New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-15
AGAINST TARIFF REVISION.
INDUSTRIES PROTEST IN UNANIMOUS VOICE.
HEARINGS BEFORE THE WAYS AND MEANS COM
MITTEE-wORKMEN ADD THEIR TEsrI-
MoNY TO THAT ALREADY PILED Up.
ny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIRrNE.1

| MONY TO THAT ALREADY PILED Up.
| ny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIRSNE.1
Washington. Sept. 14.-If the hearings before the
! Ways and Means Committee continue 'nuch longer
| IL will be necessary to find a more spacious room
| in which 10 hold them The committee-room Is one
OF the largest in the Capitol. ana IL was crowded
for hours to-day with manufacturers ana working
men who desired to be heard ana scores Oh o'her
| persons who desired to hear them. SO strong
this desire that many remained slahuhs al the
| afternoon until the committee ADJOURNED shortly
after o'clock No importers appeared to-day TO de-
clare that they hate the American manuiactur-
ers" as Mr. Van Horn did yesterday under the in
SEPARATION OF Mr. Breckinridgcs suggestive questions,
and all the time occupied ny ci'iAehs OF the
United States who are engaged in manufacturing
| enterprises either employers or worKihemeh'
| No less than twenty men. representing seven
| different industries were heard and all or them,
| without a single exception, soemhy assured the
committee that those Industries are III cohdluon
OF total or partial paralysis on account OF the
threats OF embarrassing ana the rear ana uhcer
tainty thereby produced; that this condition VIII not
| imnrove until the agitation ceases and uncertainty
disappears and that reduction or repeal OF exist
| ing duties will compel heavy reduction ol WAGES
OF labor when it does not result In the destruction
of domestic Industries. Several manufacturers VINO
| are familiar with European labor conditions ana
wages declared that. rather than attempt TO reduce
American working men and women to the same
level with European labor, they would transfer their
manufacturing plants TO Europe. employ foreign
| labor at foreign wages and ship the goods 10 Inc
| United States The statements OF the mahuIdctut-
ers were fully supported by the nine worknsmHn
who spoke in opposition TO any reduction OF exist
ing rates OF duty They declared that tens 81 thou
sands OF honest Industrious men and women are
now in a condition Of enforced idencss on account
Of the existing agitation and uncertainty ana mat
there is prospect Of relief until the agitation
ceases and not then unless Congress shall decide
not TO reduce existing rates Of duty. such reluc-
lions would not only add tens Of thousands OF I'M
willing recruits to the great army OF the unem-
ployed in whose ranks great suffering and distress
already exist but would force down the wages Of
those fortunate enough to find work TO do
woRKINGMEx GIVE THEIR VIEWS.
These were intelligent workingrnen who expressed
their convictions with terseness vgor ana lucid
ity that commanded respect and admiration ana
Messrs Wilson Brccklnridge and Bynun. VINO
asked a number Of hypothetical questions and en-
gagged in discussions with several OF them. not only
obtained Intelligent prompt and pertinent answers.
but were worsted in the field OF polemics IL must
have been made clear, even to Mr.. breckinildse'
before to-day's hearing ended. that the American
tInplate Industry is not myth. as NJ anu oth'I
Free Traders have 80 constantly and vehernently
asserted but that. the contrary despite the
prevailing depression and distress owing To Demo
cratic threats II exists on substantial OASIS ana
unless struck down by Congress VIII ENJOY VIZ
orous and healthy az well as RAPID growth. oh
the whole the hearing to-day was an eN'e'''N's
interesting and important one. and many SOUND
reasons and strong arguments backed by iac'S 'h"'
are indisputable and ought to have great weight
with tho committee and with Congress. were al
vanced In opposition 20 any reduction oI "NS''ns
duties on the manufactures represented ana III
favor Of an indefinite posponement OF Inc question:
Efforts are being made to induce the Committee
fTt n
which II may report. that the date upon "hlOh .''
now law shall become operative shall be placed TAR
enough in the future TO allow an opportunity lof
business to adjust itself to the new c'h'l'ohs'
Representative Mccall. Of Massachusetts, VINO
takes an active interest In the matter mas h"d sew
eral conversations with Chairman Wilson on 'ne
subject and Will probably have An opportunity 10
submit his views to the committee. 1t ~ under
stood that a number OF leading importers as wen
as manufacturers agree with Mr.. Mccall
The hearing today was opened by VI. a scull
representing the Lawrence Cement Company "l
Nev.-York who discussed the tariff on cement ana
gave an interesting account OF the growth OF Inc
Industry since II was nrst established in this coun-
try in isgg There are 6i mills In the hl"d
States manufacturing what Is known AS h''"r"
hydraulic cement" ~ these. 81 are IN me STA"
NJ Xcv-York IS being In Ulster county. There are
ais, IS mills in the United states manufacturing
I portland cement Tho annual output OF natural
ce,rsn, is about 7cDOoo barrels. and Of Portland
ce,nen, 10000 barrels The importau"ns In the
year ending June 30. 1872. amounted To N''''"''
the duty on which amounted To about N''' III
tho vears from 1851 TO 1889 the declared NaIu" OF
Unmarried cement at the Custom House rahR'i '"'"
a ~ IA Of cents a barrel the duty being - per
cent adj valorem. In the same years the H.'ns
nrice OF imported cement in New-fork ranger rom
o. IN "a g. 70 These figures clearly show that there
was a large undervauation Of the Imported pr"Huc'
Although the selling price OF cement y Io"'' "'"
than ever before the declared value according 10
the records Of the Custom House Is Inuch hsh''
than It was In the three years FIRST mentioned III
1899 this price was 81 %; In 1891 1t was 81 ~. me
calling price In 1893 was g ~ barrel, ana IN 1871
s. 40 a barrel
THE IMPORTATION OF CEMENT
In the nine months from October !. 1890 to June
N lSqi the importationS Of cement hin"nh"l l"
cen ooo barrels the average selling price OF when
/ - NowYork WAS s. TO- Under the former rat" ot
al valoren duty the actual selling price, AFTER inc
su.cinc rate Of duty substituted WAS = "
barrel This was a saving N Inc consumer VI ~
oo.,, q barrel or ssl3al7 on the importations of
| that wear The increased revenue derived from ''-
ment importations that yenr was S2's"'' making d
total ,,ain to the consumer and IN" Government OF
| about $4,000 for the year. Like comparisons i"'
the fiscal years 1929 show that the saving 10 n'
consumer between the enactment OF me 'NiS,.R
,aric, and Tune ~ 1899. amounted to Si9ij1s while
| increased revenue uIN'N ~
amounted to H7l,7yI making 'o'"' S''" " '
sIeo,GO In less than three years
! Mr. Scun gave an Interesting DESCRIPTION o. NV
ro, .ss and manufacture Of both natural ana i"r'-
lana cement and said that the wages In inns c"un-
| fry are about two to two ana on"-hail l'in'S az
much as in England me lowest p"' ''''
anv cement factory receives 81 a week and ID"
| - ran.e from that amount To 81 week. For
cign cement can be leid down In N"w-fork al Fl u"
p barrel The domqslic cement laid down IN New
YORK costs includi freight. 81 81 barrel freight
from the manufactRy to Ne"-l "rk 'i'y p''ib ~
cents a barrel while the freight on parr'i 81
| ccmcnt from London Liverpool 20 Ne"->oi Is
! ohot 20 cents Mr.. Scull remarked that
since the reciprocity treaty between the Init'd
| States and Spain the United States cement manu-