New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-03

been admitted free Of duty under the name OF
buraps that ought to have paid duty. He ad-
mitted. however. that there have been CONSIDER
able importatlons through the New-York Gus
tom House under the name Of burlaps OF inner
grades Of goods which could be and were used
for other purposes than bagging.
COngressman-elect Charles f. Pearce. or ST.
Louis. submitted written statement In behalr
OF the manufacturers Of cOrdage and cotton bag
ging. and also addressed the committee. Many
of his statements were important. as well as ex-
ceedingly interesting. He advocated duty not
only on hemp. but also jute sisal grass and ALI
other foreign fbres tina: come into competition
with ii. He corroborate1 the statements made
by Mr.. Rutherford in regard to labor and wages
in India and Japan. both OF which countries ne
had visited within the last two years. and re-
marked that freight rates from Calcutta TO New
York and San Francisco were now somewhat
less than the latter had indicated. Mr.. Pearce
also warned the COMMITTEES that lively and strong
competition must be expected from Japan within
the next few years. especially as under the new
treaty with that country American manufactur-
ers would be allowed to establish own and
operate plants there after the year lS)9 and en- =
Joy unrestricted privileges.
JAPAN AS A GREAT RIVAL
The manufacture OF large number Of staple
artices-a long list OF which he read to the COM
mittce-had already beer established on a firm
footing. He exhibited silver cased watch Of
japanese manufacture. which he had worn for
two years, and which he had bought in Osaka
at retail for $40 90. AS timekeeper It was
equal TO any American watch with an Elgin
movement. OF two ST. Louis experts. who had
examined it, had said it worth S2S at
retail and the other had fixed the value at S26
to x2i 10 Such watches could be imported from
Japan in lots OF 800 and laid down in st. Louis,
with the % per cent duty paid at 50 each.
He also exhibited package of dozen boxes
of Japanese matches. each box containing seven
dozen matches. which cost at the rate OF | Jig
cents a dozen boxes.
Returning to the subject OF cotton bagging
Mr. Pearce said that its continued free ad-
mission would lead to the ruin of the domestic
industry. withou. am benefit to the consumer.
and he startled General Wheeler by the asser-
don that foreign fbres which were admitted
free of duty had displaced in the domestic
manufactures nearly 100000 bales of cot
ton. IF were a Southern planter" he added,
II would not rest until a protective duty was
imposed on all these hbres."
I'm what manufactures do they take the place
OF cotton?" asked General Wheeler.
"Why. l should say in al leas. one hundred
industries" was the reply, and Mr. Pearce went
on to enume-ate a great many OF them ending
with the remark that he had once listed sixty
five without much effort
We'll how low must cotton fall to keep out
these fbres?" asked General Wheeler.
Mr.. Pearce replied: "Jute sells at 3. 31a, ana
3% cents pound
There was some discus sion in the course OF
the hearing about the relative merits Of binding
twne made from hemp and that from jute and
sisa grass. NJ. johnson. the North Dakota
member of the committee. who Is Il large wheat
grower had found the former more expensive
and less satisfactory. Mr.. Pearce, who had
be n interested in Illinois factory that turned
out hemp binding Irvine. contended that the out
pu- OF that factory held In high regard
Throughout. the Northwest As to prices he had
found Irvine bought at his factory at cents
a pound selling IN Nebraska az II cents a
pound. On the same subject r. w. McCrary. Of
Frankfort. KY. who is secretary snd treasurer
Of a company that manufactures among other
articles hemp binding Irvine. said that although
their outpu. OF Irvine had fallen off. it amounted
last year to 100000 100000 pounds. and that
ii sold fo- several cents pound more than
Mr.. Coombs. in speaking Of the same matter
said 1t had been found WHERE the grasshopper
pest was prevalen. that the grasskoppers would
feed the jute or sisa Irvine and destroy the
binding. but that they would not eat the hemper
Irvine