New-York tribune., 1890-06-05
A HEARING TO IMPORTERS.
CRITICISING THE TARIFF BILL BEFORE THE
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
PLEAS BY MANY IMPORTERS AND AGENTS q
FOREIGN HOUSES IN THIS CITY AND
ELsEwHERE-A DAYS TINE LOST
,nY TELEGRAPH TO TIE THBrSEl

EI>SEWHERE-A DAYS TINE L'ri'
tnr TELEGRAPH TO The TDBrSE1
Washington June 4.-The senate Finance 'o'''
nitce spent most Of today listening to what inc I'M.
porters and agents of foreign houses In "->orh
Citv and elsewhere had to say about the scheouies
Of the House Tariff bill As MI Morrlii' ,ne '"
man Of the committee, Is absent IN inc "eS'' '''
sherman the second member in rank, presiued III 'o
hio receni-T room 10 which the committee was driven
BY the size Of the crowd in attendance when the near
inc uss ready TO begin. The session. Of course was
an open one except for brief recess for nhcheo
lasted from about 10 o'clock until aftcr D. fr"odo'
seventy five or 100 persons from New orK were III
tho marty. the most conspicuous member ana tne
spokesman of the delegation being James NJ 'ohS'aoo'
Of Arnold. Constable & CO. lie presented written
protest against the increases Of duty made 10y the NC
Kinley bll and then called upon the various rep
rcsontati-os Of special importing Interests TO s'S'c
briefly their objections 10 the new schedules
The burden Of the criticisms the duties proposed
by the House bill that they would turn the narhe'
practically over the home manufacturers ana III the
end make the business OF importing unprontaoie ~
this is one of the objects aimed at by the friends oi he
bill the predictions of the visitors hatura'S h"uc
much different impression from the one they hao
calculated upon. Little, indeed. was the ehec' OF inc
disclosures which had been dependcd upon W uaaso
the bill hey ond repair.
The arguments Of the visiting delegation wonh
nrofablv have had considerably greater weight II they
had been put in writing for on personal contact WIN
the committee the and character of the oppos
lion 10 the House bill became only too apparent IL
may be frankly said, and justly. that the urgently de
manded hearing fell only little short of hasco The
Finance Committee will receive written commuh'a
tions from this time on and may listen to business
men informally on occasional items in the bill but no
more public sessions will be held. The Repubhcah
members will resume their work on the schedules 10
morrow.
J. VI. Constable the chief spokesman for the dele
~ he i'm
Of New York. lie said that the members OF the heIe
CATION came from all the important centres of tiN
country-New. York. Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston
and Cincinnati. The importers protested against the
bill because they believed II would leglsa'e IN iaNor
n one class against another classfor the benefit of
the manufacturers against the importers alSo oe-
cause IT would work against the poor man If the
Mckinley bill went into operation great many OF
the importers would have to retire from business
He then introduced Henry W. Curtis. representing
the silk and velvet Interests who announced himself
a. a Protectionst Republican. The silk commission
houses MIR Curtis said, were more largely lntcrcsed
in domestic silks than in the foreign article Their
money was in domestic mills and, including import
ing and manufacturing. the importers Of New YORK
represented $500 900 900 Of capital The Mckinley
bin bore hardest upon the people who conld aford II
the least-those using the cheaper silks. AS yon
90 up in value said the witness. lyon 30 down III
duty The American silk Association and the Treas
ury Department. Mr.. Curtis asserted were in favor
Of leaving the duty where II was, al 90 per cent
The domestic mills had thriven on that rate OF dhN
Isador Strauss repreSentine he said nine-tentlN
Of the importers of pottery and glassware Of New
York. declared il 10 be untrue That the importers
were generally free traders. They decidedly pre-
ferred the present tariff TO free trade. The Mckin-
lev bill increased the duty on the poor mans glass
ware much more than that Of the rich man.
Mr. Straus then showed sample Of cheap vase
costing s5 cents dozen wholesale. Under the
Mckinley bill it would cost 81 -. II duty wero
levied on net weight and 81 80 if on gross weight
the language of the bill being 50 indefinite as to
leave it in doubt whether duty would be collected
according to the net gross weight.
Senator Sherman having asked about thc existence
Of trusts in the pottery trade, Mr.. straus declared
that a trust in full operation in yeowware ana
cheap stuff. which not imported at all and he
intimated a belief that there trust. either
actually in existence, or else in contemplation IN
the higher grades Of pottery and in glassware.
Senator sherman asked if the reduction in price
OF glassware during the last ten years was not me
result Of domestic competition.
Mr. straus thought that the cause was compct
ton all over the world. and great strides in the
knowledge of the art combined with use Of natural
gas.
Louis Windmuler. speaking for the raw wool in
dustry said that the Mckinley bill proposed TO raise
the duty on wool worth IL cents or less, from "a Il"
32 per cent and higher grades. from 30 10 ~
the lower grades OF coarse carpet WOOL lie added
vxr,ld be 10 increase the price No matter how much
the duty was the American wool-grower would not
raise these coarse carpet wOOls because 1t would no
be his interest.
Daniel McKeever said that Mr. Mckinley had evil
IDENTIFY made up his mind that the poor man. II ne
wanted 10 wear any clothing must pay heavily for ~
For instance, on cheap cotton corduroys. worn by
farm laborcrs the2e increase of duty from %
N 20 per cent When cotton cornroys worth double
this n-ce were dealt with the increase was only from
IS 10 al per cent.
Maurice Lowe, in the name of the leading Dry
goods merchants and importers Of the United sates'
without regard to political Affiliations protested
against the increase made in the Mckinley Dill Oh
hoisery and underwear.
A. H. Sexton representing the Wholesale Hardware
Association, denied the statement made before uhe
WAYS and Means Committee that the average ou'S
proposed on knives "A per cent and asserted .ha
the duty really 100 10 40 per cent lie oeciare"
to be untrue the statements OF American cutierS
manufacturers thai they being driven out o.
business and asserted the contrary that they were
making satisfactory headway under the present 'arl
while the imported article losing ground
Mr. Glib Of the firm OF Mills 4 GLIB, importers o
laces. lace curtains and embrolGerles, SAID that IL
those goods there no existing industry TO be pro
tected and in the nature o: things there could not Dt
any for many years 70 come. II was proposed u
increase the duty from 40 10 so per cent. Ihl'
vonld simply operate premium on undervaluatlon
and the only protection 1t would afford would De
dishonesty.
Mr. Plamenthal button importer. said that al
presen was impossible 10 compete against domestic
hutton manufacturers. with duty OF 20 per cent
nv a smart trick Of proposing duty per line, which
seemed small, the button makers had succeeded II
getting an increase Of duty TO 200 per cent At -
per cent the domestic manufacturers had hade chor
nous fortunes in the last five or six years lie would
ADMIT that what he had said about buttons dld mo-
apply 10 pearl buttons.
The protest Of business firms interested in feltS wa
submitted in print. II objects 10 the Mckinley bill
a. doubling duties.
W n Thomas. who spoke for the cigar importers
sa,d that the iuportations were only $40 per cen
of the total consumption; vet 1t was proposed