New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-12


tour in a foreign country. "They must have
something to wear into the country when they
return" he added.
"Oh, well. IL some of our fashionable dinners
| keep at the present rate II may not be
necessary. Mr.. Gruber's reply to this
| suggestion.
He continued that 1t had become regular
practice for foreign tailors dressmakers. mil
| liners, etc. to send "drummers to the United
| States TO take orders in their respective lines.
| and that the goods subsequently found their
way into the country through the Custom
House. free of duty. under the wearing apparel
provision as now construed by the Treasury
| Department.
Later in the dav some Of Mr. Gruber's state
| ments were corroborated by Charles +. Smith.
| of NewYork. representative OF the kid glove
! importers. He asserted that 100000 to 100000
! dozen OF Kid gloves are Brought into the country
| by American tourists free Of duty upon which
! duties should have been collected. He men
toned several cases within his personal know.
/ edge. One was that Of man who had brought
J home as wearing apparel" ten dozen pairs or
! kid goves-"all No. !. and enough TO last nm
during the remainder OF his natural ire Ana
he was an honest man. added Mr.. Smith 49,
We'll. do you think he was an honest man?
asked Judge Turner.
According his ideas, yes He was
asked if his baggage contained dutiable goods,
and he replied in the negative According TO
his construction Of the law. :hat was true, was
the reply.
THE GLOVE SCHEDULES.
The subject of gloves was next considered L.
was first heard In their behalf he advocated
specific duty on ladies gloves OF 81 dozen on
| smachsen So a dozen lamb, 81 dozen on
| kid and SO suede. No change OF rates on
mems gloves asked.
W. j. Curtis. of New York. an importer OF lamb
gloves. regarded the proposed rates as excessive
and unjust. He and Mr.. Littauer did not quite
agree as to prices of ladies' gloves in different
| foreign countries. The latter said that in Italy
prices Of kid gloves ranged as low as 81 y,
dozen. Mr. Curtis recommended rates on ladies'
1 gloves fourteen inches in length and under as
follows: Smachsen. 81 80 dozen: lamb. 81 %
dozen. and kid So dozen. He declared that
all importers of gloves favored specific rates of
duty and differenta, OF dollar dozen on Kid
gloves for the protection of honest importers
as wei as of American manufacturers
Charles f. Smith. Of New-YOrk. representing
an association Of glove importers. also advocated
specific rates OF duty and an increase amounting
to 90 per cent of the existing rates ON this. he
said the importers were all agreed. He suggest
| ed rates follows on ladies' gloves uD to four
teen inches in length. Smachsen. 81 - dozen;
lamb 50 DOZEN and kid 50 - dozen. and de-
clared that the proposed difference Of 81 dozen
between the duty on lamb gloves and kid gloves
was too great. The rates proposed by the asso-
citation would increase the revenue. he said The
, trade had not recovered from the "disOrganZing
effects of the law Of 1894" and the chief anxiety
was to get on a stable basis.
AID vALOREM DUTIES A FARCE.
Some interesting and instructive statements
were made by Kenneth Barnhart. representa-
tive Of Marshall Field & Co. Of Chicago. and
J he also fled a written statement suggesting
! rates of duty in a number Of schedules besides
the one under consideration Speaking for one
of the large importing firms Of the country. he
advocated specific rates of duty in all cases
| where 1t practicable to apply them. and
! for these reasons: They are easy and certain or
! collection the manufacturer gets the benefit or
! the full amount OF protection which ii is the
| intent of the law that he shall receive. and the
( honest importer is protected against the dis
| honest importer Mr. Barnhart having asserted
! that an ad vaorem rate of 30 per cent did not
| afford an actual protection Of more than 30
| per cent, Judge Turner asked
How do you arrive at that conclusion"
Well" replied Mr.. Barnha-t. the Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury. who surely ought to
| know has said that so, 100000 Of revenue is
lost annually by undervaluations OF nerchan-
Are not importers as a body. honest men,?
! asked Judge Turner
| well the bulk Of the importatons by
foreign manufacturers. who consgn goods 70
themselves for the American market was the
reply.
break up the consignment business?" persisted
ME- Barnhart replied: II think it is the duty
! of the Government protect its own citizens.
| An honest American importer stands a poor
! show when foreign manufacturer can consign
goods TO himself in this country. as IL now done
| We claim protection for the same reasons that
| the manufacturers do. and ] am here chiefly to
| advocate specific duties.
Mr. Barnhart also said. in reply 10 question.
! that the firm ne represented had frequently been
J compelled to buy certain lines of goods. notably
kid gloves duty-paid from American consignees
who were agents or partners OF foreign manu-
| facturers, because the goods could not be op-
| tanned from the manufacturers abroad and I'M
ported by themselves.
SHOE AND LEATHER INTERESTS
| r. c. Solomon, Of Newark. n j.. submitted
written memorial in behalf OF the shoe and
| leather industry
| H. Wallensten. of New-York. opposed any
increase Of the existing duties on shoe leather
fhac solo
leather industry. He said that there were about
/ $50 shoe factories and l,IO0 tannerles IN the
! United States Since 1874 the imports OF shoe
leather had fallen from So l3so 600 to -, ssoU"'
the exports had increased from w. OoO TO ~
/ 90; 600 and boots and shoes from SSSO.O0o to
! 81 .436,0 900. Moreover. in lSG. the exports OF
| sole leather amounted to SI4il,ooO. AS Tor
| eramelled and patent feathers. he did not think
they would ever he successfully manufactured
in this country. all the ATTEMPTS in that direc-
ton thus far having failed. The duty on shoe
| Gather which is 20 per cent ad vaorem,
had not been changed since 1883
Henry Burke a Philadelphia manufacturer OF
morocco leather and glazed KID did not ask Tor
any change Of existing rates. but simply Tor the
substitution of a specific for the ad valorem IA ~
of duty. Protection was also desired aga 1 ~
tanned goat and sheep skins from India. and he
recommended 81 30 on tanned goat skins. III on
tanned sheepskins, and 50 30 on glazed kid. He
favored the retention of Unframed goat skins on
/ the free list comparatively few OF them are
or ever will he produced in the United states.
F, Mr.. Burke did not agree with Mr.. Wallenstein
! that the manufacture OF patent anu
leather in the United States is impracticable.
| That industry was now in the same condition
| that the domestic manufacture Of glazed Kid was
/ ten years ago when the price Of an inferior I'M
ported article was so cents a square foot as COM
pared with the present price of 81 cents square
foot for an article of superior quality.
Frank ChOpet. of New Jersey. appeared In be-
| half Of the chamois leather industry. the manu-
facture Of which he had tried to establish in the
United States under the encouragement offered
/ by the law Of 1890. having brought his plant
from France TO the United States for that pur-
! pose II was the only establishment in the
| United States when the law OF 1894 was en-