Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-06

fruits. The sixteen million dollars worth
of fruit imported annually he said. might
be grown by Americans. He suggested
duties of cents pound on raisins. plums.
prunes and all other dried fruits. and %
cents a cubic foot in oranges. Americans
were peculiar about some things and pre-
ferred foreign wines and fruits at higher
prices. just as some of their daughters
preferred greasy libertines and gamblers
because they had a foreign label. He read
petitions from raisin growers Of Fresno
and other places.
Senator Perkins. Of California presented
the memorial recently adopted by the
State fruit growers organization. In ad-
diton TO the recommendations by Mr..
Bowers, he asked for duties on nuts and
lima beans and chicory and that the duty
of the Wilson law on cocoanuts be dropped.
The duty asked on lima beans was 30
cents per 100 lbs. on raw chicory 112 cents
a pound and on manufactured the present
rates OF cents A duty on pearl barley
was asked also. The almond growers Of
California were represented by Y. b. Arm
strong. of Campo. He stated that from
$12, 100000 to $50 0OO was invested in the
business and from 20CO0 TO 10000 hands
employed. The business had been brought
TO the verge of bankruptcy by the Wilson
law and an increase of rates from cents
to cents was asked.
Grand Master Rhone. OF the Pennsyl-
vania State Grange. advocated protection
for the farmers. While the leather man
ufacturer was douby protected, Re
publican Congress had placed raw hides
on the free list, refusing to give the Amer
lean farmer the same protection given the
manufacturer. Republican Congress
had reduced the duty on wool and DEM
ocratic Congress had placed wool on the
free list The farmers knew that protec-
tion could not do for them what it did
for the manufacturers. 1t could not add
a cent to the price of wheat or flour.
Therefore the only protection for the
farmer against the cheap lands and cheap
labor of the world was by export bounties
on corn, cotton, wheat and other prod
ucts.
State Senator G. c. Brown. of Pennsyl-
vana. a member of the legislative commit
tee of the Grange, presented a memorial
from that body. 1t asserted that the
below the cost of production and that the
opening of the Siberian railway by Russia
would open great tracts of land to be cul-
tivated by improved machinery, which
would reduce the price of cereals.
AT the afternoon session a committee
consisting of Burnett Landreth. W. +.
Drew and w. A. Burpee. of Philadelphia
representing the seed farmers, laborers
and importers. asked that the present ad
valorem rates be changed to specific du-
ties levied by the bushel or pound.
Franklin Woodruff. of Brooklyn. an i'm
porter of salt held that a duty on that
product fell heavily on the Southern States
and New England. He was subjected to
lively cross-examination by Messrs.
Payne and Grosvenor and declared that
under the Wilson law the Syracuse salt
was more largely sold in New York mar
kets than the foreign article.
Mr.. Payne-Has not the effect of the
Wilson bill been to take the making of
the most of thesalt consumed in this
country from American workmen TO give
the business TO foreigners?
Mr.. Woodruff-It may have had that
effect
Mr.. Tawney-What has been the differ
ence in price?
Mr.. Woodruff-About equivalent to the
difference in the tariff.
Representative Wilbur. of New York.
presented statements from hop growers
asking for 10 cents pound duty on hops,
and from the National Hay Association
for 81 a ton duty.
The committee adjourned at o'clock.