Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-03-22
POTTERY SCHEDULE.
CONGRESSMAN WILSON MAKES A FULL
EXPLANATION OPTHB CHANGES
Proposed BY the Nils Bill-fhs Tariff Duties Of
iSSS-Ths Schedule Simpifsd - The
Wage QGsstion-NO Menace 10
the 'tadusty.


40 per cent, a change from 80.
Before the ta!iff of 1888, earthen, stone
or crOckery ware, white, glazed, edged,
printed, painted, dipped or cream-colored,
was in the sama class with china undecor-
ated, namely 40 per cent. Kaolin or clay
was then taxed i've dollars (S5l a ton.
"By the Act Of 1888, earthen, stone and
erOckery ware, painted, printed or other
wise decorated, was put with decorated
china at 90 cent, while the white, glazed,
etc, went up with undecorated china TO
So per cent. Clay or Ksolin was taxed
three dollars $500 per ton"
Now" continued Mr.. Wilson, "this
classification took up in into the highest
rate 100 per cent some Of the eOmmOnest
ware in most general use among the poor,
and has always been pointed to as one Of
the outrageous jobs Of the revision OF 1888
The Mills bill makes two claSsihcatiOns ss
follows: Etrthen, stone or crockery ware,
printed, enameled or gilded is put with
undecoratsd china where it was prior to
1888, viz: 10 per cent. While GRANTEES,
common ware, plain, white or cream col
ored, lustersd, or painted under glaze in a
single color, spsngled, dipped or edged
ware Is put at 35 per cent. Clay or Kaolir
is on the free list. Thus q discrimination
ia made according to the labor aud skill
needed to produce the ware." "
MR. GoFF NEATLY sCARIFIED.
Gen. Goff, in his interview with the
REGISTER man, says that these reductions
will close ont potteries. 50 see, but
Gen. Goff gives expression to mere partisan
abuse, not argument 1t is clear that he
has never read the bill, and merely selects
q few items supposed to be of local interest
for censure, not from fair discussion.
In my own judgement, deliberately
reached the rates of tbs new bill, with the
geographical protection, fairly enforced ore
ample In any line Of pottery manuiac'
ture.
The difference in wages here and abroad
has been greatly exaggerated. The state
ment orMr. J. Hart Brewer, OF the Tren-
ton potteries, before the Tariff Commission
in 1882, putting wages 1l3ps cent. higher
here than in StafJrdshire, has been asSum'
cd by the advocates of high tariff ever
since as correct. Several facts are over
looked.
First, no man in makirga claim against
the government ever brings il down to q
fair basis; 10 two years' service on the Ap
propriatiug Committee, found it always
possible to scale the estimates of every
careful official, who, in making up thei,
figures, naturally give themselves all tht
margin Mr.. Brewer was man represent
ing his claim for bounty from the Treas
ury. Naturally he made the largest CLAIM
he could. Moreover, Mr. Brewer is NJ
ardent politician, and several years ago
under q leave TO print in the House
printed chapter on the tariff fiom Blaine
book, with few lines of introduction o
his own. But the Bureau of Labor Stats
tics Of New Jersey, in its report OF 1888
after careful review ct the pottery bust
ness, contests the accuracy Of Mr.. Brewer
statements as to wages in Trenton, anC
SHOWS HIS ESLALuAkG6 " bG 4AOAL - ~ DO ~
cent too high. This is official. Mr.. Brew
er has contended with me in the past few
DAYS that he was correct, but besides thi
reDort of the Labor Bureau, | have hat
several conversations with Mr.. SchOeDhof
our Consul at Tunstsl, Eugland, who ha
closely investigated the wage question IL
these potteries, and he assures me That on
WAGES are ON an average from go to 50 pc
cent. higher than there. The rates l haS,
stated are IS good as they were prior Il
1888, when the pottery business was Hour
ishiug and expanding.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECTIONS.
But General GOff and others who are e
swift to criticise the bill have evidently no
read, or at least have not understood 1t
administrative sections. Every one Ough
To know that the rates of duty, under tn
present tariff, are deceptive, because of tn
great undervaluatiOus, possible and noto
riously, practiced under it. l cannot eH
plain this fully in an interview but l cal
sum it up by saying that this abuse Is 81
great, that beginning with Secretary Fol
ger and continuing with Secretaries Man
ming and Fairchild, great labor and car
have been given to the preparation ant
amendment Of laws relating to the c)lleC
ton of duties 80 as to remedy the evil.
The sections of our bill present the pre-
Oressive work of these able Secretaries, tn
| long and intelligent labor Of the Hon. \. )
Hewitt when q member OF the committee
aud our best efforts. They will 60 yer,
far in doing away with these frauds, snC
not only to prevent undervaluations II
ordinary importatiOns, hut, as Secretar!
Fairchild thinks, will break up the specu
llative importation of merchandise mad
with a view to defraud the revenue.
Secretary Manning sent TO the last Con
gress a large volume giving the results
his Investigations at the custom houses
the experience and opinions Of leading lm
porters and others familiar with TIL
abuse. have studied the volume wit
care, and find that pottery is one of the al
tieles most liable to underyaluatiOn, an
Treasury Special Agents both at Ne'
/ York and Boston estimate the undel
valuation in il at twenty per cent. Ina
being true, there is as much protection Il
a duty of thirty-fve per cent fairl
collected as in the present rate OF titty-hy
per cent
NO MENACE TO THE INDUSTRY,
Add TO this amendment of the law th
provision for assessing dutiable value o
the crates and cost Of packing, and the di
allowance of drawbacks for breal
AGE substantial item, al
what fair minded man undu
standing the provisions of the proposed Ia
and the working Of tbs present law, ca
lind in our bill any menace to the potter
interests, whether in the wages Of labor, Il
lust profits Of capital, on the steady an
legitimate extension Of the industry?
answer, with emphasis, absolutely non
Politicians may declaim against bill the
have not read, and blind partisaDs, Il
uninformed or thesiimid may take up Il
CIV, and chime in with the trusts and m
nopolies OF the country in decrying Il
bill and misrepresenting its provisions
effects, but il will stand in the ligl
of all Just and honest criticism as
most careful and cautious measur
framed in accordance with the pledge
: the platform on which Cleveland w