The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-29
FIRST DAY OF THE HEARINGS
GIVEN UP ENTIRELY TO THE
CHEMICAL, SPIRITS AND DRUG
SCHEDULES.
CONDENSED BRIEFS SUGGESTED
By Mr.. Dingley in the Hope of Saw
ing the Time Required for Oral
Arguments.


ly at 10 o'clock this morning according
to the published programme. There
were several large delegations in at
tendance, and much interest was dis
played The morning was devoted to
the chemical schedule, and the after
noon to wines and liquors. Chairman
Dingley made a preliminary statement
as to the hearings which will be held
each day from 10 to 4, with a recess
from 1890 to 1:30 He said the COM
mittee desired to avoid repetitions as
far as possible, and would prefer where
convenient, to receive condensed briefs
rather than oral arguments.
Thomas F. Harrison, of Philadelphia,
representing the Manufacturing Chem
lists association Of that city, first made
a brief statement to the committee
to pave the way for brief which will
be submitted by that association later
in the week In a general way he said
the manufacturing chemists would ask
for moderation in schedules, and as
| far as possible a change from ad
valoren to specific duties. He called
attention to the fact that $3.50, 900, 900
were invested in the manufacture of
chemicals, and that the product an
nually approXimated the same sum.
| Those whom he represented, he said,
asked no favors, they only desired JUS
| tice. They were now being crushed be-
! tween the textile manufacturers and
| importers. He said that some data
| would also be submitted relative to
the competition they had to meet from
| China and Japan.
H. Krebbs, of San Francisco, sub
mitted the first formal argument. 1t
was for a change of the schedules OF
the act of 1894, relating to borates and
| bOraX and two cents on refined b0raX.
! This duty, he argued, did not fulfil
the revenue expectations Of the govern
ment or the producers. He argued for
a new classification of the compounds
| of borax to prevent avoidance and
evasion Of duty with slightly higher
rates. The schedule he presented was
| as follows:
Borate Of soda 8 cents, borate Of lime
containing not more than A per cent
| of anyhrous boracic acid cents;
bcrat of lime containing more than A
| per cent, 4 cents; anhyrous boraX D
! cents; boracic acid cents, and any
hrous boracic acid 6 cents.
In answer to a question from Mr
! McMillin, Mr.. Krebbs expressed the
! opinion that the schedule he proposed
would produce as much revenue as the
! present schedule, and afford much bet
! ter protection to the producers. Pract1c-
ally all of the 20, 100000 pounds of borax
and it's compounds used in this country,
he thought, could be produced here.
J. S. Page, of New York, representing
color manufacturers, said the present
duties were ample but, if the duties on
chemicals were increased, they desired
a relative increase on colors. II. Z.
! Stewart, of Philadelphia, appeared in
behalf of duty on copperas, ochre
ochery earths and all oxides of iron
used in the manufacture OF paints,
which, under the present law, are ad-
mitted free. James Hartford, of New
York on behalf of the chemical section
of the New York board Of trade and
transportation, argued in favor of II
! general change from ad valOrem to
specific duties on drugs. Samuel Merz,
/ of Newark, N. J., argued for a restOra-
! ton of the Mckinley law duties on ul-
ira marine and analyne dyes. w. w.
| Skiddy, of New York, representing log
! wood and other dye wood extracts,
! urged a change from ad ValOrem to
| specific rates and also summarizing g
of classification. The drug millers of
the United States were represented by
| George Hitler of New York, who pre-
| scented a substitute for the schedule
| of the Wilson law making the duty
cents a pound on powdered drugs,
! the same rate now paid on powdered
spices, Mr.. Hitler presented cOmpara-
tive statements Of cost of production
| at home and abroad, showing an ad--
| vantage of 90-100 cents in favor of
the foreign manufacturer. Under the
| present law, the duties are 10 per cent
| ad valorem and the manufacturers
recommended a change to specific du-
ties. wherever possible. The tariff, Mr..
Hitler said, should cover the difference
between the cost of grinding and pow
dering abroad and in the United States,
but it was developed by questions, that
the cost of grinding in the United
States is 2 cents pound and in Lon
| don 25s cents for gentian, while the
London prices for other drugs ranged
as high as Ga cents, the United States
prices being lower. Chairman Dingley
suggested the prohibition of importa-
tions of adulterated goods, but the
drug representatives held that such a
law was impossible of enforcement
Frederick Jacoby made a statement
on behalf of the wine growers on the
Pacific coast asking for a specific duty
Of so cents on all dry wines, instead
of an ad valorem duty. He said it was
desirable to create a taste for high
class native wines. There was an ex-
listing presumption, he said, in favor
of wines bearing foreign labels, where
as, he said these were often inferior
to native goods. Native growers, he
said, opposed any reciprocity arrange
ment, as wines were always a source
of revenue wherever produced and
were always taxed at high rates, also
because there could be no guaranty
that wines imported from any country
had been produced In that country
Under the so cent rate American pro
ducers would be able to cultivate bet
ter varieties Of wines, and to age their
goods.
Mr.. Jacoby was accompanied by Ed
ward FranWenfeld of the California
Wine association, and P. L. Crovat
manager of the Leland Stanford estate
Much interest was manifested during
the day and the room was constantly
thronged with delegations and the rep.
resentatives of various trades Owing
to the brief time allotted for hearings
| and the desire of the committee, as ex-
| pressed by Chairman Dingley to avoij
unnecessary repetitions many Of those
who appeared simply filed their briefs
and made no oral arguments. Mr.. Ding
ley expressed the opinion that the pres.
entatiOn of condensed briefs would
answer the purpose Of the committee
better than argument, and advised the
filing Of such briefs where possible
He announced that briefs would be re.
ceived until Jan. II. Only seven ot
the seventeen members Of the commit
tee were present today. Messrs. Ding
ley, Of Maine; Payne, OF New York
Evans, of Kentucky; Dalzell, Of Penn.
! an5 TohOaNu re North Ia