The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-03

washington, Jan. Today was the
fifth day of the tariff hearing before the
house committee on ways and means.
the subject of discussion being flax
hemp and their manufacture There was
quite large attendance of persons in
terested in those industries.
The first manufacturer to be heard was
Mr. William rutherford. of Oakland.
Cal. who said that in California they
were engaged in making Irvine, yarn and
cloth in great many varieties. The first
of these mills was started there about
30 years ago. and within that time the
business had increased largely. They now
wanted reasonable protection to run
thelr mills and he suggested such changes
II the taflH as were considered necessary
Tor the purposes. The manufacturers of
California. he said, in the last election.
mad given their votes for protection.
thinking this the quickest wav TO GET
employment for the idle protection for
themselves and revenue for the govern
ment
Up to the passage of the Wilson bill. Il
ldlr duty had been given the industry
The measure benefited the mills of Cal
cutta and other foreign countries at the
expense OF the domestic manufacturers.
Between 1898 and 1895 the imports of lutte
and burlaps more than doubled Under
the clause in the free list admitting cot
ton bagging and certain goods made of
burlapS. importers were bringing in cloths
carriage robes. This was not fair nor
the intent of the act. but the words "ali
such material used in the act enabled
the goods TO be brought in. The makers
OF mixed jute and cotton goods suffered
from this. He had called the attention OF
the customs officials 10 it and he under
stood that they now had the matter IN
der consideration. One of the oldest
plants in the United States, established at
Blackpoint. Cal. during ~ war had
been taken down and transferred to
l. q hoe adv saA to f~.ar1 -fsay-
his plant to YOkOmaha, being told that
ne could get his labor at from 8 to II
cents per day, and his coal for about 30
cents per ton. But he had found that
foreigners could not hold property in
Japan and. therefore, he had TO give up
that idea.
statement was the suggestion of the fol-
lowing rates in the new tariff:
Burlaps of any width. of flax. jute or
hemp, or of which fax. jute or hemp.
or either of them. shall be the component
material of chief value Except such as
may be suitable for cotton. 124 cents per
pound Bags for grain. made of burlaps.
cents per pound
He presented a comparative statement
of the cost of making burlaDs in the
United States and in India, showing that
46-100 cents per pound, and only 63-100
cents in India. or difference of I $500
cents per pound in favor OF India 1t
was partially 10 make up this disadvant-
a duty was necessary.
Mr.. Rutherford expressed the hope that
the present conditions would be changed
by the fixing of a tariff sufficient TO pro-
tect the industrious citizens of the United
States in their respective fields of use
funesS.
The chairman inquired of Mr.. Ruther-
lord whether his industry had been sue
cessful after the passage of the tariff act
Mr.. Rutherford-Yes. sir. very success
81 rafI-e in hat s.rar off
the raw material, and that gave US al
assistance of SD per ton on Jute We
We're never better off than from 1890 10
1894 when the Wilson tariff act Was
passed
u suppose that your enterprising young
men" MIR. Payne suggested. were not
going to control America as they are
NO. sir," Mr.. Rutherford replied
California is a peculiar place. 1t has
warm weather nearly all the year and
people find no Inconvenience IL living III
tents So the idie people. the Industrial
army as they called themselves, came
from the north and south and located
near San Francisco. I was one 10 help
ton for them: and we were very glad
to get them away for their presence
there was very serious. That was the
beginning Of our trouble when all these
mills and industrial enterprises stopped"
IS The chair nan stated that up 10 the
tariff act of 1894 some $1,000 900 of revenue
had been derived from DurldpS ana UhaC
amount OF revenue had been thrown
az av.
Mr.. Crawford Lyon. of Baltimore. was
tire next speaker. He began by char
acterizing the last Witness as a mis-
leader and alaTmist and he confradicted
a statement of Mr.. RutherfOrG>~ as to the
admission of jute fabrics free OF duty.
The interest in which ne himself appeared
was that of oil cloth and lineOleum.
The oil cloth and hneOeum business
here. he said, was in the hands of few
companies. Any increase in the present
duties would prohibit importationS and
place the makers here in position to
squeeze the public. an opportunity
they had never been known 10 overlook
The cost OF making these products was
now lower than ever before, ana, IN ad-
dition, the improvement or machinery en-
abled one employee TO do a great deal
more work.
that he did not object 10 being called an
'.alarmist" but he would not submit 10
being characterized as a miSleader and
he went on 20 argue that he was right IN
his official statement
John Wilson OF Newark. \. J.. a fax
worker, asked for the restoration of the
duties of per cent per pound on
dressed fax with free raw material.
J. n Bemis of Boston. representing The
burlap bag manufacturers of this country
claimed that there was no burlap IN
dustry here 10 compete with that abroad
and therefore. no industry to protect
& r. Biddle of New YORK. said that
TIE samples submitted by Mr. Ruther-
ford of California as coming in Iree OF
duty at San Francisco. We're paying DUTY
at New York and suggested that the at
tention of the treasury department. be
called TO the fraud.
g e Pearce of St Louis, representing
the nqnufacture of cotton baSginS and
cordagc. asked for the restoration of
The duty on these articles provided IN the
7 w Bell of Andover. Mass. said that
bis mill did not use American flax He
had used some from Canada. but most 955
Sad tested q sample of fax grown. he
thought, in Minnesota which had prom
,sed we'll IT was only sample, now
ever. and had not been manufactured.
fo- seed than the fibre
The committee adjourned until MONDAY
when the tobacco interest Will DC hedtu-
Christmas Night in the Woods.