Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-02
The Schedules Taken Up at Today's
Tariff Hearings.
PRESENT EFrECrON rHEPAClFIC COAST
Lively co|Ioquy Between an I'm
porter and the Committee.
CREASES ASKED FOR


Irvine. yarn and cloth for thirty years, was
the first speaker. His requests were: That
yarns made of jute be advanced from 80 to
35 per cent ad valorem; second, that bur-
laps and bags of grain made of burlaps be
transferred to the dutiable list, the section
to read: "Burlaps of any width of flax.
jute or hemp. or of which flax, jute or
hemp, or any of them. shall be the material
of chief value Except such as may be suit
able for bagging for cotton), TX cents pei
FOUND
Bags of grain made Of burlaps cents per
pound.
Third, that gunny bags and gunny cloths,
old or refuse. fit only for remanufacture, be
changed from the free list to " cent per
pound.
Mr.. Rutherford declared that the Wilson
law has wrought commercial disaster and
social discomfort to the Pacific coast, but
the farmers and manufacturers had in the
last election voted for protection. knowing
described the general use of bags on the
Pacific coast for shipping all kinds Of farm
produce even grain. The Wilson law as
it passed the House gave Is per cent pro-
had struck out the duty and left bags on
the free list. Under that law the home
market which had taken 45 per cent of its
goods from home mills, was given over to
the manufacturers of Calcutta and Dun
dee. particularly the former. who were run
ming their mills night and day. The in
dustry on the Pacific coast had been
stricken down, and now there were 300 idle
looms in Oakland. while in New York, New
Jersey and Massachusetts mills also had
teen closed. Under the operation of the
present law horse blanketings, plaids, car
riage robes, tarpaulin and print cloths
were entered free of duty, and came into
competition with American products, par
ticularly cottons.
They were entered by virtue of the des-
ignation ''other materials in the jute and
hemp schedule of the Wilson bill, although
the American manufacturers had protested
against such a construction of the law
Many of the goods entered free were dyed,
so that the American dyers were also rob-
bed by the system. The cost Of making
burlaps m the United States was 46-10O
cents a pound. while the Calcutta make
could be placed in the American market in
San Francisco or New York at a cost of
i 63-1o cents a pound.
Jnpnnese Competition.
MIR. Rutherford also pointed out that Jap
anese competition was entering the market
One big jute mill had transferred its ma
chinery to Japan to get the benefit of jap
anese cheap labor. One Japanese capitalist
had endeavored to effect deal by which
Mr.. Rutherford's mill would be transferred
to Japan. guaranteeing that labor could be
hours ard coal at 30 cents a ton 1t had
been found that foreigners could not own
mills in Japan, however and the deal had
been abandoned Rates for water. insur-
ance and taxes were much higher in the
United States, as we'll as labor than in
other countries. so that the American man
u1acturers were at a disadvantage. Two
hundred educated young men had left Cali
iorn'a IN the past two years for the Central
american states to grow coffee, and many
o.ners mad gone to Alaska, because no en-
pioyment was to be found at home
IN reply to question from Chairman
Dingley, MIR. rutherford said that the Nc
klniey bill rate Of l 5-S cents a pound on
ouriaps was as little as the industry could
prosper under. In answer to a question by
MT Evans OF Kentucky whether jute was
colored IN manufacturing to counterfeit
nemp. the witness said it was not done in
California. but he predicted that flax and
hemp In the course of twenty-five years
With sufficient duty on the manufacture
article, he would be glad to see 81 or s1O a
ton on the raw jute.
chairman Dingley incidentally stated that
ane government had received s2OOO.UOo duty
u under the Mckinley bill, all of which had
oeen thrown away by the Wilson law
how about the price," asked Mr.. Steele
VI lholaha' put there was no reply
An Importers View.
The next witness. Mr.. Crawford LYON of
Baltimore, characterized Mr.. Rutherford as
an "alarmist." and declared that his state
ments regarding free entries of goods we're
absolutely untrue. Mr.. Lyon is an i'm
porter. and he came armed with a load of
samples, declaring that only three varieties
o 9 lhe many ne exhibited were entered free
MS pea was for lower duties on oilcloths
anu iinoieums, As the Wilson law, he de-
CARED, restricts importations and layishlv
protects manufacturers
Mr.. Lyon fell into wrangle with the
committee at once when he declared on be-
ing interrupted. that he would answer
questions when he had finished his state
ment. The committee insisted that he an
sWer "hen Questions were asked. In the
course Of description by him of how
American oilcloth manufacturers had
grown richer under the present and past
tariffs he said that many of them had be-
come bank presidents. Mr. Grosvenor ask
ed II he meant any insinuation against
bank presidents, and when Mr.. Lyon dis
claimed any such intention, Mr.. Grosvenor
said he might as well try to make point
or the color of the hair of bank presidents.
Mr. Lyon. continuing, said American
manufacturers could make these goods
cheaper than they could be made abroad by
reason Of more efficient machinery, and
that any request for an advance of tariff
should be looked on with suspicion 1t
would give the four close corporations con-
trolling the American market an oppor-
tunity to squeeze the public, a chance they
never nau neglected, and would deprive the
government of revenue. In 1894, before the
passage Of the Wilson bill, trust had been
formed in oilcloths. The importation of
oilclotns had practically ceased.
a Lively COllOquy.
What is your business?" asked DIR. Dol
liver of the witness.
Il am a merchant"
And an Importer?
Eyes, but not a one-part actor"
Mr.. Payne asked If the revenue from oil
cloths had not been greater in 1893 than in
1896. but Mr. Lyon denied it. When he at
tempted to read Treasury Department sta
tistics members of the committee took ex-
ception to the comparisons of figures he
attempted to make.
The committee doubted his statement that
the consumption of lineoieum had been
greater in 1896 than in 1893, one member
saying that If So 1t was the only article Of
which this was true.
Are there any other representatives of
the people here?" inquired Mr.. Wheeler of
Alabama, whereupon there was a laugh.
Il am a republican in good standing"
Mr. Lyon said. Il support protection as a
sound policy, but not the abuseSf it,
Questions rained upon him so thick and
fast that the subject became hopelessly
complicated before he finished Then Mr..
Rutherford offered a statement In rebuttal
by exhibiting samples of goods imported by
IL ~ l. 49,