The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-19
RICE RATE APT TO BE RAISED.
WORK or THE DELEGATIONS he
GINNING TO TELL.

as Agntnst Those of the VIII
son BiII-Emphasis Laid on the
Fact That the LnbOrers In the
Southern Rice Fields Compete
with the Cheapest Labor in the
World.
Washington, May 1S.-To-nght the rep
resentatives of the rice producing interest
are encouraged in the belief that they win
have enough votes In the Senate, when
tn tariff is taken up to maintain the rice
schedule as it passed the House.
Some very effective work was accom-
plshed by the Savannah, Charleston and
Louisiana delegations in personal inter-
views with senators at the capitol to-day.
When the delegation reached the SEN
ate, each member was armed with copies
of brief but comprehensive statement of
the rice industry prepared specially for
the information Of the senators and rep
resentatives. SO systematic was the work
of the delegation that during the day al
most every senator present was personally
interviewed on the subject and lntelli-
gently advised as to the merits of the rice
producers contention.
on one occasion. the Senate marble room
presented a lively scene. for there were
several distinct groups of senator's earn
estly discussing the rice question with
members OF the delegation.
Col Theodore Barker, S. G. Stony and
Chris Fitzsimmons of Charleston had SEN
ator Tilman, pouring into his willing ear
facts relative to the rice industry and i'm
pressing him with the Importance of Sc
curing restoration of the House rate.
Senator Tilman not only promised to
vote for the highest rate, but he also in
troduced other senators TO the Charlestoni-
ans, and in this way helped the cause ma
terially.
Al the same time, Col. Screven and viii
lam Ridgely Leaken Of Savannah were
in earnest consultation with Senators Clay
and Bacon The Georgia senators are ex-
erting themselves to secure votes for the
House. rate and they presented a number
of their senatorial friends to Messrs.
Screven and Leaken.
Besides the senators named, Senator
German of Maryland, Pritchard and But
Ter of North Carolina Lindsay Of Ken
lucky, Aldrch of Rhode Island Qn charge
Of the bilD, Plat Of Connecticut (also a
member of the finance committee), Mark
Hanna, Martin of Virginia, Jones of Ar
kansas and others discussed the rice
question with the delegation, and seemed
to realize the justice of their claim.
In the meantime Senators McEnery and
Caffrey were industrously az work with
the Louisiana delegation on the same line
tod ls, 70
the statement prepared by the delegation
and obtained permission to have It printed
in the Record.
The statement reviews the salient feat
ures of the rice industry, showing that II
constitutes the principal cereal product
of over ], 600 miles of the coast country of
the United States. In this rice belt are
millions Of acres Of land specially adapt
ed for its cultivation.
Here is the substance Of the delegations
argument In support of the Dingley rate:
"Our rice planters compete with the low
est paid labor in the world and the ocean
rates on rice from those foreign countries
to New York Is less than some Of the rice
producing sections OF our own country.
Under the Mckinley duties, the rice
industry greatly prospered and rapidly
increased. Under the Wilson rates, there
has been a large decrease in the acreage
planted and general depression.
at Is evident from the following state
ment that an unintentional error has been
made in framing the rice duties proposed
by the Senate finance committee. The
rice producers do not object to the rates
on broken rice and paddy. Taxing IS
cents per hundred as an equitable duty
on paddy. or the rough rice OF the plant
er. what duty ought to be placed on un-
cleaned rice and on cleaned rice? II re-
qulres 1868 pounds Of paddy, or liS pounds
a ..t..
clean rice. The duties on these amounts
under the Senate rate would be 81 .26 on
the paddy, 9l.l cents on the uncleaned,
and $50 on clean These would be the
respective duties on equivalent amount
Of rice reduced to cleaned. The differ
ence in weights between equivalent
amounts OF paddy aud uncleaned rice Is
hfty pounds. as stated. The freight on
this from Asia TO New York would be 25
cents: the milling OF 1853 pounds Of paddy
10 reduce IL to lls pounds Of uncleaned
would be Is cents, and the breakage and
loss IN milling would amount TO 10 cents
making total Of 20 cents az the just
dimerential between paddy and uncleaned.
THAT uncleaned rice at Si.25 per hum
dred duty Is k.ill rated somewhat lower
than paddy. o. shown by the fact that
when that dlfferentlal existed very little
paddy was Imported.
III the duty on uncleaned be placed al
I.25 per hundred, the duty on cleaned
should be 81, because IL requires lis pounds
OF uncloaned. as stated to make 100 pounds
OF cleaned. showing a loss OF eighteen
pounds on which first cost, duty and
freight had been paid. The cost OF ogh-
teen pounds and freight average 30 cents,
the duty al "a cents per pound would be-
22ih cents. the rice broken IN milling and
separated from the cleaned shipments we
place az 10 cents. making a total Of 62ik
cents to be added 20 the uncleaned. Tho
difference between this amount and 75
cents. with the Offal, ls the margia allow
ed the importer and miller. which amounts
10 20 cents, and is sufficient
1T II thus shown that the dinercntials
OF a. cents. ~ cents, and $50 per bundled
on the different classes Of rice aa ln the
senate schedule, are not equitable differ
entails. and that 10 cents, &l25 ana s. as
In the Dlngley bill are equitable"
While no positive assurance can be- given
now that the claim Of the rice men viii be
granted w the senate. the delegation made
IA strong impression upon many senator's
who have heretofore taken no interest in
the rice question. Even " the Senate IN
alsts upon its reduced rate, the matter
goes into conference as one Of the items
OF disagreement between the two houses.