The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-12-30
SILKS And COTTUNS
Tariff on These Goods Discussed by
Representatives Of Firms
A MILD TILT FOR A CHANGE
Some Want a Specific Duty. 9th
ers Ad valorem and a Few
Both-ihe ugar sched-
ule for To-Day.

Washington. Dec. 29.-Silk and cotton
manufacturers were before the ways
and means committee to-day. Arthur
| Il. Sanford Of Fall River, representing
the Cotton Yarn Spinners association
/ Of the United States. about l,OOO,OW
| spindles, said that the main trouble
| with the present law was that the du-
ties levied were practically ad valorem
and permitted OF extensive undervalua-
ton. The present schedule would be
satisfactory II two provisos were
stricken out which levied duties on
yarns not exceeding Is cents per pound
to cents, exceeding 81 net and exceed
| ing 40 cents. 10 cents, and exceeding W
cents, IS per cent. ad yalorem. San
ford produced statistics showing that
in 1893 the importation OF yarns We're
i4I.000 pounds and in 1896 2.i3l,OOO
| pounds. He said that the commoner
grade Of yarn could he manufactured
in this country. and especially In the
| South, owing tn the long hours and
cheap labor, perhaps as cheap as In
| England. He recognized that some time
| in the future the South might become
a competitor In the manufacture OF
| finer yarns.
Simon B. Chase of Fall River. Mass.
on behalf of the cotton cloth manufac-
i lultlSt Sdiu ltlNSt WIN l'l''s'b'N'
did not ask an increased duty, although
on finer grades they did not have ade-
.quate protl ction. They recognized that
the new classification in the act Of lS9i
was in the right direction. What they
| desired was two or three amendments
to compel the importation of certain
classes under specific duties, as they
" ere persuaded that abuses had crept
in. Chase and McMillin had sharp
tilt over the effectiveness of ad valorem
duties. "Ad valorem duties" Chase
said, catch nothing In the customs
house Proceeding, Chase said the
selling price of goods was Kept down
| to the lowest point by competition. Nc
Millin ATTEMPTED to show this was not
fact in the case of many protected ar
ticles. hut Chase insisted that II was
true except where artificial combina-
| tions existed.
Then. in your opinion. artificial COM
binations do cxist2" asked McMillin.
Il have so understood" replied Chase.
Well" calculated Steele of indiana,
| locking blandly across the table at Nc
Mlllin. what are you going to do about
| it?"
series Of interesting questions put
| by Dingley developed the fact that the
manufacturers here paid much higher
| taxes tHdu tNbSt III CnklAiihs thfef'
said his mill paid $4,000 taxes, While
a similar mill in England would pay
| but $1,000. In England everything was
/ done to stimulate manufactures. the
| employers were dealt leniently with
| and workmen were forced Ia give up
| part OF their wages. Here the EN-
ployer paid all and the employe moth
| ing.
A representative of the cotton grow
ers of the Mississippi valley, w, X.
/ Craig, of Vicksburg. Miss, appeared TO
urge a tariff duty ON Egyptian cotton,
| This product was underselling the en-
| ira staple cotton of the Mississippi val
| ley. having greatly decreased In price
| during the past 10 years.
| The same question was discussed by
| e. l.. Baker, treasurer Of the Lawier
Manufacturing company of Lowell.
| Mass. He said Egyptian cotton was
/ finer than the American goods; that II
had less waste and a better color and
| that the American product could not
be used for certain goods for which the
EGYPTIAN was used, and manufacturers
| were willing to pay LIZ cents a pound
more for Egyptian goods In which
| either class could be used. The eX-
pense of producing Egyptian cotton
was great because the land had to be
| irrigated.
The South would he selling its birth
right for mess of pottage To ask for
| this protection" commented Wheeler
Of Alabama.
! what do you call its blrthright?"
asked Chairman Dingley.
| Free institutions. free trade, free cY-
erything," replied Wheeler.
Robert w. Cooper, president OF the
British Hosiery company of Olneyville,
II. l., presented figures to show that
the cost of producing the grade OF
goods manufactured by his firm Is sl66
per dozen in the United states and NJ
cents in Germany. Payne Of New York
| incidentally said freiehts from Ger
many to New York and Chicago were
often as cheap as from New England
I points to the same cities. james Tai
/ colt of the American Hosiery company
Of New Britain, Conn. manufacturers
Of hose and underwear, "A. l.. Bilyen
of the Philadelphia Knitting mills and
Robert PillinEs Of Philadelphia, repre-
senting the manufacturers of cotton
hosiery. also appeared and made argu-
| ments.
/ AT the afternoon session silk and silk
| goods were taken up. +. +. StoneT of
] Wrightsvile Penn. filed "A brief asking
/ for new classification of embroidered
| curtains and other embroidered goods.
| The duty ON such goods was reduced
| by the act Of 1894 from 60 To 30 per cent.
Most of these goods, he said. were now
made in Belgium and many millions
were annually imported. He asked for
/ both an al valorem and a specific
/ duty. w. II. Chapman, a silk button
manufacturer OF East Hampton. Mass.
made brief argument in favor of
placing silk buttons in the silk sched-
ule. I. G. Hovey Of New York. repre-
senting the Textile Manufacturers as,
sociation, appeared To make a general
argument in favor Of a return to spe-
| cific duties, Il know Of but two cOun-
tries" said he. (which cling to al valo-
rem duties. one Is the great United
| States and the other Is Turkey" Mr..
| HoVey severely scored the stool pig
cons" TO whom imported goods were
consigned He gave IL as his opinion
| that on silks. owing To VI LIBERALIZATION.
| the government received hut % per
cent. while the duty was i5 per cent.
| This completed the hearing to-day and
the committee adjourned until to-mor,
row, when the schedule will be taken
up.
Satisfactory News.
Ion5cn Dec 2g-The exclusive an