The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-03

VICES IN Tie LATE CAMPAIGN.
Washington, Jan. 2.-The ways and
means committee devoted the day to lis
tcning to the schedule covering flax,
hemp, jute, MANILA and other vegetable
hbreS. The manufacturers, growers and
importers displayed considerable antago.
nism. Those who appeared were: Will
liam Rutherford Of Oakland, Cal. Crnw-
ford Lyon, Of Baltimore; John Wilson, of
Newark, y. j.; Leslie Combs, of Lexing-
ton, Ky; Congressman Van Horn, OF
Missouri; j. \. Bemis, OF BOSTON, f. Il.
Biddle, of New York; Congressman elect
Charles Il. Pearcc, of St Louis, and j John
w. Bell, OF Andover, Mass.
Mr.. Rutherford representing company
which has manufactured Irvine. warm and
cloth for thirty years, was the first
speaker They asked first that yarns
made of jutc be advanced from 80 to 81
per cent. nj .valorcm; second, that bur-
laps and bags for grain made of burlaps
be transferred To the dutiable list, the
section to read: ''Buraps of the width Of
ilaX, iutc or hemp, or of which flax, jute
or hemp, or any of them shall be the ma.
terial OF chief value, except such as may
be suitable for baHging for cotton, 81
cents per pound. Bags for grain made of
burlaps two cents per pound. Third, that
gunny bags and gunny cloths, Old or re.
IuSe fit only for manufacture, be
changed from the free list to l.2 cent per
pound.
Mr.. Rutherford also pointed ont that
Japanese competition was entering the
market. One big jutc mill had trans
fcrred its machinery to Japan To get the
benefit of Japanese cheap labor One
Japanese capitalist had endcavored to
effect Il deal by which Mr.. Rutherford's
mill would he transferredsto Japan, guar.
antceing that labor could he secured at
twelve cents per day of thirteen hours
and coal at ninety cents n ton.
The next witness, Mr. Lyons. OF Balti-
more, characterized Mr.. Rutherford as an
"alarmistn and declared that his state
mcnts regarding free entries of goods
were absolutely untrue. Mr.. Lyon is IN
importer and he came armed with load
of samples, declaring that only three VA
rieties of the many he exhibited, were en-.
tered free. His plea was for lowe: duties
on oil cloths and lnolcums, as the Will
son law, he declared, rctricts importa.
tions and lavishly protects manufac.
turers.
Mr.. Lyon fell into II swranglc with the
committee at once when he declared, on
being interrupted, that he would answer
questions whcnss The had nished his state,
mcnt. The committee insisted that he
answer when questions were asked In
the course of II description by him OF how
American oil cloth manufacturers had
grown rich under the present and past
tariffs, he said many of them had become
bank presidents.
Mr.. Lyon continuing said that Amcri-
con manufacturers could make these
goods cheaper than they could be made
abroad by reason OF more efficient ma
chinery and that any requests for an adj
vance of tariff should he looked on with
suspicion 1t would give the four close
corporations controlling the American
market IN opportunity to squeeze the
public, ii .chance they never had neglected
and would deprive the government of rev
enue. In 1891 before the passage of the
Wilson bill, Il trust had been formed in
oil cloths. The importation of oil cloths
had practically ceased
Il am IL Republican in good standing, =
Mr.. Lyon said. ~ support protection rs
u sound policy, but not the abuse of it.
Questions rained upon him so thicl; and
fast that the subject became hopelessly
complicated before he finished Then
Mr.. Rutherford offered II statement i'll re-.
buttal, by exhibiting samples of goods
imported by him. To this showing Mr..
Lyon replied that the officials of the port
OF Baltimore refused to admit similar
goods free, under decisions Of the court.
Chairman Dingley stated that under
thcss Wilson law imporatons of linoleum
had increased 80 per cent. and revenues
decreased 33 per cent
The t1aX drcsserS were repre- +ented by
John Wilson, of Newark \. j.. who in
behalf of the workinCman asked for u
duty OF l-2 cents pound OH dressed
flax
Leslie Combs, of Lexington, Ky. who
said he was the largest grower of hemp
in the country before the act of 1891 said
the placing of flax, jute and hemp on the
free lis had destroyed entirely his ability
to produce hemp and since that time he
had MT produced u pounu. He came be-
fore the committee, therefore, he said.
with no selfish interest and as evidence
If fair protective duty was put on hemp
he would not again engage in it's pI oduc-
ton. But he appeared, he said. in behalf
of the farmers of Kentucky, who were
dependent on its production. He declared
that there was larger percentage of
labor cost in the production of hemp than
In any other agricultural product. The
labor employed in this industry in Ken
lucky was the most intelligent and in
dustrious colored labor in the country
and, during Il profitable production of
hemp, the best paid. These laborers.
however, did not expect from 81. % to So
as other protected employees did. They
were content with less. Placing hemp
on the free list had reduced wages from
81, the wages by the farm owners, to -