Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-05
TIE nop WY PROTEST

Among the particularly asinine
moves made in the Dngley bill is the
hop schedule. This has called forth q
general protest from the hop mer-
chants. exporters and importers, ad-
dressed TO the Senate. in which it IS
demonstrated that the proposed in
crease in the duty Of hops from Sc TO
15c per 10. will be an injury rather
than a benefit TO the producer that it
will De a hardship to the consumer,
and that it Will probably prove of no
advantage whatever from revenue
point Of view, and is therefore against
public policy" The hop men say:
Flrst-The present duty of Sc per Ii. af-
fOrds protection 90 the extent OF tulIy one
OF producing hops iu America. In PROOF
of this i- may Doe stated that on the IA,
Cidc slope. where three-ntths OF the total
American crop Is now produced. hops can
be grown. harvested, cured ana bdIeu'
ready tor market a. cost OF only bc. per
TO-. and can he delivered IN New YORK at
1i2c. A large proportion OF the oregon
crop of 1886 was sold under contract bN
growers at &c. per d. SIX months before
harvest time. ami before they had in
Cured any outlay FOR the purpose OF culu-
Walton. I'm New York state. when pro
GucyS the other tWO-htthS OF the American
crop. the cost of production is popularity
supposed 20 be Zoe. per To-, but without
doubt q large proportion OF the crop Is
now being produced az much lower cost.
SecOud-The annual exports OF American
hops absorb about Oue-third Of our prOduC-
ton and have become such a serious men
ace 20 the English growers mat they are
continually bCSeeching Parliament 10 pro-
tect them against American competition.
During the past three years the volume
of exports have averaged nearly mar the
total quantity of hops consumed by Amer
lean brewers.
Third-The small quantity of European
hops which are imported Co this country
do not really enter into comoeutlOn with
the home product. They are used Tor spe-
Cidl purposes 10y brewers of high grade
beers. who blend them with American hops
iu the proportion OF about one 10 ten,
mainly I'm order 90 impart TO their peer 4
certain flavor which cannot be acquired
tuCm to successfully initiate The flavor OF
foreign beers. Their special value con-
sistS i'm their peculiar aroma. ana IL Is
doubtful if I'm othep respects they possess
as much merit as our home product Tor
general brewing purposes.
The statement submitted to the Sen
ate is a lengthy one and is signed by
the leading hop men of the country,
In addition to the above array Of facts,
it is shown that the ratio of imports
to exports of hops is about one to seven,
the entire amount of hops imported not
being over Z per cent of the total con-
sumption of the United States. As to
the revenue feature. it is shown that
under the Mckinley duty of 10 cents
per pound the revenue from hops was
less than during the same period prior
thereto. when the duty was s cents per
pound. a resolution passed by the
Hop Merchants and Growers in 1894
is quoted, in which they petition the
Senate TO adopt the s cent rate.
The hop men ask to be heard in be-
half of their industry, and although
ignored by the high tariff lunatics of
the House. who would shove "protec-
ton" down their Threats whether or
no. they should certainly be rendered
a full hearing by the Senate.