Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-28

cent. 0d Gdl0reD1, be admitted at 8 specific duty at Sl 50 per barrel from the Interna- tional Pavement company, of New York, ad- vocating specific duty on asphaltum, in lieu of the evidently unjust cd 9aloaem i'm port duties now imposed, which specific duty would reconcile the present conflicting inter ests between the present respective owners of deposits of asphaltum m in foreign countries and consumers in the United States from J. B. King &. Co of New York, asking for an increase to at least 90 or g. per cent of duty on cal cine pl aster (gypsum); from the Christey Fire Clay company, of St. Louis Mo, peti tioning for renewed protection of fire olays, kaoline, etc; from Richard Beeching. of Boston, suggesting the import ation of the raw material for the manufacture of cork stoppers free and duty of $2O per one hun dred pounds weight on foreign made corks and from W. B, Hoyt, assistant appraiser, New York, report supplementary to his evi- dence at Long Branch, recommending the alteration of the duties on a variety of arti- cles.
 Mir F. M Ames spoke on the subject of sugar. He read letter from Louisiana giv. ing the cost to Louisiana planters of labor in producing the sugar as compared with the cost under slave labor. Louisiana and the nelghborlng States, with proper protection could make more than enough sugar for the whole United States. The polarscope is used on plantations to test the quality of juice and sugar products.
 A. E. Denison, of Boston, stated that he tad
 starch. There are 19G establishments in the United States, employing in all 2,o72 hands, 72 of which are in New York. The trade has made no progress during the last ten years. Their great competii or is Germany, and to protect the trade it is asked that duty of not less than two cents a pound be laid on stock under any form.
 Hiram Power, manufacturer of iewelry in Rhode Island, said The duty on iewelry is p per cent. It is desired that some foreign trade be developed, so as to keep factories running the entire year. Adult jewellers now obtain but $2 day. He advocated lower tariff In general to promote an interchange of products with other countries By this means the jewelry trade of America would be incidentally aided.
 Edwin E. Angell spoke of the duty on screws, saying that the duty should not be re- duced without a reduction on the material should some relation to the cost of the raw material and that proper distinction should be made as to the rate on the various sizes of screws
 Edwin $. Barnett favored the repeal of the existing duty of ten per cent. on East India tanned skins. He claimed that the great mid ding and poorer classes, as we'll as the boot and shoe dealers of the country, are opposed to an increase.
 Marcus Beebe of Boston confirmed the views of the last speaker, as did also Mr. Ira s. Franklin who said that an advance of 4 15 per cent. on the duty would be disastrous.
 William Amory, jr., manufacturer of Port land cement, argued against the statements of importers. who claim that the cement can not be manufactured to advantage in this country on account of a deficiency of the requisite chalk He favored a duty on the imported cement.
 NIT. Thomas T. Rice, appraiser of the Bos- ton custom house, said that he had no doubt that the duty on wool is overloaded He fa- vored reducing the specific duty and increas- ing the ad valorem. This would secure the government to great extent against the pres- ent evasions. There is no special dificuityin in carrying out the present classifcations of work custom house tribunal consisting of five. should be appointed by the President and have it's headquarters in New York Ev- idence in cases could be taken at the principal ports and transmitted to the whole board for decision. This would save 8 great deal of delay and litigation
 Charles H. Fitch, of the Census depart ment, pointed out that farm labor and capi- tai are now substantially protected The highest relative benefits go to unskilled la borers on products which have no duty In 1916 farm labor in New York State cost from S3 to IS q month, averaging twenty-two cents day. In 1916 journeymen in machin cry and gun making trades were paid $l day. Now farm labor costs SIP to S25 & month, averaging seventy four cents day, while skilled craftsmen in machine shops are paid $2 to $s a day. Thus, while wages have gone up by once and half in the protected work they have gone up twice and half in the low skilled, unprotected farm labor. Manufac turers bargain for labor without reference to the ta'if The establishment of an important industry makes gre tt draft for men These are drawn from unskilled classes, and 8 gen. eral elevation of wages has followed and the farm laborer who complains of duty on dry goods, which IS nearly eaten away by Ameri can competition, is really well protected The farm owner IS given an advantage, for he advances prices to pay for his high priced labor. An iron workers wages are not low. Protection ultimately makes cheap capital in special productive facilities The best pro. lection of labor is the encouragement of the industry which draws most largely upon labor The present protection is not as great as is supposed, for large factories cannot easily be pushed to the wall by foreign con- petition because of their superior facilities The chairman then announced that the public hearings in Boston were closed.