The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-17
A KENTUCK|AN
ASKS PROTECTION
What Mr.. Rutherford Heard
About Tariff
Reform.
Startling Figures Regarding the
Beet Sugar Industry in
This State.
The South Has Come to Realize That
Its Interests Are the Same
as in the North.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,
9OS Broadway, Jan. 16.

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI
90S Broadway, Jan. IT,
William Rutherford, who has been
superintendent OF the California Cotton
mills since they were opened, returned
last night from a trip East, whittier he
went to give his testimony before the
Congressional Com mIttee that is sitting
at Washington taking testimony with a
view to tariff reform.
Very interesting is the story told by Mr..
Rutherford of the starving laborers and
bankrupt capitalists, who daily appeared
before that committee and prayed for re-
lief by having their industries protect ed.
There are some remarkable things said
Mr.. Rutherford to-day, ''that came under
the notice of that committee and Califor-
nia was we'll represented. People who
are practically informed of the borax,
fruit, cotton, sugar and other industries
in this State were present and showed in
the plainest manner that 1t is impossible
for them to compete in the open market
and pay decent wages to American labor
ers, while the manufactured goods from
countries where 90 cents a day is a high
salary. can enter this country practically
tree from duty.
The sessions were very serious affairs
and presented a strange contrast o the
noisy arguments made from platforms
during the campaign. The members of
the committee reaIlZed that statesman
ship, not politics, could alone give relief,
and they we're daily surprised at much of
the testimony that was placed before
them.
'Some highly interesting data were pro-
duced in support OF protective duty on
sugar, and the committee expressed some
surprise as they realized the Importance
OF the question. 1t was proved that $780,
900 acres OF land in California can produce
annually 100000 tons of sugar at less
cost of production tnan in any other State
in the Union. In Louisiana for the same
cost the same am unit could not be raised
from either cane or beetS. Beet sugar is
now being made in Missouri Nebraska,
Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but no.
where are the same results obtained as in
California.
With a small protection to the sugar
industry 100000 ions more could be
made in this State with exactly the same
conditions that exist at Alvarado and
Chino, and this would give employ ment
to $4,000 men and keep at home $780,
0000I0. The committee, l am sure, real
lied that protection to sugar and other
| industries is essential to the Nations
prosperity.
Another great point that was clearly
demonstrated is this: That the agricul-
turists and the manufacturers must work
+ hand in hand Tor protection. The beet
grower was convinced that his interests
depended on the protection of the manu-
! iactured sugar, and the cotton-grower ad-
mitted that his success depended on the
protection OF the manufacture of cotton
| goods. This point was driven home. and
| 1t was certainly strange TO see the South
ern farmer making an argument in favor
OF protection.
For the first time in history Southern
! Democrats appeared before q ways and
means committee and argued that their
| future depended on policy of protection.
! General Wheeler was a member of tn g
| committee. He is a Southern genera ,
| and he presented an interesting figure as
! he asked questions OF kentuckians, whose
answers clearly showed that they want
protection.
The cotton men showed that it is i'm
possible under the existing tariff condi-
lions to manufacture finer fabrics, such as
sateens, silk-delaines, fine thread and yarns
| in competition with Germany, because
| there was SO much labor attached to them
| that they were beaten in the market.
Freight on ton OF goods from Europe to
this country is about So a ton, so that with
free trade German mill might almost as
we'll be located in this country
! vi course, Ine advocates OF Tree silver
were there. They ar ued IN favor of a
tariff absolutely prohibitory against those
countries who would not accept the silver
! basis. They we're very few, however, who
argued In that strain, for the tariff COM
mission is handling very grave question,
and not making a political campaign. 1t
is surprising to mole the great mum bers OF
| Southern people who realize that protec-
ton means life to their industries. This
is the result OF very natural law. When
| the standard of living was not so high in
the South as In the North they did not
| realize that they were suffering from COM
| petition from cheap labor; but now that
| the South has developed SO much as it has
done during the past twenty years condi-
tons are diff rent, and the South and the
North are alike awake to the fact that their
very life depends on united action for
protection"