PARAGRAPH 261-ONIONS. Mr. OUTERBRIDGE. Of potatoes I could not say exactly, but there are only 24 square miles in our country. I have not got those figures. Mr. RAINEY. How many acres are in onions, do you suppose? Mr. OUTERBRIDGE. I think that if you will ask Mr. Spurling that he can better inform you. Mr. RAINEY. Your islands only contain 24 square miles? Mr. OUTERBRIDGE. Most of that is in cedar lands, hills, roads, and a good many fine homes, because a great many of your Americans have come there and bought property and own very fine homes, and a good many of those take up the property, so that the planting land is getting smaller from year to year, and it is just the fresh vegetables that we cater for, so that no great amount of potatoes could be raised, but they are of a very delicate quality. We call them "Triumph' potatoes, and the seed potatoes are imported from Long Island, and they are admitted into our country duty free. Thank you. BRIEF BY ONION GROWERS OF OREGON. CONFEDERATED ONION GROWERS' ASSOCIATION, Hon. W. C. HAWLEY, Representing the State of Oregon, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: We hear that the House Committee on Ways and Means has arranged to have a hearing on the tariff on agricultural products on January 20, 1913, and we beg to present some points in favor of maintaining the tariff on onions. We believe that if any material reduction is made in the tariff on onions that it will cripple to that extent the industry on the coast, and especially in Oregon. Since the present law went into effect onion growing in Oregon has increased to its present importance, and wages paid to help in the onion fields has increased from $1.50 to $2.50 per day. Onions are an extremely perishable product, and very expensive to grow, and prices which prevail during most of the selling season (which extends from September 1 to May 1) are scarcely above the cost of production. Nobody will grow onions in Oregon on a considerable scale for commercial purposes if he did not believe that at some time during the selling season, as a result of a scarcity, prices would advance to an extent that he would be able to get 2 or 3 cents per pound, and enable him to realize a price on part of his crop that would more than make up for his losses, and insure him a decent profit. Years ago, in time of low tariff or no tariff, when onion growers were few in Oregon, importers in the various cities along the coast, who were better informed on crop conditions than anybody else, were able to foresee any shortage in the onion supply that might come, and they would order in advance the cheap onions from Japan, Australia, Mexico, and elsewhere, and as these importers acted independently of each other, and each ordered what they thought was needed to supply the demand, the crop was continuously glutted, and both growers and dealers lost money. We send you herewith a clipping from the Packer, which we believe to be sound, and beg to add that our freight rate east is 75 cents per cental, and the freight rate from foreign countries is only 35 and 40 cents. It would deprive us of a profitable business whenever there is a scarcity of onions in the Eastern States if the tariff were removed or materially reduced. Hoping that the interests of the farmers will be protected, we are, Very respectfully, yours, PARAGRAPH 261-ONIONS. PROTEST OF NEW YORK ONION GROWERS. PRESENTED BY HON. T. W. BRADLEY, OF NEW YORK. Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD, WASHINGTON, January 16, 1913. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Herewith is submitted a statement addressed to me signed by 278 constituents, onion growers of Orange County, N. Y., protesting against any reduction whatever in the present tariff rate on onions, and giving reasons for such protest. I beg that this statement be included in the printed hearings of the 20th instant and given full consideration in connection with any proposed revision of Schedule G of the present tariff law. Very truly, yours, THOS. W. BRADLEY, Twentieth New York. PROTEST OF ONION GROWERS OF ORANGE COUNTY, N. Y. THOMAS W. BRADLEY, Representative, United States Congress, Twentieth District, N. Y. HONORABLE SIR: We, the undersigned, onion growers of Orange County, New York State. desire to add our protest to the many made against any change in the present tarifi on onions as included in schedule G, upon which there is to be a hearing before the Congressional House Committee on Ways and Means on January 20. Our experience in the growing of this commodity together with serious reflection upon the statistical reports furnished us relative to competitive foreign fields in the production and marketing of the onion with the natural advantages in the low cost of labor and transportation enjoyed by this foreign competition convinces us that it needs but the slightest encouragement through the removal or reduction of the present tariff on onions to seriously and disastrously affect, if not totally deprive, many thousands of men, women, and children of an occupation which provides for them a livelihood due to the remarkable growth of this home industry, to say nothing of its effect on the very large amount of home capital invested. Irrespective of the occasional spasmodic fluctuation of the price of onions and the possible temporarily beneficial effect reduced tariff might influence at such times, medium prices customarily maintain under which condition the present tariff is the only protection against utter destruction of this valuable and profitable domestic line of endeavor. With the home production of the onion thus discouraged, foreign competition can not fail to take advantage of opportunity to advance prices which will place further suffering directly upon the consumer. Onion growing is a matter which is of such vital interest to so large a section of the United States that it merits the most serious consideration as well as earnest and vigorous effort to defeat any action bound to discourage it, and to interfere with this industry which if left undisturbed is destined to reach even much larger proportions than at present. With these patent truths in mind, therefore, we earnestly solicit your very best efforts to defeat on behalf of your constituency any endeavor to reduce the present tariff of 40 cents per bushel on foreign onions. Very respectfully, Hon. THOMAS W. BRADLEY. JOEL W. HOUSTON FLORIDA, N. Y., January 16, 1913. DEAR SIR: Inclosed you will find a set of resolutions passed by Florida Grange at its last meeting on Monday evening January 13, 1913, It was handed me as the grange member of the committee that was appointed at a public meeting of the onion growers of this vicinity on Saturday, January 11, 1913, to present to you a petition in regard to the reduction of the tariff on onions. I am forwarding the same to you, as I understand from Mr. Houston, the chairman of that committee, that you will not be at home until after March 4. The onion industry has developed to enormous proportions in this vicinity, and has been the means of having thousands of acres of swamp lands cleared and drained and PARAGRAPH 261-ONIONS. thereby bringing land that 25 years ago was not considered worth but very little (many large tracts being sold for the taxes or for from 50 cents to $1 per acre) into a high state of cultivation, and now that same land sells readily at from $300 to $400 per acre, and there are many more acres being brought into cultivation every year. This industry is the sole means of livelihood of many hundreds of families in this vicinity, and some years with large crops and low prices it is hard for them to get along, and with the duty removed what would be their chance of making even a living? It is not only these growers that will be affected, but this whole section and the surrounding villages, for when these onion raisers have good crops and get good prices they spend their money in improving their homes and surroundings, and in that way the benefits of this large industry are wide and not confined to this locality. This black muck or swamp land is not well adapted to any other crops but onions, and the destroying of the onion growing would mean ruin to these people who have worked hard and spent their money getting this land to its high state of cultivation, and the land that is now so valuable would, much of it, drift back to its wild brushy, weedy state. There are many other things that might be said, but I will not take up your valuable time now, but if there is anything more that I can do to inform you or be of any service to you in this matter I will be pleased to do it. Very respectfully submitted." Commercial Secretary Florida Grange No. 1058. STATEMENT OF FLORIDA Grange, patRONS OF HUSBANDRY, ORANGE COUNTY, N. Y. JANUARY 13, 1913. At a meeting of the Florida Grange, No. 1053, held in Grange Hall, in the village of Florida, county of Orange, State of New York, the following resolutions were acted upon and passed by the unanimous vote of the grange, in relation to the reduction of the tariff on onions, which is among the vegetables listed, and to be considered to the duty thereon, at a hearing to take place before the House Committee of Ways and Means January 20, 1913: Whereas this grange has among its members a large number of onion growers, who are mostly interested in the growing of that vegetable. Also the said grange recognizes that the village of Florida owes its growth in the past 15 years in business, population, and bringing in large areas of swamp land into high state of cultivation, making it valuable for the assessment of taxes. All due to the production of the onions; Whereas the Florida Grange in consideration of the true facts herein stated, Resolved, That we, the members of the Florida Grange, No. 1053, do protest strongly against any reduction being made in the tariff on onions. We further resolve that a copy of these resolutions be presented to the Committee on Ways and Means on January 20, 1913. To Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD, WILLIAM WEed, Secretary Florida Grange No. 1053. CHAS. W. JESSUP, Master. Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, D. C. PRESENTED BY HON. LUTHER MOTT, OF NEW YORK. CANASTOTA, N. Y., January 18, 1913 To the honorable Members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: Realizing that it is the intention of the incoming administration to reduce the duties on imports into this country from foreign countries on all necessities whenever practicable, with the object of reducing the cost of living to the consuming PARAGRAPH 262-PEAS. public, we the undersigned growers of onions in particular desire to put before you for deliberate and careful consideration the following: That you do not reduce the duty on onions imported into the United States, for the following reasons: That at great cost of labor and money, the lands devoted to the growing of onions has been reclaimed from useless swamps. These lands have been divided into small parcels and are owned by many people who depend entirely upon this tuber for their support. As the cultivation of the onion requires handwork almost exclusively, there are men, women, and children, who crawl on their hands and knees over the lands pulling out the weeds, and men and women pushing wheel hoes and cultivators back and forth through the rows from May till September, then crawling over the ground again pulling out the onions and putting them into windrows, later going again through these rows picking up one onion at a time and clipping the tops from them, and putting them into crates, afterwards shoving them back and forth over a screen to put them into condition for market. You can realize from the foregoing that it costs much in labor to raise a field of onions. Reducing the above to actual cost, giving only small wages to the laborer, 50 cents per bushel of 56 pounds should constitute a minimum price. Now, should the duty on the onion, which is now 40 cents per bushel, be removed we firmly believe the onion-raising industry would be destroyed, and we give the following reasons for our belief: At present and with the present duty of 40 cents per bushel large quantities of onions are received from Egypt, Spain, Bermuda Islands, and other countries, where, we are told, labor is so cheap that our people could not exist for a day on what the laborers of those countries receive for their labor for a week, and while we sympathize with the Egyptions and others engaged in raising onions for our markets, we do not feel that we can afford to see our fellow countrymen and their families suffer that the Egyptians and others may profit by their misfortunes. Then, again, from a financial standpoint, while there is lots of money in this country the onion grower does not receive any too much of it, he has his ups and downs as do growers of other products. But the money spent for the home-grown onions remains in our country and is spent here for other necessities. The onion industry of our country has been built up by degrees and at present is of great magnitude, and we believe that removing the duty of 40 cents per bushel would sound the death knell of a profitable or successful onion industry in this country. C. R. HUFF PARAGRAPH 262. Pease, green, in bulk or in barrels, sacks, or similar packages, twentyfive cents per bushel of sixty pounds; seed pease, forty cents per bushel of sixty pounds; pease, dried, not specially provided for in this section, twentyfive cents per bushel; split pease, forty-five cents per bushel of sixty pounds; pease in cartons, papers, or other small packages, one cent per pound. For peas, see also James W. Nye, page 2751. PEAS. TESTIMONY OF F. E. HAMILTON, ATTORNEY FOR MALDONADO & CO. AND J. BARTING, OF NEW YORK. Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I want to ask the committee to reduce the duty on chick-peas, and I have stated the reasons that I think should prevail in a brief, which I wish to file. This is paragraph 262. The present duty is 25 cents a bushel and the Government does not get enough out of the duty to pay for the trouble of handling the peas that come in and go out of the country. The CHAIRMAN. Very well, your brief will be printed in the record. PARAGRAPH 262-PEAS. The brief referred to is as follows: CHICK-PEAS. The WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, House of Representatives: We, the undersigned, representing the largest importers of chick-peas, respectfully request that the present duty of 25 cents a bushel be removed from this food product and that it be placed on the free list. This product is a poor man's food, and its consumption in the United States is gradually increasing. If granted free admission, it could be supplied to consumers as one of the cheapest and best of all food products on the market. The chick-pea is grown in Mexico and is in a class by itself. There are no chick-peas raised in the United States that are sold in competition with this product. Its food value rates very high, and on account thereof the importations of this product would rapidly increase should the duty be removed. There is no need of this duty. Its assessment only increases the price of this product to the consumer, and does not turn in any revenue to the Government, after paying expenses incident to the importations. The amount of chick-peas imported in the year 1912 was 190,000 bags. Out of this large amount only 30,000 bags were duty paid, all the remainder simply passing through the country. Your petitioners handle over two-thirds of all chick-peas imported into the United States, and our personal experience satisfies us that the present duty is not a source of revenue to the Government, for the following reasons: Chick-peas are generally imported under an entry known as "Immediate transportation without appraisement," and compliance with the customs regulations, articles 400 and 411, compels the placing of the goods in bond before entry for exportation can be made. All of this is without payment of duty and is simply trouble and expense to both the Government and the importer. There is a very considerable amount of clerical work, weighing, etc., connected with such an entry, all of which is expensive to the Government, and at the same time storage, cartage, and other charges accrue against the importations, which would not be if the product was admitted free of duty. Chick peas, or "Mexican garbanzos," are eaten not only by foreigners in the United States, but more and more by the working classes, because of their cheapness and also because of their high food value, and if the duty were removed so that the price could be still more reduced and the product become more universally known its consumption in this country would, without doubt, rapidly increase. Chick peas now sell at from 24 to 5 cents per pound, and thus offer to consumers splendid opportunity to lessen the cost of living. For all of these reason we pray the elimination of this duty. NEW YORK, N. Y., January 18, 1913. MALDONADO & Co., 116 Broad Street, New York City. H. BARTNING, Jr., 91 Wall Street, New York City. By FRANCIS E. HAMILTON, Counsel, 32 Broadway, New York City. BRIEF ON SPLIT PEAS BY MICHIGAN CEREAL CO. WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, PORT HURON, MICH., December 14, 1912. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: The Michigan Cereal Co., a Michigan corporation, with head office at Port Huron, Mich., engaged in the manufacture of split peas in the State of Michigan. We are interested in Schedule G, Agricultural products and provisions, paragraph No. 262, item, peas dried and split peas. We object to any lowering of the present duties on either dried or split peas. The present duty on dried peas is 25 cents per bushel, and on split peas 45 cents per bushel, giving a protective duty of 20 cents per bushel for the American manufacturers. The present protective duty of 20 cents per bushel is not sufficient to exclude foreign com |