New-York tribune., 1908-11-11
TARIFF HEARING OPEN
SCHEDULE Il" DISCUSSED.
Makers of Oil, Paints and Chem'cdis
Desire Fe7c Changes.
rrron, The r-ih,,ne Bureau.


Washington Nov 1o-The serious business OF
revising the tariff was publicly begun ths ihoin
ing when representatives of leading haIui
ing interests appeared before the House ways 60 80,
Means Committee and gave their views oii ~
present DingIey tariff law in its relation 70 chen
Gals oils and paints coming under Schedule A
of the law Practically the entire rnemoeIsIip
the Ways and Means Committee was present. '
a number of lesser government officials inter
IN the subject made up an audience which almost
filled the new and commodious hearing room Oh lho
committee In the new House office building.
The usual differences OF opinion among the ep.
cialists who addressed the committee were hahi-
tested early IN the hearing, but. on the wnoie' le
general impression of the schedules reathis "
paints oils and chemicals seemed TO be summed
nm nv Representative Hin, of Connecticut VINO
said that as far these articles were concerheo
there appeared 70 be little necessity Tor an! ma
terial changes, especially reductions Ihe must
ouent demand was for reclassihcation OF certain
articles increase OF the tariff on others "Hlo
several of the manufacturers. notably T. H. DyI'
of ST Louis representing the paint manufacturers
recommended that changes whatever be mace
On the mart of the Varnisn Manufacturers Asso-
ciation NJ B. Arnold. of New York, entirely asreeo
with Mr. Dyer and 1sked that the schedules deal
ing with varnshes wood and denatured alcohol be
also left unchanged. Replying to Mr. Unoerwood'
of Alabama, Democratic member of the committee
Mr.. Arnold said that his trade did not need any
protection with regard to alcohol varnishes He
said that in view OF the availability OF denatureo
alcohol for varnish manufacture, an ad valorem
rate Of per alcohol varnishes instead OF
the present rate of 35 per cent would be fair. He
created much amusement by his frank statements
with regard the oft repeated assertion that sur
plus production is unloaded foreign markets by
American manufacturers at less price than is de-
manGed in the home market, declaring this to be
untrue.
John r Queeny OF st. Louis and representatives
of the semet-solvoy Company. Of Syracuse favored
hfoha d1fieS tar he fOfTn e.
euesfing that duty be imposed salacin, now
the free list. DR.. Springer, representing a
chemical firm of Cincinnati. asked that 1-5 cents
a pound be imposed prussiate of soda instead OF
The ad valorem rate of % per cent. which now ap-
plies under paragraph for chemical compounds
He said that the low price OF this article abroad
made it impossible to manufacture at a proht in
this country. He asked for a 80 per cent ad
valorem rate on tetrachloride of tin but admitted
that this would prohibitive rate of duty, which
would permit him to increase his profits
H. s. Wardner, of New York. representing zinc
interests OF New Jersey; Mr.. Walsh and Barry
Mohun, this city. who suggested a duty of. one
half cent pound on cocoanut oil, also addressed
the committee. W. w. Skiddy representing the
manufacturers of extracts for dyeing and tanning
advocated the retention of the duties imposed by
the present law. II. Howard, of the Manufactur-
ing Chemists Association Of the United States. in
formed the committee that he would hle asbrlet
for that organization.
The manufacturers of medical chemicals were the
only Industrial leaders represented to-day VINO
urged any serious complaints against the present
tariff law Albert Plaut, representing Lehn q
Fink of New York. declared that the present rates
as applied to medicinal chemicals neither gave ade-
uuate revenue to the government nor encouraged
local manufacturers. He complained that chemical
manufacturers were fewer in number than
twenty years ago and that their output was re-
duced in volume, and asserted that the business
had fallen into the hands of a few manufacturers
who had retarded the progress of the industry On
these grounds he asked that the tariff on medicinal
chemicals be reduced to Is per cent. This view
was seconded by Charles Evans, manufacturing
chemist of Philadelphia, who thought that q re-
duction of from % per cent TO Is per cent would
extend the industries and be of great benefit to
the consumer.
Albert S. Isaacs, Of New York, protested against
the present tariff on cheap CLUES and asserted that
the rate in effect for the purpose Of pro-
tectng the glue industries established by the great
packing houses the West and oppressive to the
importers and consumers.
The great bulk of the rates dealing with the sub
jects under discussion were not mentioned at the
hearing and Chairman Payne is satisfied that,
with few changes in the schedules discussed to-
day, the present tariff will be adequate for the pro-
lection of all Industries CONCERNED. The committee
held two sessions to-day and will resume to-mor