AND USE IN UNITED STATES. 21 



from using foreign stock by a practically 

 interdictive duty." 1 In other words, for 

 some reason, a " practically interdictive 

 duty " did not induce our farmers to turn 

 their attention to the cultivation of fine 

 flax fibre. 



Let us now see what protection the tariff 

 has afforded to the flax growers. From 

 the establishment of the government until 

 1842, unmanufactured flax was admitted 

 free of duty, except for a short time be- 

 tween 1828 and 1832, when a duty of 

 thirty-five and sixty dollars a ton was im- 

 posed. 2 Even Alexander Hamilton in his 

 watchful care of American industries saw 

 no reason for imposing a duty on raw flax. 

 In 1842 a uniform duty of twenty dollars 

 a ton was imposed on all forms of raw flax. 

 In 1846 this was changed to an ad valorem 

 duty of fifteen per cent, which amounted to 

 twenty-five to thirty dollars per ton on the 



1 38th Congress, 2d session, Sen. Ex. Doc. 35, p. 51. 



2 " On unmanufactured flax, thirty-five dollars per ton, until 

 the thirtieth day of June, 1829, from which time an additional 

 duty of five dollars per ton per annum, until the duty shall 

 amount to sixty dollars per ton." Act of May 19, 1828. United 

 States Statutes at Large, vol. iv. p. 272. 



