Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-19
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
TARIFF BILL IN THE SENATE
A Debate on the Cutlery Clause.
FoRTlFlcArloNs BILL IN THE HOUSE
The Senate.

sented by the presiding officer, and was refer
red to the committee on privileges and cleo
tions, on the motion Of Mr.. Edmunds, who said
that the paper was evidently not in conformity
with the requirements of law.
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Senate, at 11:20, res umed consideration
OF the tariff bill, and took up the sugar sched-
ule (E). No amendment was offered.
Paragraph 173, as to penknives and razors.
was then taken up, the question being on the
amendment reported to it on the 10th inst.
MR. VEST OPPOSED THE AMENDMENT,
and said he would confne himself to the prac.
tical points involved, as the Senate must have
become wearied with political dissipation,
and with the discussion Of northern and south
ern outrages, which were about as old as the
capitol He hoped that other Senators would
do the like
Mr. Allison said he fully concurred in that
Mr.. Vest compared the rates of duty in the
present law, the rates in the Senate substitute,
and the rates in the pending amendment in
order TO prove that, on the lower grades. which
constituted 60 per cent Of the importations, the
duty was increased both in the substitute and
the amendment largely out Of proportion to
the increase in the finer and more expensive
grades,
HR. VESTS PROTEST AND STATEMENT.
Mr.. Vest illustrated his argument by exhibit
ing specimens Of the various grades Of pocket
knives, and protested against such legislation.
Mr.. Vance read some testimony taken before
himself and Mr.. Vest to the effect that pocket
and table knives were made in Connecticut and
stamped with the English trade marks.
Mr. PLArr DENIED THE STATEMENT,
and said the only truth about it was that, Eve
or six years ago, one cutlery manufacturing
establishment had, at the request of dealers,
branded their knives .'Shefiield Knife Co.,
England" but it had existed only for a short
period and had been entirely discontinued. It
was wrong then and was wrong now. He gave
the names of dozen or more
FICTITIOUS AMERICAN CUTLERY COMPANIES
which German manufacturers put on their
knives in order to be able to sell them in this
country.
Mr.. Vest quoted from the testimoney of Mr..
Thorne and Mr.. Saxton, before himself and
Mr.. Vance, showing how extensively the fraud is
practiced by American cutlery manufacturers
Of initiating English trademarks.
Mr.. Plat said that those false Trademarks
were not put on American goods but on Ger.
man goods.
Mr.. Hawley (referrieg to one Of the wit
nesses) said that whoever did what that witness
said he did in the way Of fictitious brands was
LIAR AND A THIEF.
Mr.. Vest said he admired the Senator'S (Mr.
Hawleys) vocabulary, but nevertheless he be-
lieved the testimony Of the witnesses who had
appeared before himself and Mr. Vance.
Mr.. Plat asserted that il was not true that
American cutlery manufacturers, who asked for
additional protection for their industry. were
guilty of putting English Trademarks on Amer
ican-made knives. He gave statistics of the
decrease of the business since 1883. Not a sin
gle company or firm, he said. manufacturing
pocket cutlery had made anything more than
expenses during the past year, and no dividends
had been declared. Half the concerns had
failed since 1888. None of them had made any
money. The importation of pocket cutlery was
increasing rapidly, and the American produc-
ton OF cutlery was diminishing rapidly. So
duty or the business in the United States must
stop.
WAGES HERE AND ABROAD.
He gave the figures of wages in the cutlery
business in Germany, England, and the United
States, showing that the wages in England were
double those in Germany, and the wages in the
United States double those in England; SO
that, he said. there was no such protection in
the tariff as there was difference in the cost of
labor. As to the higher rate of duty on the
the cheaper knives. he gave. as a justification
OF it the fact that the American manufacturer
was better able to compete with the foreign
manufacturers Of high-priced knives, such as
Rodgers and Wostenholm. than with the foreign
manufacturers of low-priced knives-nine-
tenths of which were (at all events) fraud on
the poor man who bought them. The increased
tax on them would not increase their retail
prices. The only effect OF it would be to
reduce the 200 per cent profit now distributed
between the importer, the jobber. and the
retailer. The average ad valorem duty under
the proposed amendment he said, was only IS
per cent.
Mr.. Vance stated that the duty ON many arti-
cles OF cutlery would be. under the amend
ment. raised largely in excess Of 100 per cont
And if tax Of 100 per cent could be justified
30 could tax Of 200, 500, or 1000.
CHEAP CUTLERY.
Mr.. Aldrich replied to Mr.. Vests argument
in regard to higher duties being placed on
cheap cutlery than ON expensive cutlery, and
said the cheap pocket-knives, costing abroad
Is cents dozen, were sold at retail in this
country at 10 cents each, 30 that even an ad
valorem duty of l20 per cent would have no
effect on the retail price and would not create
any additional burden on the people. The
amendment would show, he admitted. high
ad valorem rate on cheap goods, but they were
below their value, and were sold at greatly
above their value.
House OF Representatives.
On motion Of Mr.. Rogers (Ark.) the Senate
bill was passed providing circuit courts at
Helena, in the eastern district Of Arkansas;
Fort Smith, In the western district Of Arkansas;
for the northern district Of Mississippi; the
western district Of South Carolina; the dis
trict Of West Virginia, at Charleston and
trict courts, With circuit court powers, are now
held; and at ClArkaburg, IN West Virginia,
where o distr1ct court = ooW held but which
has no circuit powers; uhseeey all thsse courts