Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-24
NEW JERSEY.

The Tariff Commiss,on-Imdustr Rep-
 resented at the First Hearing.
 LONG BRANCH, July 23,-The tariff com- mission held it's first public session yesterday afternoon. A communication was read from ex-Senator Willard Warner, of Alabama, ar- guing against any change in the tariff as to pig iron. All the pig iron makers of the South, the ex-Senator says, agree in the de- sire that the tariff on pig iron shall be left as it is. With them it is question of labor. They cannot make ton of charcoal hot blast iron for less than $15, while the materials in a state of nature cost in Alabama and Geor- gia only about sixty-fve cents, thus leaving $14.35 for labor. The wages paid are double
 those paid in England, or, say $7 per ton difference, which is just the amount of duty on pig iron. He adds that all classes in tho pig iron region have been benefited by manu- factures. He declares himself in favor of the plan and policy of protection as taught by Henry Clay and Horace Greeley and as applied in the existing tariff. The commu- 1 nication placed on file.
 Mir. Henry Bower. of Philadelphia, secrs | tary of the Chemists association of that city, 1 spoke at length against any reduction of the duty on imported chemicals He said that l there ,349 establishments in ths country
 engaged in the production of chemicals.
 Their capital ranges from $500 to $5, 900, 900 I and aggregates $S5, 5,OOO,OOO. They employ 1 30, 900 hands and make annual sales of 1 SIS, ,OOO 900. Chemicals are to-day export 1 ed to England in large quantities As it l might be asked what need there is then, for l high duties he would say that they are not l needed; but still it would not be wise to dis l turb them. At all events they should 1 not be lowered much as that the l foreign producer may take the place of the l American producer. The speaker admitted | that some of the duties absurdly high, but that fact has no effect on the price of l the goods here. He suggested that spices l not produced in this country (such as cloves,
 cinnamon, allspice and pepper) might be l added to the free list. As an illustration of duty does not affect the prices here, he in- 1 stanced acetate of soda costing here p l cents pound and costing abroad 2S 3-5
 cents. He also instanced licorice paste Qargely used by tobacco nanufactursrs). j. l which, under a high tariff and domestic com l petition, has fallen from 28 cents to 14 cents per pound. He suggested that several | articles be taken off the free list and placed
 on the dutiable list-such, for example, as
 castor oil, cod liver oil, tartaric acid, cop
 other articles.
 Mir. Kenner asked Mir. Bower whether he
 was prepared to submit proposal as to the
 changes in schedule M. Mir. Bower replied
 that before the commission concludes it's
 work he will, in connection with Mr. Alexan
 der H. Jones, of Philadelphia, prepare and
 submit such proposal. MT. Kenner also
 asked him whether skill for the encourage
 ment of which he had argued. was not suf1i- ciently protected already through the patent , law. MT. Bower replied that he had only ! alluded to skill a guide in rating duties z He did not ask for much change in the existing tariff. He would be
 pleased to adopted the system , which ho would formulate to schedule M But if it should not be adopted hs would be satisfied with the tariff as it is, al though some of the chemical manufacturer are dissatisfied with it. He explained tn, disadvantage under which American naanu lecturers of chemicals labor in having to us f alcohol, on which they pay tax of $1 GO h gallon, while the English chemists pay n such tax, but use methylated liquor. He di, " not believe that specific duty could be gen '' orally adopted instead of ad valorem duties
 though it might be in regard to some article }. where prices were comparatively stable. l. The commission adjourned until tome, l. TOW.