pockets? Why didn't you?"
1--WE didn't get it,"
"Who did get it?"
81 don't know we didn't" IN
To further questions by Mckinley,
Pearce said the Mills bill, if it had passed,
would have destroyed every bagging
probably have bapkrupted seven-eighths
of the manufacturers. 1t would have
wiped out from six to eight and half
millions of capital, and the organization
that cornered the product Of 1883 wa
uuo soieiy W tuc UoilcA 1udu Iuo MliIs
Dill was hostile legislation to invested
capital.
10 regard to the hemp industry, Pearce
said if it were properly encouraged he
had no doubt within three years there
would be, instead Of l 200 tons az now,
from 40 900 to so 600 tons Of hemp raised
in the United etstes.
A. L. Bemis, of Bemis & Co., Boston,
with bag factories in St. Louis, Minneap-
oils and Omaha, made plea for ade-
quate rates of duty on manufactures of