The herald., 1896-12-29
Ways and Means Committee
Hearings Begun
PAINT, DYE AND CHEMICALS
Need More Protection Than Is Now
Given Them
Pacific Coast Wine Growers Need Some
Help in Educating a Taste for
High-Class Native Wines
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S-The tariff
hearings before the ways and means
committee began at 10 o'clock today
There were several large delegations il
attendance and much interest displayed
The morning was devoted to the chem.
ical schedule and the afternoon to wines
and liquors. Chairman Dingley made a
| preliminary statement as to the hear
ings, which will be held each day from
10 to 4, with a recess from 2:3O to 80
He said the committee desired to avoid
| repetitions, and would prefer, where con-
venient, to receive condensed briefs
rather than oral argument.
| Thomas F. Harrison of Philadelphia
representing the manufacturing chem
| lists association of that city, made a
| short statement to pave the way for q
| brief to follow by that association. In a
! general way he said the manufac cturing
| chemists would ask for moderation in
the schedules, and as far as possible a
! change from ad valorem to specific du-
| ties. Those represented asked no favors,
only desired justice. They were now
being crushed between the textile manu-
facturers and importers. He said data
would be submitted relative to the COM
petition they had to meet from China
and Japan.
Mr.. Kebes of San Francisco submit
ted formal argument for change of
the schedules of 1894 relating to borates
and borax. The present law provides
duty of cents per pound on boracic
acid and cents on refined borax This
duty, he argued, did not fulfill the reven-
ue expectations of the government or
producers. He argued for new classi-
fication of the compounds of borax to
prevent avoidance and evasion of the
duty with slightly higher rates. He pre-
sented the following schedule Borate
of soda, 3 cents; borate of lime contain
irg not more than "A per cent anhydrous
boracic acid cents; borate of lime
containing not more than A per cent,
cents; anhydrous borax, cents; bora
cic acid, cents; anhydrous boracic
acid, 6 cents.
In answer to question, Krebs ex-
pressed the opinion that the schedule
he proposed would produce as much rev.
enue as the present schedule and Offer
ed much better protection to producers.
Practically all the 20, O00 900 pounds of
borax and its composition used in this
country, he thought, could be produced
here.
James Mcguire of New York asked
that hydrate alumina should pay a duty
only on the alumina contained in the
product.
w. H. Childs of New York and ]. T.
Schoellkoepf of Buffalo, N. Y, argued
in favor of increasing the duties on
coal tar dyes from % per cent to S5 per
cent ad valorem, with higher classifi-
cation of the schedule.
]. S. Page of New York, representing
color manufacturers, said the present
duties were ample. but if the duties on
chemicals were increased they desired
relative increase on colors.
Fl. c. Stewart of Philadelphia ap-
peared in behalf of duty on copperas
ochre, ochery eartffs and all oxides of
iron used in the manufacture of paints,
which under the present law are ad-
mitted free. He read letters from sew
eral paint manufacturers testifying to
the depression of the industry, owing to
foreign competition since the enactment
of the present law.
James Hartford of New York. on be-
half Of the chemical section of the New
York board of trade and Transportation.
argued in favor of a general change
iom ad valorem to specific duties on
drugs
Samuel Murser of Newark, N. j., ar
gued in favor of a restoration of the
Mckinley law duties on ultra-marine
and aniline dyes. Mr.. Murser said that
IN order to overcome the prejudice
against the home prduct he had fire.
quently placed his product in the hands
of imposters and it had been easily dis
posed of by them.
w. S. Kiddy of New York, represent
iEg logwood and other dye extracts
urged the change from ad valorem to
specific rates and also some raise in
rates.
The drug millers of the United States
were represented by George Hitler of
New York, who presented a substitute
for paragraph 161a, schedule A, of the
W N-oAA - w. AiAoNiiiS tiC uuly cents a
pound on powdered drugs, the same rate
now paid on powdered spice Mr.. Hitler
presented comparative statements of
cost of production at home and abroad,
showing an advantage of 800 cents in
favor of foreign manufacture In the
present law the duties are 10 per cent
ad valorem, and the manufacturers rec
ommend change to specific duties
wherever possible
Tine tariff, Mr.. Hitler said, should
cover the differences between the cost
of grinding or powdering abroad and in
the United States, but it was developed
by questions that the cost of grinding
in the United states is cents pound
and in London 25s cents for grinding,
while the London prices on drugs ranged
as high as 61s cents, the United States
prices being lower.
Chairman Dingley suggested prohibi-
ton Of importation of adulterated goods.
but the drug representatives held that
such law was impossible of enforce
ment.
Frank Jacobi of San Francisco read q
statement in behalf of the native wine
growers of the Pacific coast, asking that
the Mckinley rate of so cents a gallon
be restored in place of 30 cents on all
dry wines and 81. so gallon on spirits. He
said II was desirable N orao TO n +,..a