The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-15
TOYS AND THE TARIFF
EVEN CHILDREN In THEIR RhAf
FEEL MEQUAbIT1Es


Advertisers Bureau.
Colorado Building.
washington. June II
The INEQUALITIES and oppreszlona ol
the protective tariff system visit even
little children in their PLAY. The cost
Of toys at Christmas and az any other
time those who love children cnoofe
to delight them with gifts y fncfeas-
cd by the tariff. The greatest toy-
making country in the world 10 Ger
many. This country has begun 70
compete with Germany. notwithstand-
ing the tanifT; yet IL should so vita
out the saying that toys would pc
cheaper but for the duty The German
toy industry IL the subject OF . re-
cent communication from Upited
States Consul Hugo Mucnch, a. Plauen.
Germany, which the Department q
Commerce and Labor publishes in hs
daily bulletin as follows:
One OF the leading Industries IN tha
vicinity OF this district though not
of great Importance within its con-
fines, Is that of manufacturing toys.
including such as are. made 81 metah
wood, papier -mache. and porcelain.
As the United States has now en-
! tered this field successfully q sum-
mary Of recent reports and opintonS
upon the present state Of the indus
try In this country. its development
and possible status in the future. mzy
prove of some interest
The German toy industry has shown
a steadily rising tendency for sone
time past. Reliable statistics Of ex-
ports were not kept prior ~ 1896. but
since that date exports have risen
from $s.2s2,0oo to s1a.5ss.oo0 per sra7
num- There 10 no record Of domestic
consumption, hut II IL safe % say that
| the total annual product IL about sie,-
| 1000. As whole, the toy Industry.
| by reason of It's foreign outlets. es-
capped that setback which Industrial
Germany in general suffered toward
| the close Of the last century. In the
current year also this industry ap-
pears satisfactorily prosperous, and
unless unforeseen disturbances occur
the grand total of its business will not
| fall behind that of last year. Some Of
| the dominant branches at Nuremberg
even report unwonted activity
| For upwards Of thirty years the ex-
port to England and the United States
has been Indicative of prevailing cons
ditions In the toy trade, Almost "a
| per cent. of the entire exports enters
the markets Of these two countries. In
England the after effects Of the South
African war and the crisis In the cot
| ton industries made themselves un-
pleasantly felt during 1902. and those
conditions even now continue. For
| tunately for Germany. there were no
accommodations of stock when the err
ders from England became disappoint-
Ing. While Australia has for some
time suffered severe losses through
dreughts. that colony has now begun
to recuperate and its former purchas-
Ing power will soon be restored. The
4 TT.ssk 80 AAAA 1Kafa ra& MAJ
cent. ad yalorem, imported In 1908
about $3.s0s,000 worth Of German toys.
1t must not be overlooked, hewever.
| that the United States has lately be-
| gun the manufacture of toys on q
large scale, especially such as admit
| of production by the use of machin-
| cry; and this is competition that
must be recokned with by Germany In
all calculations for the future.
France, Belgium, the Netherlands.
Austria. and Switzerland will purchase
normal quantities IL present indications
hold good To this industry. also, II
will be OF the utmost Importance that
the new German tariff conventions
should be 50 framed as to prepare a
gradual transition from the present
status to that of the future, so as to
permit trade conditions to adapt them
selves naturally to the new basis.
| All told, normal year OF business
in the toy industry Is looked for,
though in some quarters a depressed
feeling has supervened, owing to the
continued tagging Of English orders.
The tendency in the sonneherg doll
and papier-mache works, as well as
in the metallic-toy works Of Nurem-
berg. and in tho wooden-toy Industry
of the Erzgebirge to elevate the quail
ity OF their product Is hailed with
great satisfaction. This tendency Is be-
lieved to furnish the best guaranty
for continued success in foreign mar
kets so long as competition may not
be preeluded by unfavorable trade reg
| ulations