The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-03-16
a TARIFF on

Tho Wilson liIiI wa Mako This Cheap
Fruit II Luxury by Increasing tho Price.
4 Vigorous Protest.
Baltimore S,UL
Mr.. 9. @. Buchanan, president OF tho
Buchanan Fruit Company, Of Baltimore,
has sent tho following letter to Senator
German!
"Me notice In the turin bill under
consideration that it ia proposed to i'm.
poso u duty on bananas, aud wc beg you
TO use your influence against this propo.
sLtion.
Tho Importance Of this branch OF In
dustry, We believe. Is very little under
stood by our representatives.
This fruit is not grown in any part
oil our country, and it Is Of such n nature
that 1t is impossible to cultivate it to
any commercial extent in tho United
States, and, being n very p]Grishabl0
article, could not stand Il duty without
running tho importers, aud taking extra
money from n iRvorito fruit aud food
pTodnct Of tho masses, or poorer people.
Last year thorc wore imported into
tho United SiatoI about fifteen million
bunclos OF bananas, giving employment
" about ono hundred and thirty
steamers. many OF which are owned by
tho fruit importers and tho rest arc
chartered TO them.
I'VE employ regularly from thrOe to
Two steamers, and wO imported last year
nlne hundred and twenty-five thousand
punches.
"WO would also ask you to use your
influence against tho proposed duty on
~cocoanutp, as they come undOr Il some.
what similar heading with bananas"
In speaking on tho subject to Il re-
porter OF tho Sun, MIR. Buchanan said:
"A tariff on bananas, rs proposed by
tho finance committee OF tho senate,
must have a disastrous effect oil tho
commerce Of Baltimore and other cities,
and must DO felt keenly by tho poorer
people.
"Fruit importers throughout the
country will protest against any duty
being placed on bananas, as it would
probably DO a severe il not fatal blow
to tho banana industry. The trade in
tho fruit Ia IN important part OF tho
commerce of Baltimore, and its ex.
tlnction would DO felt by Il large num-
Der OF people. Ten or twelve years ago
4 schooner would occasionally come to
this port with 1900 to 1000 punches Of
bananas, md tho fruit WINS scarce and
high in price. Now the importations
hero are from q million TO n million and
q hall lunches n year, and average
from thirty 10 City thousand punches Il
week during tho spring and the early
summer, tho principal season. The
sales are large and tho prices within the
reach OF the poorest.
Owing to the very perishable nature
OF the fruit, tho fastest and costliest
steamers are employed in the trade.
Often, though, tho bananas arrive in
such condition that they must bo die
posed OF quickly. Tho freight charges
arc high, and il u duty had to be paid
by the importers much higher prices
would necessarily be charged the Job
bcrs, and the retail prices would be be-
yond the reach OF q large number OF
people. Instead OF beinga iavorite fruit
and foot OF tho masses bananas would
become 4 luxury and the poorer people
would not be able to buy them. The
demand would fall of aud tho trade
would dwindle to what it was before its
present vigorous growth began. A duty
OF 20 per cent. as proposed by the senate
committee, would mean from $500 to
$1,000 on each cargo, according 10 its
size.p
An immense capitals invested in the
banana trade, and employment is given
to Thousands Of people. The Buchanan
Company employs several hundred
men, and large numbers OF jobbers and
retailers IN tho city make a business OF
selling bananas. The Boston Fruit
Company, Il connection OF the Buck
man company, has 81 1000 900 invested
in plant and plantations in Jamaica,
where the bananas are grown, and sew
oral thousand persons IRE employed in
the industry there.