Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-27
WORKERS IN METALS.
Hearing Before the Ways aud Means
Committee Today.
How THE Tariff AFFECTS VARIOUS IxpusrRrEs-
cLAIMs THAT THE DUTIES ON MANUFACTURES
REDucE PRroRs-rHK QUESTION OF wAors

The ways and means committee went
promptly to work at 10 o'clock this morning
and listened to q statement by c. 9. Landcra
Of New Britain, Conn.,, on the subject Of table
cutlery. He was satisfied with the provisions
Of the Senate bill. except in regard TO one
feature of the classification. The average duty
on table cutlery imposed by the bill was 81 per
cent, and the change in classification would in.
crease the average to 562s per cent. The cutlery
manufacturers would have TO be protected or
they would have to die.
Hon. ]. Logan Chapman Of Michigan read
protesting against mica being removed from
the free list.
Chas. Brice, representing the gold dealers
association, argued in favor of an increased
duty on gold leaf and bronze powder.
THE OLDEST IMPLEMENT KNOWN TO MANKIND.
The anvil, the oldest implement known to
mankind, As it was characterized by Mr. Clark
Fisher of Trenton, NJ, was the next subject
of discussion and that gentleman presented
the reasons why the duty should be increased.
OF the anvils used in the United States about
two-thirds are imported. He advocated an
imposition of duty of 23-10 cents a pound
upon anvils and he believed that if that was
done they could be sold cheaper to the con-
sumter as it would enable the manufacturers to
increase their output. Forty years ago, when
he first went into business, there were twenty
five anvil firms in the country. Now they had
become extinct with three exceptions. To
lower the duty would have the effect of wiping
out these three establishments.
THE TIN PLATE MANUFACTURE.
VIM. c. Cronemeyer of Pittsburg described
the unsuccessful effort of American manufac-
turers to produce tin plates at profit. In
1872 the firm with which he was connected had
started to manufacture tin plates, and for three
years had been successful. At that time the
price OF ordinary tin plate was $l2 box, but
1t had fallen to "a, and his firm had been
obliged, in 1886, to go out Of that line of BUSH
ness. Then the price had again gone up since
the competition had been Withdrawn. He pro-
duced before the committee samples of tin
plates, sheet iron and taggers iron, explained
the difference between them and stated in the
course OF his explanation that the more labor
was put into sheet iron and the finer the work
upon 1t was the less protection it received.
WAGES IN ENGLAND AND THE UNITED STATES.
In response to queries by Mr.. Burrows, Mr.
Cronemeyer said that to manufacture box Of
tin plates in this country cost about S5.5
less, the difference being attributable to the
difference In the cost Of labor. The
present duty was not protectis re
one, but that proposed by the Senate
bill, while not as high as it ought to be, had
the merit of being protective. If the tin plate
industry could be built up in this country it
would support number OF people nearly equal
to the population Of New Nork city.
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ENGLISH MANUFAcrURERsj
In conclusion Mr.. Cronemeyer read an ex-
tract from the Iron Mon9er, published at Lon
don, warning the WEIGH tin-p plate manufacturers
of the effort being made in America to increase
the duty on that article, but declaring thas
those manufacturers had enough friends in the
United States to defeat the schemes of the ultra
protectionists.
THE TARIFF REDUCING PRICES.
William Metcalf Of Pittsburg, interested in
the production Of crucibe steel, impresst
upon the committee the fact that since tariff
had been placed on steel and iron the cost to
the consumer of articles manufactured OF these
materials had been reduced. lie stated that he
sold steel to Mr.. Fisher to be used in the man
ufacture OF anvils and that within twenty-one
years The price OF this steel had fallen from 30
to 80 per cent
George r. Oliver. representing the manufac-
turers of wire rods and wires. addressed the
committee. He was well satisfied with the ex-
listing tariff on everything except wire rods.
On this material he advocated a specific duty
OF slx-tenthS cents pound ON rods not smaller
than No. wire gauge, and OF one cent pound
on rods smaller than No. 8.
ANY TeuuctiOn OF uuty on wire rOQS would
inevitably advance the price of barbed wire
fencing and WIRE nails to the consumer.
NAILS AND RAILS.
A. W. Campbell of West Virginia, q manu-
facturer of cut rails, controverted a statement
made by Mr.. Oliver to the effect that the wire
rail was cheaper than the cut rail, and he con-
tended that the contrary was the fact. He
thought the manufacturers of soft steel should
receive the same measure Of protection as IL
accorded TO the producers OF steel rails, and he
expressed himself satisfied with the provis-
ious OF the Senate bill.
THE STRUCTURAL IRON COMBINATION,
This afternoon +. J. Sade of Trenton, NJ,
addressed the committee on the subject of
structural iron. The price for iron beams to-
day was 8 lilo cents pound. When he went
into the business twenty years ago the price
was about double that.
In response to a question by Mr.. Flower,
MIR. SlaJe stated that there was combination
among the producers of structural iron, but he
denied that the profits of the business were too
large. They did not average more than per
cent. Unrestricted competition would lead to
bankruptcy. Combina,.on was advantageous
to trade and it was the duty of persons en-
ness. The manufacturers OF beams simply
said to one another: Let US charge a
fair price Tor our own goods. "
That was all the combination
there was. No effort had been made to crush
out the firms that did not belong to the COM
blnatiou and there was no understanding that
the production should be limited.
STING FOR NEXVSpADED