The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-02-13
Enjoying r.kINlErlsns.

The EE@aIaaden on Trust sTeeas ana EFoves
Up EEtees--A TarIT story OF tbs 5EeEzIss-
ley StriPs-OBe Industry Aided Eiy No
EinleE In PreyinE Upon Anotbcr-Ebe
leather AEen Under the TsriE Wheel
The people OF this country have no
idea how far trusts and trust methods
have been developed IN this tariff land
They do not know all the hooks and
crannies OF industry into which the
trust. usually the tariff trust, has crept
and built for itself a home in which to
thrive and grow fat Nor do they know
all that is going on in these same indus
tries in tine way of apprOpriating the
spOils which the Mckinley tariff law
puts in their reach.
One OF these industries is that OF
making what is called meuhaden oil
The men engaged IN this industry
have an association which they call the
Menhaden Oil and Guano Association.
The annual convention of this body was
recently held in New York. and one re
suit of this meeting was thus stated by
the New York Oil Paint and Drug Re
porter;
the unenhaden oil manufacturers are de
teEmined to get a better price for their prod
net and since their meeting in this city last
week. they have concluded that they might
as well extend their plans for regulating the
market so as To include the stock now on
hand Accordingly they have Il Ned prices
that arc about tNO cents per gallon above
those quoted a week ago.
There is tariff story behind this
nenhadcn oil trust which deserves to
be told. as it viii illustrate the charac-
ter and working OF the Mckinley tariff.
1t is a fair sample of the ways that are
dark and tricks that are vain" in every
page of the tariff law; and it shows how
McKinley's new brood of protected in
tants are plotting behind their cradles
and devising means to squeeze the pro
tective pop bottle and satisfy their
greed
The merhaden is a fish similar. to a
herring which is very abundant in sum
ner on our coast from Maine to New
Jersey. Menhaden are taken in nets
in great NUN bers, it being reported at
this New York meeting that the num-
bers taken during the past season was
553, 600, 600. These fish are used for
making oil, and the refuse from the oil
press is used in making fertilizers. The
menhaden are also used in their natural
state as fertilizers.
The menhaden oil trust, as was re-
ported by the secretary at the New
York meeting, embraces % factories
employing 4, S6S men, and having a
capital of 81, 500, 600. The industry pro
duces annually about s. 600, OOO gallons
Of oil, of which nearly One-third is ex-
ported
The principal use of menhaden oil is
for illuminating purposes in mines, and
X
sole leather. The better classes of
leather. however, are treated with a
product called degras, which is collect
ed from the water in which greasy
wool has been washed This degras, or
/ brown grease, as the leather dressers
/ call it, has in the past fifteen years come
! to be recognized as a necessity in dress
ing upper leather. It gives d softer fin
| ish than Menhaden oil, which is no
I longer used for finishing upper leather
| The gum in this oil frequently comes
| out of the leather in a few months and
/ collects on the surface; and then the
/ leather Is worth less than the raw hide
/ of which it was made. The superiority
/ of the degras in curFying leather Is sc
/ great that it has taken the place OF
/ menhaden oil, and the result has been
/ better leather and better shoes for mill.
J ions of people.
! But this result has not pleased the
! Menhaden Oil Association, or trust
/ and hence they invoke the help of oul
/ prOtectiOnist lawmakers, asking then
! to put prOhibitOry duty on degras and
| thus compel the leather curriers' to use
| menhaden oil and produce an inferior
| quality of leather for the people. Three
/ years ago they asked for such duty
| from the Senate committee and it was
1 given them; but as that bill did not be
come a law they were still without the
protection" for which they We're clam
! oring.
Degras was admitted under the ole
law as waste at 10 per cent. ad valOrem
and the Mills bill placed It on the FIRE,
list. When the present Congress Assem-
bled Mckinley had barely got his tariff
mill running when the menhaden trus
again put IN an appearance in the per
son of its president, who said he fel
shat we are entitled to protection
against the importation Of foreigI
greases which are produced by the EN-
Ployment Of cheap labor In foreign
countries" He objected 20 the impOr
tation of degras as follows: 'sThe result
upon the ash-oil market. which is large
" attrib utable to the free importation
of this special grease, has been to re
duce the price Of fsh-Ol so materially
that many have abandoned the business
and all are suffering from the effects o
this foreign competitor" He asked To-
a duty OF IL cent per pound on degras
the same as in the Senate bill two year
ago AS the old 10 per cent duty wa