The Washington herald., 1921-08-18
LINSEED CRUSHER !
AIDED In BILL AT
FARMERS EXPENSE
Bureau of Raw Materials
Refutes Cursory Idea
Of New Tariff.
CLAIM DUTY is LESS
Rate Amounts 10 Actually
1s1sc, Which Is Less
Than Old Charge.

In the Fordney tariff bill the
duty on flaxseed has been placed
at 20 cents per bushel. The duty
in the Underwood Simmons act
was 20 cents per bushel. Those
who believe that figures never lie
would gamble that the Fordney
tariff trainers had given the farm
ers q higher rate Of protection on
faxseed by 5 cents rer bushel but
they will be surprised 70 learn
that figures in . tariff law have a
meaning all their own-two plus
two does not always equal four ip
a tariff bill. IL may equal three
or IL may equal twenty-three or
the addition Of two figures may
even result in zero according 20
the Bureau Of Raw Materials for
American Vegetable Oils and Fats
Industries.
The rate Of duty on naxseed in
the Fordney tariff bill Of 25 cents
per bushel Is reduced to approx
mately 1Siz cents per bushei by the
operation OF the drawback system
incorporated in the Fordney bill.
- ~ AeSNNNo 10 en-
trely for its oil yield and the oil
cake exported TO Europe the Amer
ican crusher after receiving his
drawback pays only 1874 cents per
bushel duty instead OF rs cents as
would be surmised by a cUrsOry eG-.
animation OF the pending tariff
measure. In the Underwood-Sim-
mons act no drawback was allowed
on linseed cake and with the duty
paid on screenings the raw mate
rial bureau states the actual duty
paid on haxseed amounted 20 FL
cents per bushel-hence there
would result reduction OF ga
cents protection in place OF gaining
5. Its an in wind that blows mol
body good but in this instance th{
wind blows in the direction Of ~
Amo rican crUsher OF linseed All
no; ir the direction Of the fsrmert
Of the Dakotss, Minnesota. Kansasl
and Nebraska
Duty on LIn.eed OIL.
The duty on IInseed oil in the
Fordney bin is increased from 10
cents per gallon which is conceded
to be ample protection for the
wood Simmons measure TO lsS
cents per gallon or an increase OF
81 cents per gsllon-a duty OF 1Sa.
cents per gallon on linseed oil Is
equal 10 IS cents per bushel on
haXseed-hence the American lin
sed oil crushers' protection Is the
difference between the 1875 cents
per bushel dity he pays on his
imported naxseed and the Is cent?
per bUshel Oil content protection
which he has against foreign lin
seed oil or 26lz cents. As his pro-
lection under the Underwood bill
was cents per bushel on the basis
of the oil content against foreign
linsecd oil hts rate of protection
has been increased .3S cents per
busheI or practically roe per cent
As there is practically no difference
in the cost Of crushing flRKseed in
this country as compared with the
costs in other countries this 700 per
cent increase amounts 20 a plain
subsidy for four big llnseed oil
crUshers who control over IS per
cent Of tho linsced oil business OF
the United States and the farmer
who paints his barn pays the
pipers.
Similar inequalities imposing un-
just burdens on American consum-
ers also appear IN the bill. Cocoa
nut oil rs an important constituent
Of laundry soap and is made from
ccpra or tho dried meat OF the CO.
coanut. In Western States where
hard water is used for washinE
coroa,us oil soaps must he used
because of their superior latherinG
qualities. Tn" domestic crusher Of
copra has been granted a tremen-
dous subsidy which, according 20
big copra crus,lers who are op-
posed to the duty. hee does not need
at all, at any rate the family wash
would bear a tax burden IL the bill
remains unchanged.