The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-05
IMPORTERS TALKING TARIFF.
LEADING BUSINESS MEN DENOUHCE
THE M'KINLEY TARIFF BILL.

100 importers appeared 10 day before the Sci
ate Com mittoe on Finance TO protest again
the passage Of the Mckinley Tariff bill.
J. NJ. Constable of Arnold. Constable & C,
was chief spokesman for tho delegation. Ii
presented the formal protest OF the importer
OF New York and said 1t was not true as la
been stated In the press. that they we're a
from New York Thoy came from all the i'm
portant centres OF this country. Tho importer
protested against the bill because thoy believe
II would leglslate In favor OF one class aRans
another class; for tho benefit OF tho manufac
turers against tho Importers also because
will work against the poor man OF this coun
try. II the Mckinley bill went into operation
great many OF the importers would have I,
retire from business.
He then introduced Henry W. Curtis. repro
sonting the silk and velvet interests, who an
nounced himself as protectionist Republican
The silk commission houses. he said, were
more largely interested in domestic silks thar
in the foreign article. Their money WINS IL
domestic silks. and, including importing AM
manufacturing, the importers OF New York rep
resented $500. 900 of capital The Mckinley
bill bore hardest upon the people who could
afford 1t the least-those using the cheaper
silks. "As you 20 up III value" said the wit
ness. you go down In duty" The American
Silk Association and the Treasury Department,
he asserted. were ID favor OF leaving the duty
whero IL was. at 90 pcr cent The domestic
mills had thrven on that rate OF duty.
Isadore Strauss representing. he said, nine
tenths of the importers Of pottery and glass-
ware OF New York, declared it to DO untrue that
the importers were generally FREQ traders
They decidedly preferred tho present tariff to
free trade 1t was more to their interest, as
part OF their profit was on tho duty. The Nc
Kinley bill increased tho duty on the poor
mans glassware much more than on that Of
the rich man. lie exhibited Bohemian
Now York. duty paid and then showed a do
mes esuo article =, costing 20 cents dozen.
ana Yet Ws wns edsb BY tbs
Mckinley bill TO largely increase it. The effect
OF this would DO that the price of tho domestic
tumbler would be inc eased. Chimneys sold
made 81 ever the country: were next
imported for years. They had been run out OF
the market s; long ago The specific duty on
cents, not counting duty on packages. The
common lamp shades cost 60 cents 9 dozen at
present Under soS tho Mckinley bill they would
were made In this country. most Of them COM
ing from Silesia Some common dinner plates.
not be imported TO- day for less than IS cents
facturer of fine glassware. Very little OF it
was manufactured when the last Tariff bill
was passed. Inc uuty was 80 per cent. and
The proposed duty was 80 per cent. He would
undertake to manufacture and keep. out all
giyOn free raw material.
Senator sherman having asked about the ex-
Strauss declared that a trust was In full opera.
ton In yellow ware and cheap stuff. which was
mated a belief that there was trust either
actually In existence or else In contemplation
In tho higher grades Of pottery and in glass
LOUIS, Windmuller speaking for the raw
wool industry. said that the Mckinley bill pro-
grades from 50 to 50 per cent The only eject
coarse carpet wool would be to increase the
price. No matter how much the duty was.
hes ooarse weos W Ro1
DO TO his interest. Most Of this coarse wool
game from tho plains Of Asia. where civiliza:
against raising the duty on cam a hair and
ostrich feathers-neither camels nor ostrlches
James Il. Thorpe, speaking for tho up
holstery importers. said that at present silk
albums and other purposes pays 80 per cent
ad yalorem. which under the Mckinley bill
rs per cent the chsnSs falling With f tho great
est emphasis on the cheapest work and the
lowest grade OF goods The benefit OF this in
three New England manufacturers on some
lines OF goods. and to q comparatively few
Daniel MoKeever Protested against the in
creased duties on coat lih!nGs pushss and
asSnst norSSsa On e end T veves "orFa
nsa sfs he oRney p G %ada
country, after thrty-a Ave years experience and
business. 1t would be better for the Ameri-
,ans to devote themselves to better-payinG in
iustrie5 and leave tho linen industry 10 the
.l6AD6f labor Ireland. WhnFn bn hal | !
he benefit OF their iorefathers experience
md. moreover, all the family worked. looking /
% their income
Maurice Lowye protested against the in f
domestic manufacturers" he said. who UNI
lorStand how to ma be goods are prosperous
hat they cannot Ill tho orders already on their
looks. In the knitted goods business the J
oods as they produce none are imported"
er cent on common window glass. IRON 1O6 l
2 100 per cent. and larger increases on other =
A. II. Saxton. representing the Wholesale ]
HARDWARE Associat Ion, declared untrue the
OF American cutlery manufacturers :
nat they were being driven out OF business, 9
nd asserted on the contrary. that they were i
laking most satisfactory headway under tho q
resent tariff, while the imported article was =
ocket knives imported were Of wel-known d
IllOn, ana ulu not ana WOulu mol come into n
)mpeIition with knives made here. y
Mr.. GLIB OF the firm OF Mills d Glib. import i
% OF laces, lace curtains. and EN- broideries. h
lid that In those goods there was no existing q
dustry to be protected and in the nature u
ings there could not be any for q great many
,Rrs to come. 1t was proposed to increase =
10 duty from 40 to 90 per cent. Experience d
I'd shown the impossbility Of collecting such
high al valorem rate OF duty. 1t would sim -
y, operate as n premium on differentiation, g,
I'd the only protection 1t could afford would 81
to dishonesty. In
r. Bumenthal button importer said that re-
present 1t was impossible to compel against 70
'mestic button manufacturers with duty OF ~
per cent. BY smart trick OF proposing a ~
atty per line which seemed small, the button bI
akers had succeeded In getting an increase III
duty 70 $50 per cent At % Ter cent. the ~
onestic manu- lacturers had made enormous eli
rtunes In the last five or six years. He would 81
init that what he had said about buttons did h
d apply 10 EenTl buttons. None Of thom were "a
ade mere and no did not believe they ever ity
ould be: lie had abandoned manufacturing W
sarl buttons SIX wears ago. and would not ~
'spme under duty OF four cents a line P'
er cont. O' w WV
Charles r. Mcclellan. who appeared for the IA
'rset importers contented himself With sub nj
ltunR written argument to the effect that 10
.F a L..