New-York tribune., 1896-12-30

ba rrade there more chcaply than in New-bng-
land. on account Of cheaper wages and longer
hours but he did not believe that they coulh ne
manufactured at two-thirds Of the Manchester
cost as some persons had asserted IT 'hat
we're true Manchester would be driven out OF
the business. As to the exports OF coarse COTTON
! goods chiefly to China and South America. the
goods were of a kind in which the chief Gle
ment of cost was the raw material. One or the
disadvantages under which the American manu-
facturer abored is the heavy burden OF ioca
taxation az compared with that in England
plant that pays $24 900 year in local taxes
| IN New England would pay not more than S''""
In England. In England the heavier burdens
of taxation fall in the form Of rates on wage
, earners and other house-owners ana occupant.
of houses wherea: N this country the ch'ei
! burden falls on the property and the wase
Garner has no such heavy burden to bear.
UNFAIR COMPETITION FROM GERMANN'
The condition and needs or the hosiery ana
underwear branches Of the cotton manufacture
ing industry were clearly set forth and discussed
by Robert Pilling Of Philadelphia; Robert W.
Cooper of Olneyvillc. r. l.: James Taicott' Oh
New-York and of the American Hosiery 'o'n-
pany OF New Britain. Conn. and W. II. b''yeu'
of the Philadelphia Knitting Mllls Company
Since the enactment Of the existing law ana 'he
substitution of ad valorem for specihc ra'cs OF
duty the hosiery industry has suffered severe!
from the injurious and unfair competition oi
German manufacturers who have flooded the
American market with goods a consdera bic pro-
portion Of which was entered on inVores ""'"
did no. show the actual value of the goods
In addition TO this American manufacturers
pay TO operatives three to four times the wages
that paid to operatives OF the same clasS II,
Germany For example, Mr.. Cooper submitted
comparative figures showing that the actual cost
OF production of a dozen pairs OF full-fasnlnhcd
hose of certain grade was 81 66 III Rhode
Island and only 81 cents in Germany. The plant
of his company with the skilled workinen to op-
crate 1t brought to this country from Eng-
manufactures only full-fashioned hose of the
better grades had not yet paid dividend IL
was getting on its feet under the Tarifr or lS"'.
but would have failed under that OF lS9i II u
had not found strong backing IN Ns stoch-
holders.
A SURPRISE FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
After the claims Of the hosiery industry had
been fully heard a man came before the commit
tee whose demands evidently not only surprised
but annoyed the Democratic members. He was
w. r. Craig. of Vicksburg Miss. who appeared
as the representative Of cotton-growers in Ten
nessee. Mississippi, Arkansas and louisiana VINO
raise extra or long-staple cotton. with which
| imported Egyptian cotton comes INTO sharp COM
| petition at the New England mills. In the name
of these cotton growers whose product TINS year.
he said amounted to at least lno'Wo bales. MY
Craig demanded protection in the shape OF 4
duty of 3 cents pound on Egyptian cotton. the
importations of which have been rapidly incrcas
ing sin the last six years and reached totai OF
430O0O0O pounds In 1S96.
whatever the price of our cotton may be the
Egyptians manage 10 make lower one and
keep control of the market" said Mr.. Craig. who
spoke OF the "pauper labor" OF Egypt as easily
and naturally as the late William d. KELLEY
| ever did of the "pauper labor" of Europe. What
was more to the purpose. he asserted that the
planters engaged in raising long-staple cotton In
the States mentioned are unit in favor az the
protection OF their product against unequal
Egyptian competition. at least until their IN
dustry becomes firmly established and that he
had met only one Northern cotton spinner who
was opposed to It. What the planters demand"
said Mr. Craig. "is moderate protection. but at
the same time protection enough to protect. And
they want specific duties for thoy know that ad
valorem duties would not help them any"
AS Mr.. Craig went on, Mr.. McMillin gaZed at
him in dumb amazement. and even the volatile
General Wheeler. who could not sit still did
not try to say anything. The spell broken
by Mr.. Baker. a Lowell cotton-spinner who
took the place at the end Of the table and gave
some Information IN regard to Egyptian cotton
Sea Island cotton and the extra staple" cot
| ton of the Mississippi Valley. He appeared to
lean somewhat favorably toward the Egyptian
product. which, he said. superior to the
Mississippi product. and worth about a cent and
half more a pound. His statement encouraged
General Wheeler. Of Alabama. who is large
cotton grower, but in whose State extra sta
Pile" cotton cannot be produced. and he said
THE "BIRTHRIGHT" OF THE SOUTH
you do not believe, then, that the South
ought to sell its birthrlght for mess of pot
tage. as it would II it demanded and accepted
this protection"
What do you call It's birthright?" p" asked Mr.
Payne
Free trade. free institutions free every
thing" exclaimed General Wheeler, he
sprang to his feet and left the table Mr. Nc
Millin sat still and continued to say nothing.
He halls from Tennessee. and extra staple"
cotton is produced in that State.
p. j. Slower. Of Wrightsve. Penn spoke In
behalf Of a new industry which came into being
under the tariff Of 1890. 1t is the manufacture
OF embroidered cotton lace goods-cur,ains
etc.-such as are now imported in enormous
quantities from France. Belgium and Switzcr
land. The reduction Of duty by the act OF 1894
struck this new industry n severe blow. Mr.
Slower said, and an increase Of duties well
as a change from ad valorem to specific rates
is absolutely necessary to put 1t on its feet
again.
The hearing on the silk schedule at the after
noon session was brief and comparatively
important. 1t appearing from letter received
by Mr.. Russell. the Connecticut member Of
the committee. from President Cheney OF the
Silk Association Of America. that the manu-
facturers and importers of silk goods still
holding conferences and trying to get to-
gether." with q fair prospect that they will sue
ceed in doing So They will submit a written
statement next week.
WHAT THE SILK MEN WANT.
Representatives of the silk button. underwear
and hosiery industries made brief oral state
ments The button asked for change
in rates. and the hosiery men requested that
the duty on silk hosiery be increased from %
per cent ad valorem. to GO per cent. the rate
fixed by the tariff Of 1890.
The hearing closed for the day after +. p
Hovey OF New-York. and Of the Textile Manu-
facturers' Association, had delivered a short but
exceedingly pithy and effective argument against
ad valorem duties. in the course OF which he
mentioned some striking facts besides the one
he referred to in the beginning Of this dispatch.
One was a recent case of differentiation OF silk
goods 1t was found that the piece goods had
been nvoiced below the actual value Of the raw