The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-05-27

- III tAOl1 OA StdlS4s &4lhdO Nj vi a s-e~ -
potatoes. in the United States amounts
to 100000 pounds annually. The
imports Of sage and tapioca flour,
which are pure starch, amounted in
1908 to 61,O00,O00 pounds, or practical
" Is per cent OF the starch production
in the United States. The total con-
sumption Of American starches in the
United States is about 300 ,000, 0O0
pounds. The imports Of sage and tapio-
ca flour consumed in the United States
is 6O,O00,OOO pounds. amounting to 20
per cent Of tie American starch con-
sumed at home. In other words, we
give to Asiatic starch In this form,
which is imported. over one-fifth of our
home market.
The total starch of all kinds con-
sumed by American industries, in
Guiding tapioca and sage flour, is es-
timated at 150.00O,0O0 pounds. The
sage and tapioca flour thus con-
sumed is, therefore. more than 3S per
cent of the whole. The ratio is ninety
pounds American starch to sixty
pounds Asiatic starch. AS stated. the
Asiatic starch comes in free of duty.
It will be seen at glance that the
situation is one of grave importance
to the producers of American corn
and potato starches.
The senate bill INTRODUCED by SEN
ator Aldrich leaves these Asiatic
starches still on the free list. Their
production is increasing enormously.
All European countries producing po-
tato, wheat, and other cereal starches,
levy a tariff duty on these Asiatic
starches. The result is that the Unit
ed States, letting them in free, Is
made the dumping ground for them
and that in violation of the doctrine
OF American protection.
A bushel Of Iowa corn produces
about thirty pounds of corn starch. The
$4,000. 900 pounds of Asiatic starch I'M
ported last year, therefore, took the
place of 100000 bushels of Iowa
corn. amounting at sixty cents per
bushel, to $1.20O.D0O. The American
farmers, including our Iowa farmers.
We're thus deprived Of a home mar
ket for $1,200.00O of their corn. In
addition. our people lost the further
amount Of money that would be paid
out by the manufacturer and the
transportation companies in manu-.
featuring and handling this 1000, O0O
bushels of corn.
/ The tapioca starch thus imported
Us manufactured from the cassavs
root or tuber This root is three feeI
long and frequently weighs thirty
pounds. Grown in cheap Asiatic soil
raised and manufactured into starch
by Asiatic cody labor. it comes il
competition with Iowa corn raised OF
land worth from 800 to $40 pei
acre, by men whose labor is wortf
and costs at least $50 per month ant
keep.
| This is the manner in which Mr.
Aldrich fixes his tariff bill for TIN
| benefit of the eastern manufactures
For American corn and potato starch
| is consumed to an enormous extent b.
the cotton textile mills in sizing, fill
ing and finishing their various fab
RIGS. Sage and tapioca -four or starch
es are used by the same textile mill
for the same purposes, and thus dis
place an equal amount of American
starch. If the manufacturer gets tn
Asiatic starch free, he is just tina
much ahead. No reduction is made il
the price of his fabrics to the cor
sumner on account of getting thi
amount of tapioca starch free of dut,
The American starch going int
these fabrics is the basis OF thei
price to the public and to tae cor
sumner.
AS to the tapioca and sage comm
into the country for food purpose
these come in the pearl and flax
form and there is no objection to =
, hitting them free OF duty. They ca
not be changed into the form {
starch used in the textile mills. 1t
, not necessary, therefore, to tax thes
| foods in order to protect the Anne
! lean farmer and manufacturer in th
J starch industries. All tlis is we
, known to the pundits of Senator AL
. rich's committee.
i But when the Iowa manufacture
! OF corn starch asks protection 6
that product from this committee
is put up against Senator Lodge
Massachusetts,. That distinguish
senator is full OF deceptive expedien
, in the interests Of the Massachuset
cotton mills.
First, 1t is urged that America
6 starch is controlled by a trust I.
!. wind is knocked out of this by east
showing that the independent man
facturers, of whom Douglas and Coz
q pany of Cedar Rapids are the larges
s produce from 40 to so per cent of Il
8 American starch. Then the Americ;
starch men and farmer is told that
tax tapioca and sage is to enhan
. the price of a cheap food produt
0 and to tax the poor mans pudding.
II In answer to this it is shown
/. once, that as above stated, the edit
products of tapioca and sage M
cfIIl no admitted free of duty vii