Evening star., 1896-12-29
SILK AND COTTON
Hearings Today Before the Ways and
Means Committee.
AGAINST AD VAL0REM DUTIES
Questions Asked by Chairman Ding
ley and Their Answers.
NJ A n e "A CTU RERS TALK
AGAINST AD VAL0REM DUTIES
MANUFACTURERS TALK

and means committee today. Arnold B.
Sanford of Fall River. representing the
Cotton Yarn Sp;nners' Association Of the
United States, about 1,OOO,00O spindles, pre-
sented an exhaustive written statement,
but submitted to examination by Chair
man Dingley. The main trouble with The
present law, he said, was that the duties
levied were practically ad valorem and per-
mitted of extensive differentiation. No
Accent yarns were imported at their valu-
alton. so that so far as fine yarns were
concerned the law was substantially mop
erative. The present schedule, he said,
!, would be satisfactory II the two provis-
ions of the law were stricken out. MIR.
Sanford also called attention to the danger
to fine spinning involved in the extensive
importation of cotton rowing Mr. Sanford
produced statistics to prove the enormous
increase in the importation Of yarns since
the enactment Of the present law In 1893
the importations were 447,OOO pounds, and
In 1896. 2, 431 900 pounds.
Cotton Cloth Manufac facturers.
Simeon B. Chase of Fall River. Mass,
appeared behalf of the cotton cloth
manufacturers He said those whom he
represented did not ask an increase of
duty, although on the finer grades they
did not have adequate protection. They
recognized that the new classification in
the act OF 1894 was in the right direction.
Wfat they desired were two or three
amend meuts to compel Importation of GER
tain classes under specific duties, as they
were persuaded that abuses had crept in.
They also desired new definition of goods
containing 800 threads and upwards to the
square inch Upon embroidered or figured
woven goods. a class of goods of recent
manufacture, they asked an additional
duty of 30 per cent. Mr.. Chase also asked
for some provision which would protect
af 70
VINO imported clothes marked off with SIM
pie lines of color. This, he claimed, was a
clear evasion of the law.
Mr. Chase and Mr.. McMillin had sharp
TILT over the effectiveness of ad yalorem
duties.
"Ad valorem Duties" Mr. Chase said.
catch nothing in the custom house"
In reply 10 a question from Mr. Wheeler
MI Chase expressed the opinion that 1t
was hardly possible that the cost of manu-
facture of coarser cloths in the south was
put two thirds OF the cost in Manchester.
he Satd the exports from the south went
chiefly to China, and were of such a class
that the cost Of the raw material made up
the bulk Of the value.
Proceeding, Mr.. Chase said that the SELL
ing price OF goods was kept down to the
lowest point by competition.
MI McAliilin attempted to show that this
was not the fact in the case Of many pro-
teeted articles, but Mr.. Chase insisted that
1t was true except where artificial combi-
nations existed.
Then, In your opinion, artificial combina-
tons do exist?' asked Mr. McMillin.
] have 50 understood" replied Mr.. Chase.
Well" calculated Mr.. Steele of Indiana,
looking blandly across the table at Mr..
McMillin.' what are you going to do about
Comparison of Taxes Paid.
A series of interesting questions put by
Mr.. Dingley developed the fact that the
manufacturers here paid much heavier
taxes than In England Mr.. Chase said his
mill paid $4,000 taxes. while a similar mill
in England would pay but 5000. In Eng
land everything was done to stimulate
manufactures; the employers were dealt
leniently with and the workmen were forced
to give up pert of their wages Here the
employer paid all and the employe nothing
Come down into our country" said Mr.
wheeler, and we will entirely exempt you
from taxation"
That is one of the advantages the south
Offers" replied Mr.. Chase.
Robert Pillings Of Philadelphia, repre-
senting the manufacturers of cotton
hosiery, gave notice that he would later
submit a brief in favor of some changes in
this schedule. The manufacture of cotton
hosiery reached S6.00OOOO annually The
main difficulty with the present schedule.
ne said, was In the importation of fashion
goods. mostly from Germany. In reply to a
question by Mr.. Dingiey as to the labor
conditions in Germany, the chief manufac-
turer of cotton hosiery. he said the wages
here were four times those paid in Ger
many.
Robert W. Cooper, president of the Brit
ish Hosiery Company Of Olneyville, r. l.,
presented figures to show that the cost of
producing the grade Of goods manufactured
by his hrm Is 81 .06 per dozen in the United
States and 50 cents In Germany The labor
cost Is y cents In the United States and
"a cents in Germany. Workmen in the
American mills earned $l2 a week and wo-
men IS. while men In Germany made "a and
women S1-7o In behalf of his firm he
asked duty OF ~ cents a dozen and 30
per cent ad valorem, 81 cents a dozen pro-
lection being needed to place the American
goods on the market on an equality with
the German.
Mr. Payne of New York incidentally said
that freights from Germany to New York
and Chicago were often as cheap as from
New England points to the same cities
The eompanys plant and skilled work
men. MI Cooper said. had been brought
from England twelve years ago, and they
had never been able to pay a dividend
They were getting on to their feet under
the Mckinley BILL but would have failed
under the Wilson bill but for the backing
of stockholders.
James Talcott Of the American Hosiery
Company Of New Britain, Conn., manufac-
turers of fuil-fashioned hose and under
wear, stated that at the present rate of 90
per cent ad volorem his mills had been idle
or running on limited time under the VIII
son law. The grade Of goods manufactured
by him was used mainly by the wealthy
classes, but owing partly to undervalua-
ttons the government was securing little
revenue and the people no advantages
from the industry. The rate should be
raised high enough to give the govern
ment revenue or to keep out foreign goods.
A rate to effect the latter result would
please him.
W. II. Bilyeu of the Philadelphia knitting
mills stated that the hose manufacturer
woGld later present a schedule of rates de-
sired by them.
Egyptian Cotton.
A representative of the cotton xrowers
Of the Mississippi valley. W. r. Craig of
Vicksburg. Miss. appeared to ask for a
duty on Egyptian cotton. This product
was underselling the extra staple cotton
Of The mississippi valley. having greatly
decreased in price during the past ten
years.
II the Industry was once established II
would need no protection, for no other
country could grow cotton 20 cheaply as
the United States. For the present q duty
OF cents pound on Egyptian cotton was
needed. and such duty would helm to
improve the quality of all cotton grown in
the south
The same question was disc ussed by