Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-30
SILKS And COTTON.
The Hearings Before The Ways and
Means Com mlttee.
TROUBLE WITH THE PRESENT LAW
said TO BE that the Duties Are cd
Valorem and Permit of Extensive
Under valuation.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-Silk 6nd
ootton manufactures were the subject
OF the hearings before the wsya and
means committee today. Arthur B.
Sanford Of Fall River, representing the
Cotton Yarn-Spinners' association OF
the United States, about !, 200, 600 spin.
dies, ga ri that the main trouble with
the present law was that the duties
levied were practically ad valorem, and
permitted an extensive undor-valus-
ton. The present schedule would be
eatIsfac. tory IL the two provisos were
stricken out which levied the duties on
yarns not exceeding 25 cents per
pound att ~ cents; exceeding 25 and
not exceuoing ~ cents, l5 cents,
and OK ceeuing Az cents, 45 per cent
ad vRlUrem.
MIR. Sanford produced statistics
showing shat In 1898 the importation
OF yarns were AL, 100 pounds and In
1896 2, 13l ZOO pouuds. He said that
the cou,moner grades OF yarn could be
manufs ,ct1reu Ia this country, and cd.
peciailyr in the South, owing to long
hours and cheap labor, perhaps ne
he said that some time in the future
the 5othth raight become competitor
In the man uiaciure OF the finer yarns.
Simon e. Chase OF Fall River,
Mass, on behalf OF the cotton cloth
manu- .actu rers, said those whom he
repre- ,ented did not ask au increase Of
duty, although on the finer grades
they did nos have adequate protection.
The recognized that the new claesih-
cation in the act OF 1894 was In the
right direction. What they desired
were two or three amendments to
compel importation OF certain classes
uuder specific duties, AS they were
persua 1ed that abuses had crept In.
Mr.. Chase and Mr.. McAIiIlin had
sharp tilt oveIithe effectiveness Of ad
valUre m duties. "Au valorem," MIR.
Chase said, "catch nothing In the Gus.
tom house"
In ieply 10 a question from Mr..
Wheeler, MIR. Chase expressed the
OPINION that IL was hardy possible
That 20 manufacture OF coarser cloths
in the south was but two-thircs of the
country manufacture. He said that
tie exports of the South went chiefly
to Cthna, and were OF such class
that the Gust OF the raw material mRle
up thN bulk OF value.
Pro ceeding, Mr.. chase said that the
selling price OF goods was kept Down
to the lowest point by competition.
Mr.. McMillin attempted 10 show that
this W as not the fact In the ease Of
many protected articles, but Mr.. Chase
ineisted thatit was true except where
artificial combinations existed.
"Then in your opinion artificial
combi nations do exisl2" asked Mr..
McMi Hin.
~ Lave so understood, replied Mr..
Chass :"
NV ell" calculated Mr.. Steele OF In.
diana, looking blandly across this table
at Mr. MoMillin, "what are you going
to do about itp"
A series OF interesting questions put
by Mr.. Dingley developed the fact that
the rnanuiacturers tbore pRiu much
heavier taxes than in Engisnd. MIR.
Chase said his mill palu $4,000 taxes,
Will, q similar mill In England wouiu
pay but $4,000. In Engiano everything
was done to stimulate manufactures;
the employers were dealt leniently with