Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-16

A Specimen Case OF Tariff Greed.
Piano making is one of the few indus
tries of this country which are indifer-
emit to protection and care nothing for
foreign competition. While nominally
protected, the manufacturers are entirely
independent of tariff benefits. OF course
there has always been a tariff uron
pianos, but not at the solicitation of The
manufacturers. Where a new tariff las
been introduced the duty has been re-
tanned, more on account Of general prn-
ciples than because the manufacturers
have invaded the halls Of congress, de-
manding protection for an infant m
dustry." In no hearings on the tariff
have they appeared and demanded an
increase, or even a retention of old
duties. On the contrary, they have re-
he'd upon their own skill and enterpr Sc
for protection, and the result has justi-
fed their course, for more pianos have
been exported every year than have been
imported, and we have sent some of our
best productions TO the greatest musical
country of the world-Germany herself {.
We began to manufacture pianos over
ninety years ago. The industry has
grown rapidly, the production last year
being double what il was ten years ago.
Last year we made about Y, 900 pianos,
and it Is estimated that since 1920 we
have made 1,210 900. The census re-
turns of 1890 are not yet published. but
1t IS estimated that we now have 200 ia;
tories engaged in turning out pianos or
parts used in them-such as KEYS, wire,
actions, etc. The estimated capital Of
these factories is S15, 00O, 900. employing
10000 workmen at wages of sc, sos, 900 a
year, using 50, 0O0. 600 worth of material,
and turning out a product worth SIS 600 =
600. New York alone has about two
thirds of the factories, Massachusetts
ranking next.
While the piano industry has no in
terest in protection for itself, protec-
tion lays numerous burdens upon thai
industry. In fact it is made a prev to
the greed of several minor industries
which have, under the Mckinley law
higher protection than ever before
These increased duties are specimen
tricks In the new tariff law, and the,
deserve attention from the people a,
large as illustrating the rapacity Of tariff
protected interests.
The first Of the parts used in piano
making which are subject to higher du-
ties under the Mckinley law are the
tuning pins to which the strings are at
tached. The old duty on these pins was
% per cent. II was first proposed by
Mckinley to make the duty 40 per
cent, along with pianos and
pianoforte actions, and parts of. >
This paragraph was constructed at the
loud solicitation of the action makers.
who, though they had no interest at all
in tuning pins, were very anxious to con-
struct the paragraph affecting their own
productions 50 broadly that they them
selves might be secure from competition,
with the result that they included every
thing used in piano manufacture But
they demanded that the duty be fixed at
so instead Of 40 per cent. and when the
bill went to the senate they accomplished
their purposes in part by having the
whole paragraph struck from the SEIZED
ule. The result was that tuning pins
were made dutiable az As per cent, and
the price was at once put up to So per
thousand, having been $40.
\ similar trick was performed in re-
gard to the felt which is put on the ham
mers. There is only one factory en-
gagged in the production of piano felt in
the United States-that of Mr. Alfred
Dodge, of Dolgeville, y. Y.-the annual
production of which, according TO Mr..
Dodge, Is about 300. 900 pounds. England
has two factories, France two and Ger
many four. The only piano felt i'm
! ported into the United States comes from
| Germany, and amounts TO from q, coo
to 10000 pounds per year, so that only
one-tenth Of the felt used here is i'm
ported.
Piano felt paid a duty under the old
law OF thirty-fve cents a pound and 70
| per cent, equal TO a single ad valorem OF
| 81 per cent, being taxed as .'manufact-
ures Of wool not otherwise provided for. =
| The duty in this paragraph in the Nc
| Kinley bin was made forty-four cents a
| pound and 80 per cent. When, however.
| the bill was in the conference committee
| of the house and senate, Mr.. Dodge, act
| ing through Senator Hiscock, had the
| three little words, "felts not woven. =
put into the ready made clothing para
graph, bearing the highest duty Of all
the manufactures of wool-491 cents a
pound and GO per cent.
Mr.. Dolges protection by this trick is
| made almost absolute. Under the old
tariff the duty paid on 100 pounds of felt
was 1922, under the Mckinley law S191.
Some importers have already raised the
price of foreign felt one dollar a pound.
The greedy Dodge had two objects in
view with his tariff trick: ~ To shut out
all foreign competition, and (2) being
manufacturer of hammers also, to
drive out Of business all the manufacture
ers here Of piano hammers who have
been using imported felt. The result is
that he will be free from all competition
whatever in the American market. At
the same time he will continue to export