Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-05

bill becoming law had led to the formation
OF the Bagging Trust. Other important tes-
/ timony was adduced.
| WASHINGTON, January 4-The hearing
before the Committee on Ways and Means
was opened this morning with an argument
by Mr.. 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 10 years. and vet the product of fax
in this country had steadily decreased 1t
was practically a non-existent industry.
Its culture required too much ar
duous manual labor and technical
skill. The product had fallen off
from 100000 pounds in 1860, to
5,OOO,O 600 pound in 1870, and to-day it was
so Insignificant that no one could tell what
twas, The duty was therefore burden to
the linen manufacturer, without being a
compensation to the farmer. The importa-
tion of linen goods had increased fourtold
since the duty was placed on fax, the
amount' in value in 1888 being SIG, 800.
Much of this linen might be made in this
country but for the duty on fax. He
argued, therefore, that the duties should be
removed from all grades of fax, dressed and
undressed.
NO REASON FOR TARIFF.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Carlisle, the
witness said that the only fax goods made
in this country were the coarsest kind of
towels; that about $40, 900, 600 Of capital was
invested in the business here; that 1t had
practically no competition from abroad, and
that fine linens were not made here. There
was no reason why the duty on fax should
not be removed.
The Chairman-If you had free fax would
you want any protection for the goods that
you manufacture?
The witness-I do not think would ask
any duty on our product.
The Chairman-You would not advise any
reduction of the present duties?
The witness-No, think not.
The next statement was made by Mr.. An
derson, of Maine, manufacturer OF fancy
cassimeres, broadelOths, etc. He argued in
favor of restoration of the duties on such
goods to about where they stood prior to the
change made in the tariff law of 1888, and in
opposition to the removal of the duties on
wool.
BOTH SIDES OF IT.
A petition from fax hackers of Pater-
son.. N j., in favor ofthe duties on fax,
was presented by the chairman, and one
from Philadelphia, signed by large num-
Der of persons, asking for free raw ma
terials, was presented by Mr.. Carlisle.
The next statement was made by Mr.. j.
R. Turner, Jr., of Boston, President of the |
Flax and Hemp Spinners' Association. He |
complained that his business had not the |
same degree of protection as other industries |
had, and that, consequently, on many lines
of goods, competition with foreign countries |
could not be kept up. He argued in favor |
Of q N inaraa n dntiaS m uPadaq of |
linen goods. SO that there might be home |
production and home market, and of the |
retention OF the present duty of So a ton on !
fax straw and $40 ton on dressed fax.
Mr.. Combs, of Kentucky, a hemp grower, |
made an argument in favor of the duty on |
hemp, and against the proposition to put |
jute, sizal and MANILA on the free list He |
would like the duties on jute, sizal and ma |
nilla raised cent pound, but he would be |
content if the present duties on them were |
retained.
THE HEMP PRODUCTION.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Carlisle, the |
witness stated that the hemp production of |
this country has gone up from 2, 500 tons in |
1869 until it was now about Il, 900 tons. It |
had been at one time 49, 900 tons, but its use
had been largely diminished by the substi-
tuition of wire and other materials for ropes
and of iron hoop for cotton bagging. He
stated the average production of hemp at
800 pounds to the acre, the entire cost of it
at S34 CO. and the market price S4U, so that
the profit per acre is SIS 40; and Mr.. Carlisle
put questions to show that much better
result would be obtained by the farmer in
eultivating corn or tobacco.
The committee next heard a statement |
from William Bright, of Newark, N. j.,
representing fax dresser operatives of that
section allied to the Knights of Labor. He
asked that the duty on dressed fax be in
creased from $40 to $50 ton. In support
of this demand he said the industry in this
country is languishing because OF INSULT
cient protection Mr. Bright was accom-
panied by several other fax dressers, among
them Abram Bentley, of Bentley & Gerwig,
twine spinners of Brighton, Pa, who asked
that the present duty be retained on jute,
sizal and MANILA.
CAN BE MADE AT HOME.
Mr. Bentley said, in his opinion, the
home demand for binder twine can be
wholly met by American hemp. There
were 1000 tons used last year. and that
made the price of all binders tw1ne much
cheaper to farmers than if none had been
manufactured here.
At this point on motion of Mr. Bayne,
the committee decided to have all manu-
scripts prepared by witnesses filed without
Y,
brief oral statements in explanation
Mr. Frank l. Babbitt, treasurer of the
Chelsea jute mills, New York, described to
the committee the iute plant and the jupe
butt of commerce, and gave statistics of the
trade in India, Scotland and the United
States, including the wages paid laborers in
iute mills In America the laborers are
paid, in round numbers, more than twice as
much as in Scotland, and from five to ten
L I
read a telegram from the Dolphin Manufac-
turing Company, of Paterson, N. j., en-
ploying 800 hands, saying that unless this
Congress gave them free raw jute, they
would be obliged to suspend, being no
longer able to meet the competition of Dun
dee manufacturers.
MAKER OF TRUSTS.
A warm colloquy ensued between Mr.
Mcmillan and the next witness, Charles E.
Pearce, of st. Louis, in the course of which
the former asked witness if he justified the
Of the bagging trust corner,
institution brought about by
the fear of the passage of the Mills bill.
81 say" responded Mr. Pearce. ''that
when you undertake, primarily, to destroy
my business, am justified. secondarily, in
protecting myself and I'll do it every
time.
''But the organization did not release its
grip upon the people after the danger of the
passage of the Mills bill had passed.
II can say to you, Mr.. Mcmillan, there is
not bagging manufacturer in the country
who does not regret the necessity that COM
pelled the organization you refer to.
Mr. breckenridge you know of any
manufacturer returning the increased price
Of bagging?
''I do not. They did not have it. -
WFrN-- II Y u I
that 81, 600, 900 Of increased price in your
pockets. Why didn't you?
1--WE did not get it.
"Who did get it?"