New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-16

ears about per cent
G. b. Chase cotton cloth MANUFACTURED OF Fai
River made argument In favor OF the Ie.en .sa
OF SPECIFIC duties. and said he would ratner s.a ,
OF rates x san to ,b nayf aG rates He also
declared that the cost Of production mao odc,on ~
features has declined from i2'. cents yard in 1880
TO llh cents a yard In 1888.
METHODS OF AGENTS DENOUNCED.
John o'Donnell. Of New-York who is in the en-
pov of Hilton Hughes & Co. and who sara 'ha' ne
represented the other leading merchant importers
Of that city Including Arnold. Constable Co..
f. 6 Jarray and Others, advocated renucoon Vi
duties and a change In the classification OIL hoseIS'
knit underwear and gloves lie denouheeu III.
method adopted by the foreign manufacturers Oh
establishing agencies in New-York. except throus"
whom they refused to sell goods % American I'M
nor,ers and he said that In a conference OF I'M
uorters recently held Il was determined 10 eHc'uue
the American agents OF foreign manufacturers i'o"
any participation therein. MT oDohheh "as
pecially severe on these selling agents ana oec'a
that the operations Of the foreign manufacturers
conducted through the latter had resulted III oe
,r,ud,pg the revenues 10 an enormous extent ana
In crinnlinr legitimate trade. The Importers ne
said are extremely anxious that any Ia" "n,e"
may be passed shall not go into operation carrier
than July l. 1894, and that they wouid prefer eve"
n later date.
william Baker of Ware. Mass. who manufac-
,os r,uzo underwear called attention to the large
nronortlon OF the labor cost in the production ana
argued against any reduction OF rates which ne
said would inevitably be followed by correspond
ing reduction OF wages. Richard Rant. OF new
York who IS an importer OF woollen Shirts argueu
in favor OF a reduction OF duties although he ad-
rnitted that prices are TO higher now IMAM they
were prior TO 1890 Mr.. Rant appeared to DE VIII
ing TO accept Alfred Dolge's testimony VINE"
fitted his side OF the case but unwilling 10 90 80
Mr. Payne succeeded in making the fact paihiuny
apparent p,umertba, q member OF a New-York
importing firm. advocated the reduction OF tne
duty on buttons. He said that the rate on all haTd
buttons should not exceed Is per cent, ana tne
rate on buttons covered with SILK wool, mohalr'
He denied that pearl buttons had been made
in Austria by convict labor and remarked e th f
convict labor. Mr.. Payne admitted that this had
been done under Democratic administration Oh
what proportion Of the pearl buttons made IN tne
United states had been so fl small
declared that the present rate Of duty Is pro
IL cents line plus 50 per cent ad vaiorem., to
cent line plus p peT cent re al to
by Mr.. Payne that combination Of importers Of
buttons was formed in May, 1892 which raised assd
in order to protect their trade. He asserted that
the price of pearl buttons is two or three times
before the change of the tariff in 1890 That change,
he said, had resulted in the transfer OF the pearl
He also admitted that under recent decision
button blanks. which are buttons without the nole5
bored in them. admitted at 40 per cent "a
vaioren, and said that the importers would be
willing the duty on blanks liked at the same
rate the duty on finished pearl buttons.
A NEWLY ESTABLISHED INDUSTRY.
A. C. Raymond, Of Detroit, appeared in behalf Of
the National Pearl Button Association He said
he represented an industry which had been estab-
lshed within the last two three years and which
Is now represented by about seventy-nve factories,
besides n number of small manufacturers After
a thorough investigation he was ready TO submit
proof and maintain these propositions: The manu-
facture OF pearl buttons cannot be made mo-
nopoy or the subject of combination to controi
production or fix prices; the labor cost of produc-
ton is 6l2 per cent of the total cost; from "" 10
1000 hands already employed III inns ~"
Industry: the weekly wages in the United states
are lSj per cent higher than in Europe ana the
earnings OF American labor to the gross OF buttons
exceed by 200 per cent the earnings in Europe the
manufacturers prices Of pearl buttons in the United
States are about 81 per cent higher than IN Europe
the increased price Of peal buttons have not ih'
crea the prices of underwear or other garments
to which they are attached to the American con-
stmer the manufacturers prices OF pearl buttons IN
the United States to-day about 81 per cent higher
than in 1882 pearl-button disks or blanks should be
subject to the rate Of duty as finished BUT
tons: a rate OF ~ cents line plus - per cent ad
valorem would enable American manufacturers Oh
pearl buttons to control the American market that
rate was the lowest which the American manu-
facturer could stand-a bedrock rate which could
not be lowered without destroying this new and
promising industry.
These propositions Mr. Raymond supported by
exhibiting an array of testimony which he regarded
overwhelming and mvincible. Among othet
things ne showed that the increase OF the cost OF
pearl buttons, when bought by the dozen or gross
biz the American consumer, Is due to the exorbitant
prices charged by jobber and retailer Inc former
demands and receives "a profit OF more tnan ~ per
cent on the manufacturers price. and tn. latter
taxes his the full extent OF his greed
and their gasy b he I9b neI Csn %n1d be
liberal profit on staple goods Ike pearl buttons
day) to buy pearl buttons from number OF r.,
tail dealers in the city of New-Iorly recently re
cent to 15s per cent and in one tx.
showed profit to the retailer of 81 per cent on
| the tobbers price He furnished the cash slips OF
statements from twelve leading manufacturers of
underwear which showed that prices OF buttons
wear since the duty was increased in 1890 ana
said he had no doubt that ~ same showing wSqS h
| the manufacturers of linen and cotton shirts. MI
Raymond exposed the falsity of the assertion so
| consumers has been increased 200 or 800 per cent
even 100 per cent by the tarn OF lS ana n piacsu
| bers and retailers He also made vigorous ar
gument against ad vaioren rates al means ' be-
Christian Schmidt exhibited a number of samples
| of unfinished hats flats. brads etc. and .eeared
| that the manufacturers OF straw hats experience
/ great difficulty under the existing tarin on ac-
count OF the scattering of their materials among
| several schedules, and also on account OF me
numerous Treasury decisions affecting the rates OF
duty. They not 80 anxious to have rates
| reduced as they were to have classification
| adopted under which they could know what the
! amount OF duty any particular article would
| he Among the samples exhibited were two both
| OF which free of duty. one being an unfinished
manila straw while the other Is Il highly iinished
Italian product The latter comes into direct COM
| petition with an American manufacture upon
| which much labor has been expended; ,,,o -,
| T. r Biddle. New-York importer. VINO APP
peared as representative OF the linen trade assoc
| citation advocated a reduction of the duties, and
| dwet upon the fact that he and his colleagues are
strongly in favor of "a tariff for revenue only HID;
| Cooper a New-York importer Of jute burlaps ana
| bagging also proclaimed that he is In favor OF "a
/ only nnpoSed unequal