The Washington herald., 1921-04-16
HIGHER IMPORT
DUTY WOULDSAVE
OLIVE INDUSTRY
JOHNSON
California Solon Predicts
Utter Ruin Under
Present Law.
PREPARED TO FIGHT
Will Make Every Effort to OBJ
tain Increases to Preserve
Industry.
PREPARED TO FIGHT

Higher import duties on olives and
olive oils than are provided in the
emergency tariff bill now before the
House were declared by Senator
Hiram johnson yesterday to be es-
sential IL the olive industry Is to be
saved from serious impairment or ut
ter ruin. The California Senator said
he would make every effort possible
to obtain increases in schedules A
and G covering these items.
some beneft is provided by the
duties proposed" he said, but the
benefits are far too inconseQuentisl.
Restoration OF the Payne-Aldrich
duty Of Is cents per gallon on Span
ish green pickle olives would pro-
duce a substantially increased reve-
nue. over the amount now being
levied" said the Senator, quoting a
brief which the California Olive As
ISOLATION has presented to members
of Congress. Based on the imports
of 1917. when 4.410,osS gallons Of
these olive pickles came into this
country. the increased revenue at 10
cents per gallon would amount to
SAL. 0oS annually. Ripe black olives
of California and Arizona must COM
pete with a similar foreign product
at costs approximating half those
obtaining in this country. A sepa
rate classification is asked by the
olive association for these black
olives, which are different from the
imported green olive pickle, and on
. l. IRNNx ~ &c n
pound is desired by the olive pro-
ducers. About 10000, 900 pounds of
black salt-cured olives are imported
annually. and at the increased rate
asked, 81 cents 4 pound. this stem
would pay an Increased revenue Of
s27O.OO0 annually"
Would Expand Business,
Senator johnson said protection
would enable the California and
Arizona producers to expand their
business and provide competitive
conditions. thus stabilizing prices.
He said the industry asks an in
crease in the duty on imported edi-
BILE olive oil in bulk to so cents,
or 10 cents in hve-gallon lots: on
mechanical olive oil. now free of
duty, 20 cents a gallon. The pro-
duction from 40,1Ts acres of olive
trees in California and Arizona is
$4,000 tons. Twenty-six commercial
olive factories are in operation in
the stTo States. The investment rep
resented. is s25.OOO.O0o to s3o,0oo.ooo.
In normal times the cost of produc-
ing olive oil in this country is Sl.sS
per gallon. while the export value
Of foreign olive oil is 9s.1 cents. ana
ocean freight rates are in favor of
the foreign product. Olive growers
in this country. it is pointed out,
cannot expand their industry with
this competition.
Under present market conditions
the olive industry in this country is
facing disaster, beyond any Ques-
tion OF doubt" said the California
Senator. 1T Is possible TO prevent
serious results by increasing the
duties to the full amount asked by
the producers"
J. ]. Hoey is secretary OF the Cali
fornia Olive Association. whose
briefs on Schedules A and G were
laid before the House Ways and
Means Committee. which reported
Wednesday. The bill was before
the House all day yesterday and
will be voted on probably today,
when ii will go to the Senate.