The record-union., 1897-01-03
In the Hearings to Prepare New
Tariff Bill.
Quite Large Attendance of Persons
Interested i'm the Industries,
Among Whom Was Representa-
tive From Oakland, California,
Who Presents What He Thinks
Would be the Proper Rates of
Duties.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-To-day was
the fifth day of the tariff hearing before
the House Committee on Ways and
Means-the subject of discussion being
flax, hemp and their manufactures.
There was quite a large attendance
of persons interested in those indus
tries.
The first manufacturer to be heard
was William Rutherford of Oakland,
Cal, who said that in California they
We're engaged in making twine, yarn
and cloth in a great many varieties.
The first of these mills was started
there about thirty years ago, and within
that time the business had increased
largely. They now wanted a reasonable
perfection to run their mills, and he
suggested such changes in the tariff as
were considered necessary for the pur-
pose. The manufacturers of California,
he said, in the last election had given
their votes for protection, thinking this
the quickest way to give employment
for the idle, protection to themselves,
and revenue to the Government. The
mills of the United States had been act
i've in keeping down the price of these
goods to the farmer. Up to the passage
of the Wilson bill a fair duty had been
given the industry The measure bene-
flied the mills of Calcutta and other
foreign countries at the expense of the
domestic manufacturers. Between
1898 and 1895 the imports of jute and
burlaps more than doubled.
Under the clause in the free list ad-
mitting cotton bagging and certain
goods made of burlaps, importers We're
bringing in cloths Of various kinds, in
Guiding horse and carriage robes. This
was not fair nor the intent Of the Act,
but the words 'all such material used
in the Act enabled the goods to be
brought in The makers of mixed jute
,iand cotton goods suffered from this.
He had called the attention of the GUS
toms officials to it, and he understood
that they now had the matter under
consideration. One Of the oldest plants
in the United States was located at
Black Point Cal, and during the war
had been taken down and transferred
to Japan. He had been advised to
transfer his plant to Yokohama, being
told that he could get his labor at from
6 to u cents per day, and his coal for
about 80 cents per ton. But he had
found that foreigners could not hold
property in Japan. and therefore he had
to give up that idea.
The summing up of Mr.. Rutherford S
statement was the suggestion of the fol-
lowing rates in the new tariff: Bur
laps Of any width of fax. jute or hemp,
of xtrhi - nY- hay0r1 or either
of them. shall be the component mate
rial of chief value except such as may
be suitable for cotton), ia cents per
pound. Bags for grain made Of bur-
laps. 2 cents per pound"
He presented a comparative state
ment of the cost of making burlaps in
the United States and in India, showing
that the total cost in the United States
is q 46-10O cents per pound, and only
4 63-100 cents in India, or a difference
of / $500 cents per pound in favor of
India. 1t was partially TO make up this
disadvantage against American manu-
facturers that the increased duty was
necessary.
Mr.. Rutherford expressed the hope
that the present conditions would be
cient to protect the industrious citizens
of the United States in their respective
fields of usefulness.
The Chairman inquired of Mr.. Ruth
erford whether his industry had been
successful after the passage OF the
Tariff Act of 1890
Mr.. Rutherford-Yes sir, very sue
cessful. The duty was taken in that
Act off the raw material, and that gave
MS an assistance of SO per ton on jute.
We were never better off than from 1890
~ 1894 when the Wilson Tariff Act was
passed.
1T suppose that your enterprising
voung men" Mr.. Payne suggested
..,yare not going then to control Amer
lea as they are now
..No sir" Mr. Rutherford replied
.caufornia. is a peculiar place. 1t has
warm weather nearly all the year, and
people find no Inconvenience in living III
tents. So the idle people, the indus
trial army as they called themselves
came from the north and south and To-
Gated near San Francisco. l was one to
help to feed them and to provide ac-
commodation for them; and we Were
very glad to get them away, for their
presence there was very serious. That
was the beginning Of our trouble, when
all the mills and industrial enterprises
stopped"
The Chairman stated that up to the
tariff Act of 1894 some TWO million dol
lars of revenue had been derived from
burlaps and that that amount OF rev.
enue had been thrown away.
Crawford Lyon of Baltimore was the
next speaker. He began by character
izing the last witness as misleader ano
alarrnist and he contradicted state
ment of Mr.. Rutherfords as to the ad-
mission of jute fabrics free of duty the
interest in which he himself appeared
was that of oilcloth and linoleum. Ihe
oilcloth and linoleum business here, he
said. was in the hands of a few com
ranies. Any increase in the present
duties would prohibit importations, and
Mace the makers here in a position &c
squeeze" the public, an opportunity