The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-12-29


He read letters from several paint manu-
facturers testifying 10 the depression OF
the industry owing to foreign competition
slnce the enactment of the present law
James Hartford. of New York. on behalf
OF the chemical section of the New York
Board of Trade and Transportation, argued
in favor of a general change from ad
valorem to specific duties on drugs.
Samuel Merz. of Newark, n. j.. argued
for restoration of the Mckinley law du-
ties on ultramarine and analine dyes. Mr..
Merz created a laugh by saying that IN
order to overcome the prejudice against the
home product he had frequently placed his
product in the hands of importers and IL
had been easily disposed or by them.
ing Iogwood and other dye wood extracts.
urged a change from ad valorem to SPECIFIC
rates and also raise In rates.
THE DRUG MILLERS.
The drug millers of the United States
were represented by George Hitler. of
New York who presented a substitute for
Paragraph 1912. Schedule A, of the Wilson
law. making the duty cents pound on
unpowdered drugs. the same rate now paid
on powdered spices. Mr.. Hitler presented
a comparative statement of cost of produc-
tion at home and abroad showing an ad-
vantage in favor of the foreign manufac-
turer. Under the present law the duties
10 per cent. ad valorem and the manu-
facturers recommended a change TO spe-
cific duties wherever possible. The tarin.
ence between the cost of grinding or pow
dering abroad and i'm the United States.
cost " of grinding in the United States is
cents a pound, and in London 2ss Tor gen.
tian. while the London price for other
drugs ranged as high as 6is cents, the
United States prices being lower.
Chairman Dingley suggested the prohi-
bition of importations of adulterated goods.
but the drug representatives held that such
law was impossible of enforcement
Frederick jacob, of San francisco read
a statement in behalf of the native wine
growers of the Pacific coast, asking the
restoration of the Mckinley rates of %
cents gallon on all dry wines I'm place or
the present rate of 80 cents. and OF S250
gallon on spirits He said il desirable
| to create taste for high-clasS native
| wines. There was an existing presumption
| in behalf of wines bearing foreign lables.
whereas. these were often inferior to native
| goods. The native growers opposed any
reciprocity arrangement, as wines were
| always a source of revenue wherever pro-
| duced. and were always taxed at nigh
| rates; also because there could be no guar
| antee that wines imported from any coun-
| try had been produced in that country
| Under the fifty-cent rate American pro-
| ducers would be able TO cultivate better
| Mr.. Jacob was accompanied by Edward
| Frawenfeld. of the California Wine Asso-
citation. and p. l.. Crovat manager of the
| Leland Stanford estate.
Mr. j. A. Bean. of New York a repre-
sentative of the linseed oil manufactur-
ers. said those he represented would be sat
isfied with a continuance of the present
rates of 20 cents gallon on the oil and
20 cents bushel on seed. While a greater
| tariff would help them they deemed IL un-
wise TO agitate the question and unsettle
business. The price of oil at present Is y
1 cents. he said. about one third of the rate
| five years ago. and the lowest price which
| had ever prevailed.
N. A; Overbury. of Niagara Falls. \. Y.
the only manufacturer of chloride of pot
| ash in the United States. appeared TO ask
| for a duty of cents pound on his prod
| fha in a
| abroad. The imports this year reached s.
100000 pounds With the duty restored he
| could reopen his works. he said.
! DR.. Schaefer, of New Haven, Conn. a
| manufacturer of caffeine. who said he was
the first to manufacture the product and
asked an increase of the duty. which is
| now % per cent. He employed ten men.
His product was used in the manufacture Iilii re
| that class. he asked for a specinc duty OF
81 pound.
| Thomas NJ Cuthbert of New York. rep
resenting the New York quinine and chem
! ical works. appeared to ask for restora-
| ton of the duty of 20 per cent. ad vaiorem
which existed prior to the act of 1880 it's
equivalent specific duty Quinine was now
| on the free list. lie said the effect of the
| tariff reduction had been most disastrous
| TO the American manufacturer and unless
| something were soon done he would have
| to go out OF business. The price had been
| reduced since 1879 from s.. .75 pound to
| 2312 cents per pound The manufactures
needed the old duty of 20 per cent. ad va
/ loren or its specific equivalent of . cents
Mr. McMillin asked If before quinine had
| been placed on the free list Powers *
| Weightman and two or three other hrmS
had not monopoliZed the business in the
! Mr. A. n Jones speaking for Powers &,
I Wpiphtm1n
| first to manufacture the article in the
| United States, consequently had controlled
| with Rosengarten * Sons, another pioneer
| firm. The reduction i'm price had been
mainly due to the efforts of the British
cinchona bark. The prices of quinine had
steadily decreased from the time the prod
uct was put on the free list. in 1880. The
| blotted out in America but for Mr.. Weight
| mans determination TO continue it, The
| firm paid it's girls S6 a week, whereas Ger
man manufacturers paid 1919 cents a day.
AlonZo l.. Thompson. of Boston. appeared
| in behalf of a restoration of the duty ON
| salsoda and soda ash. from Is to "a of a
| cent per pound. He called attention to the
fact that the decrease of duty had not
stimulated importation. He also asked % m that
| cent per pound He called attention to the
fact that EPSON salts was dutiable at one
on the free list. The appraisers had held
that it was on the free list
| Schedule IL, spirits, wines and other beV-
| erageS. was then taken up. John Il. Thomp-
| son, jr.. of HarroGsburg. KY, representing
| the manufacturers of liquors and spirits
| generally. was the first to appear. lie asked
| that the duty'o liquors. now $1.S0 per gal
lon, be restored 10 $3.50. the rate under
the act Of 1890. The present law, he said
increased the tax on domestic goods 4
cents and reduced the tax on imported q
cents per gallon. He also argued that there
should be some reciprocal arrangement be-
tween Canada and the United States. The
competition from the Dominion, he said
| was keenly felt by the domestic manLfac-
turers. He entered into the discussion OF
! the Importation of adulterated wh'=kies
from Canada to show that the counrr. was
| being flooded with spurious liquors.
Edward J.. Snyder. of New York, repre-
senting the National Wholesale Liquor
Dealers Association. urged first, that tho
same outrage" should be allowed on do
mestic as is allowed on imported liquors
second, such an adjustment of duties or
foreign liquors will yield the largest rev.
enue. but not give importers undue advan-
tage: third. no increase Of the duties or
foreign wines. and fourth. penal statute
| to punish the counterfeitcrs of foreign wine
and liquor brands. This finished the days
hearings.
Want Higher Rates on Rice.
| SAVANNAH. Ga, Dec. 2s.-At a largel,
attended meeting of the Savannah Rice As
sociation to-day IL was decided unanimous