The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-17
aIcE PLANTERS SATISFIED.
TARIFF THEY ASKED FOR IN
C,nDED IN THE DINGLEY BILL.


yhe Duty on Broken Rice Placed
milf n Cent Higher Than the Com
.,ittee Expected-Rice Men Say
qbot the Effect of the Higher Duty
. ,,iu BE a Large Increase in Rice
Acreage.
rba announcement in yesterdays Morn
,,g News that the Dingley tariff bill,
n,b;ch will shortly be submitted to con-
urass provides for the rice schedule asked
car BY the planters through their COM
,oittee. which appeared before the ways and
means committee in Washington. Jan. 5
last brings JOY to the Planters hearts.
The schedule is exactly as they requested
with the exception that the duty on brok-
on rice is placed half cent higher than
asked for by the committee. The rice
schedule of the Dingley bill is as follows:
Cleaned rice two cents per pound.
Uncleaned rice, or rice free of the outer
hull and still having the inner cuticle on,
one and one-half cents per pound.
Rice -four rice meal and broken rice,
which will pass through a sieve known
commercially as number twelve wire sieve,
three-fourth cent per pound.
Paddy, or rice having the outer hull on,
one cent per pound.
Since their demands were so readily
granted the planters are sorry perhaps
that they did not ask for more. 1t is said
that a member of the committee remark
ed when the planters committee made it's
desires known that their figures were too
low Anyhow the rates are so much bet
Ter than those under which the planters
have labored for the last three years that
they have reason to feel satisfied. The
rates of duty are the same as prevailed
under the Mckinley bill from 1890 to 1894,
with the exception of unclaimed rice,
which is taxed at ~ cents instead of III
in the Mckinley bill. The Mckinley bill
reduced instead of increasing duties on
rice being the lowest duties imposed on
rice up to that time since the war. A
great deal of rice was imported under the
Mckinley tariff as unclaimed, when IL
should have been taxed as cleaned. A
satisfactory definition of uncleaned rice
effort which has now been Incorporated
in the new tariff bill.
Rice men in Savannah believe that the
new duties will prove of great benefit
to the industry in this section. IF the
tariff goes into effect by May l. it will
help the local market to the extent of
"a Of a cent a pound" said a well posted
rice man yesterday.
In the opinion of those interested in the
rice industry, the effect will be to largely
increase the acreage in rice. The planters
are now preparing the ground for the new
crop, and will begin planting about April
!. The late crop will be planted in June,
the first tides in April and June being
the favorite times for planting. Rice is
not planted in May it is said, for the
reason that rice planted in that month
is in the milk when the rice birds arrive
in the fall. Rice in the milk is the favor
lite diet of these birds, and the ravages
OF these little creatures are said to be
very destructive. If the change in the
tariff had been announced earlier, it is
likely that there would have been a very
large increase in the acreage, but this
Will come the year following EnAH
There are about $1,000 acres of land on
the Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha and
Satiiia rivers, in the territory tributary to
savannah said rice dealer yesterday,
(Which were formerly planted in rice, but
which are now lying idle. This does not
include large territory on the South Car
DINA side of the river Only about 5000
acres were planted last season. Savan-
mans receipts for the seasons crop are
only about $4,000 bushels, falling off of
nearly 100000 bushels as compared with
me previous year. Not many years ago
savannah received 100000 bushels of rice
annually. With favorable tariff, there is
every reason to believe that the rice acre
age IN Savannah's territory will be large
ly increased"
Last season was very unfavorable to
nee louisiana producing only one-third of
me previous years crop. On account of
me shortage of the crop, large quantities
VI rice are being imported into this coun-
try, and foreign rice is now being offered
IN the local market for less than domes-
tic rice.