New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-24
THE PRICE OF JUTE REDUCED.
AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF THE NEW TARIFF
MANUFACTURE OF MANY ARTICLES STIMULATED
BY PLACING THE RAW MATERIAL
ON THE FREE LIST.

responded to the reduction provided by the new tariff
and the material is one largely used In the manu-
facure Of household articles. the decreased cost to tho
consumer alresdy secured is source Of satisfaction
to the great mass OF people OF moderate means.
Not every one, perhaps understands Just wha' ,utc
is and the important factor II must always be In
the manufacture of innumcrabe articles IN daily use
In every household in the land. II Is necessity 70
the rich well to the poor, and II the American
manufacturer derives a benefit from the new condi-
tiOns as he is doing already In the revival OF all in
dustry in which every nation furnishes competition
the consumer whether his means be large or small.
is also reaping prOpcrtionate advantage In It's I'M
portance basis OF manufcturcS jute Is second only
10 cotton and fax II Is a vegetable fibre grown
until recently only IN india where the SOIL the climate
and the conditions % labor combine to make Its cutva
to1 ,nore successful than il could he elsewhere 1t
is a plant with heavy. hbrous stalk growing from
five and one half TO eleven feet high with long, tender
lsavcs. The natives these leaves pOt-herbs.
mis- being one OF their staple articles Of food over
I.OOO, 900 acres of 1utc are cultivated In Bengal
alone An attempt to cultivate the plant In Egypt
where conditions OF climate soil and labor similar TO
those OF India prevail, has been 30 successful as 10
promise in time active competition with the Indian
product.
The crop IL harvested when the plant is in flower be-
tween August and october. The fibre Is removed from
the stalks by a system known as "rcttinG." Every
thing done by hand, consequently the low cost OF
the marketed product depends upon the extreme cheap
ness of the labor The stalks soaked In staGnart
pools until the fibre is soft when II strips without
break or rupture from the stalk After the fibre Is
separated 1t is wrung out and hung up to dry In the
SUM- The process thus far is similar TO that pursued
In the case OF fax and hemp. After the fibre has
become dry II made up into bales ready for shipment
The of cultivation is about 81 all acre. ana each
acre produces from 1000 to 5000 pounds. Inc ia"
material COSTS when baled and ready for Shipment
about four cents a pound. 1t is one OF inc most
Gbpps
due It's universal use a. basis of manufactures Is
harder than flax or hemp but be made extremely
flexible thus giving IL wide variety In lts avaao'!.
The jute trade of Calcutta is the chief lnduNty oi 'd'
port. Formerly the jute all went 10 England LOT
manufacture but now the United states one OF the
largest consumers.
The civ of dundee Scotland. has had almost com
pctc monopoly of manufacture OF articles OF winch
jute Is staple for almost century Ihere are SOW
cral enormous factories there devoted to TINS INDUSTRY
The greatest of which is that Of the Cox BrotherS'
which covers twenty-five acres and employs o'ooo
men and women There Others almost as large
and from this statement it easy understand how
great factor Dundee has been in regulating the prices
Of the manufactured articles for the entire World es-
pecally for the United states. whose customs resul
lions hitherto placed tax upon the raw material WHICH
almost entirely prevented manufacturing from 1nte IN
this country in competition with Dundee AS lWc IS
the basis or the staple used in the manufacture OF
carpets oil-cloths. bagging canvas mating. uphol-
stcry tapestry, Irvine and various KINDS o Sa'
it is not difficult appreciate the extent OF the pressure
brought upon the consumer by tn" absence Oh
domestic manufacture.
Jue has been largely imported into the Chted
States for half q century In it, state, under tariff
fax and il has beer used in the manufacture OF such
articles as could be made here In competition WIN
similar foreign products on which there was a sum
GENTLY high tariff to protect the American manu1act
urer Only few articles, however, could be maze 10
of
the Mckinley Tariff law provided for the admission OF
raw 1ute free Of duty.
The Dolphin Manufacturing Company. of Paterson
n j. with offices at No. 40 Worth-st, this CITY, is
one of the original and most extensive manufacturers
of lutte in this country The courteous president OF the
comnsny Otto T. Barnard in speaking Of the effect OF
the new tariff utc industry of the United states
said yesterday that it was gratifying to tine mahulact
urer must be to the consumer. that the Mchhiev
bill had made jute free. This. said he, gives
1ute manufacturers in this country free raw materai
for their goods which, in this instance is most com
mendable principle Of political economy. Almost be-
fore the new Tariff bill was passed the )ute manu-
facturers reduced prices on yarns and certain classes
OF goods to the extent Of the tariff, thereby giving the
consumer tho benefit before they got IL themselves.
This was unfair 10 the manufacturer but was caused
by the keen competition, there being no trust COM
binaton or even much trade agreement IN inc
lutte industry The reduction III the tlrln OIL hieh
grades of tute amounts TO about half cent pound,
and on low grades quarter OF cent pound r."
the first time the history Of the industry we are
able with free raw material, to underScll Dundee
Mr. Ranuard said that these conditions had done much
TO revive the industry in America, and that the manu-
facture of jute would be largely Increased dundee
still held control to some extent, he sd OF the manu-
factnre OF burlaps, out of which variety OF
coarser bags were made but II might be found possible
10 compete on even the low grades Of goods If the
duty were stl higher the foreign manufactures
This country could compete successfully every class
of lutte manufactures lie thought that carpets. such
rs tapestries M0Quettes and some Brussels in which
lutte warn was used basis, which are largely manu-
featured here would be much cheaper under the
abolition of the tariff raw material THIS would
also apply 10 juto rope great variety OF twines ana
cords, matnGs, hemp carpets, sack cords, clothes
lines and all kinds of wrapping twnc.
The lutte mills Of Paterson employ ZOO hands ano
these do not include the manufacture OF rope or the
heavier cords which made almost exclusively In
Philadelphia In Brolslyn there are two large )ute
warn mills besides mills for the manufacture Of rope
and cordsge These employ In the aggregate probably
more than 10000 hands. Jute manufacturing in TINS
country begun In Paterson, but owing to the tariff
ON the raw material, IT has extended SLOWLY Mr..
Barnard sounded the keynote Of the manufacturers true
splrit when he said that they were willing 10 suffer
Temporary loss BY selling their stock created during
the tariff on raw material at the lower prices made
possible by the regulations. knowing that the con-
sumer and not the foreign manuiacturer would reap
the benefit
The percentage of reduction on yarns to the con-
sumner under the new law, Mr.. Barnard said, would be
from to 10 per cent and this would be fair average
OF reduction all staple manufactures The chief
reason burlaps could not be made here he said,
because We could compete with the foreign product
Burlaps were cheap grade Of goods requiring cheap
labor In Dundee the Of factory hands were on
the basis Of 40 cents day compared with III day
here The wages were much lower In Calcutta than In
Dundee The strongest argument In favor Of higher
dutv ON lutte manufactures bc found In the fact
that Willie America the largest consumer OF bur
laps not a yard made here. Jue manufactures,
no saJd were class OF goods that went 10 industrial