The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-09
TOBACCO AND RICE MEN
BEFORE THE WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE.

bSfOhH The WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE.
Tobacco Growers Demand Higher
Duties-CoL John Screven of savan-
nah Argues for the Retention OF the
Present Duty on Rice Abandoned
Rice Lands Which Might Be Re-
claimed-Wine and Spirit Interests.
WASHINGTON, Jan. S-The ways and
means committee to-day continued the hear
ing of tobacco men. A New York tobacco
packer protested against the advantages
which the existing law and treasury rulings
give TO the manufacturer Of foreign to-
bacco. For this, he said, there were two
remedies: First, to regulate the tax SO that
the manufacturer of foreign tobacco shall
have no advantage FROM the cost Of foreign
cigars, then he would drop foreign tobacco; !;
second, to raise the tax on all tobacco that
comes into competition with domestic to-
bacco.
MIR. Flower-And that is what you are
here for?
Witness-Yes, sir.
Witness thought imported wrapper to-
bacco ought to pay duty of from So to s5
per pound. The duty on filters, he thought,
should remain as at present-35 cents per
pound.
INADEQUATE PROTECTION CLAIMED.
5. G. Hubbard. president of the New
England Tobacco Growers Association,
was next heard. He claimed that there
was no adequate protection at present for
the tobacco grower. His association had
for several years petitioned to have the
internal revenue tax on tobacco repealed.
Jonathan Wychoff, representing the New
Y ork State Tobacco Growers Association,
also asked protection for the farmer. He
did not see why the cigarmaker should be
protected three times as much as the pro-
ducer Of tobacco. This year he had sold
his crop OF last year at 81 cents q pound.
Sumatra tobacco had displaced it in large
measure. he also advocated an increase Of
duty on Sumatra tobacco.
WINE AND SPIRIT INTERESTS.
AT the afternoon session arguments were
heard from the wine and spirit interests.
George L. Stagg of kentucky read pre-
pared statement full of statistics exhibiting
the Importance Of the distillery interests.
He said that the distillers do not ask for the
repeal OF the internal revenue laws, as it
would, while increasing business tenn
porariiy, result in over-production
and consequent depression. They
would like to have the tax reduced from 80
to 90 cents a gallon, but did not care to
have it entirely wiped out, as they recog-
nized the fact that whisky is used as a beV-
erage, and should bear its share of taxation.
There were other matters in which distillers
sought relief, and they were connected with
the administration of the law.
THE RICE INDUSTRY.
81 TIL,
peared in behalf of the rice industry. The
rice growers had been alarmed by state
ments repeatedly made that the duty on
rice was excessive. He purposed to show
that this is not so, and that in all fairness
the duty should be raised He did
not intend to ask that, however,
because he did not presume that
a higher duty could be secured. He desired
to contradict statements which had been
made in the House Of Representatives to
the effect that twice as much rice is pro-
duced in this country now as before the war.
The reverse of this was the truth. Before
the war, with slave labor, twice as much
rice was produced in this country as at
present. We imported very little rice then
and exported great quantities With
slave labor rice-growers were in a
position to defy the world. They had
the most effective labor, and it
was inferior in cheapness only to that of
Asia. No protection was needed, and duty
laid then benefited neither the government
nor the producer. Since the war the situa-
tion had entirely changed, and protection
was now necessary. The war placed the
industry in its infancy again, disorganizing
labor, running plants and excellent irriga-
tion works.
LABOR HIGHER.
Labor was now far higher, and also less
off FhnF, .,sn 81 "a
were also to the disadvan tage of the Amer
lean producer, and he now found Asiatic
rice meeting him in competition almost in
his own fields The treasury reports showed
that the bulk of the rice sent here from
China was brought in at less than 2 cents
per pound, while the cost to the American
producer was considerably more than
cents. A reduction of duty, he asserted.
would result in destroying American rice
fields, and give monopoly to the foreign
producer, which would be followed by greatly
enhanced prices, as was shown during the
war, when the value of rice was higher
than ever known before.
MORE EXACT DEFINITIONS ASKED.
F. G.. Ernst of New Orleans, representing
rice millers, asked that in the new tariff bill
the definitions of the various kinds of rice
be made more exact. Large quantities of
patna, or really "cleanedn rice was being
imported as "uncleaned" rice at rate of |
three-quarters of a cent per pound below
the proper rate. Rice men could not stand |
any further cut in the duty on rice; in fact, |
those having old lands could not afford to |
do business at the present prices.
Emile Dupre of New Orleans said that |
the lands capable of rice cultivation could |
be greatly increased.
ABANDONED RICE LANDS.
J. B. BissAll of Charleston said there were |
considerable quantities of abandoned land |
in South Carolina which might be again |
reclaimed but for constant fear that the
duty on rice would be taken off. He, him
self, would go out of business if duties were
lowered.
Several farmers and seedsmen Of Penn
sylvania, New Jersey, and New York had
something to say in advocacy of protecting /
the crops of the general farmers of those