Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
WANT NO PROTECTION
LYNN Sh0emakers StartIe
Tariff Standpatters.
TAX ON THE CONSUMER
Present Duty Declared Unnecessary
to Firms Success.
LEATHER MEN ARE HEARD
House Committee Hearing Enliven-
LEATHER MEN ARE HEARD
House Committee Hearing Enliven.
ed by the Intersection of Politics.
Plea for Free Hides.

Something of a bombshell exploded in
the ranks of the stardpatters in the ways
and means room in the House office build
ing yesterday. during the progress of the
tariff hearing. when Chairman Payne
read a telegram from A. f. Little & co.
of Lynn, Mass. one of the largest shoe
manufa curing concerns in the country.
declaring against an import duty on
shoes. The telegram follows:
LAS probably the largest manufacturers
of women's fine shoes in the world, we
desire to go on record as declaring the
present tariff on such shoes as we manu-
facture wholly unnecessary to our sue
cess and a distinct injustice to the con-
Stunning public. We favor the complete
abolition of this tariff in welcoming the
competition Of the world. We should be
glad. at the convenience of the ways and
means committee. to present arguments
for the removal of the duty on boots ana
shoes like those of our own manufacture.
Everybody in the ways and means room
attending yesterdays hearing seemed
nightly interested in the subject, ana
sometimes they all tried to talk at once.
Finally Chairman Payne was forced TO
notify those present that the committee
did not propose to have any eXtempora-
neous expressions Of opinion from the
audience.
Asks for Free Hides.
Put hides on the free list and the
American tanner will beat the world"
was the statement that Elisha Cobb of
Boston, another manufacturer of leather,
made to the committee.
AS the result of a series of questions
by Representative Gaines Mr. Cobb was
hot fh0 tl~ a66
to the cost of the upper leather in
shoe to the consumer only cents.
And this tribute of 3 cents a shoe that
every man. woman and child is paying
to the hide monopoly is not so heavy.
after ALL" observed Mr.. Boutell
Mr. Cobb qualified his previous answer
by saying that the upper leather was not
all the leather that went into a shoe.
Chairman Payne notified those present
that the committee did not care to have
any expressions from the audience.
edward P. Alexander Of New York rep
resenting leather betting manufacturers,
asked for free hides. and didn't object to
the putting of betting on the free list
provided hides were free.
H. NJ Hill of Cleveland. Ohio, repre-
Senting thirty tanners making enameled
leather, declared that the tariff of - per
cent on hides was "a rank injustice to
everybody except the packers"
II think there is no limit to our trade,
terials on the free list Mr.. Hill said.
He added that labor unions might pre-
vent competition with free Canadian
leather.
Denounced as Bounty.
The duty on hides was denounced as
a bounty on one industry for the benefit
of another. by c. NJ. Jones, president of
the New England Shoe and Leather AS
l.
three years every independent tanner
would be driven out of business by the
Chairman Payne asked him to conclude
his argument as quickly as possible. be-
cause thirty persons were waiting TO be
heard
Il know that all the free trade papers
investigation, but / want it understood
that Il have always been in favor OF
free hides said the chairman. They
have forgotten that
Representative Calderhead asked F.. T.
Spencer of ST. Louis. who took the stand
to say the west joined the east in the
demand that the tariff tbe taken off
hides, if that would increase or decrease
the price cattlemen would get. Ma
Spencer replied that he was unable to
say. He added that there was some di-
vision among shoe manufacturers as to
whether they need tariff on shoes.
Mr.. Payne's Neighbor.
MIR. Payne's neighbor then appeared
He was Charles E. Mccarthy, a shoe
manufacturer of Auburn, \. Y. He in
troduced his plea for free hides by say
ing he belonged to the same church
Chairman Payne did.
Get little closer to the stenographer,"
directed Mr.. Payne. Il don't want any
OF this to miss getting in the record.
Mr.. Mccarthy said that the consumer
would be given a better shoe for the
same money if hides were brought in free.
John \. Craddock of Lynchburg. Va,
spoke for southern manufacturers in be-
half of free hides. He said in the last
nine months hides had f1uctuated 40 per
cent TO 60 per cent, so that the leather
business was just as gamey and sporty
as seat in the stock exchange"
Charles keifer of Chicago representing
the Wholesale Saddlery Association said
the removal of the duty hides would
benefit the whole country. He was indif-
ferent to any protection on the goods he
manufactured, with certain exceptions.
The discussion on hide and leather rates
was concluded by arguments by John H
Hanan, president Of the National Boot
and Shoe Manufacturers Association, and
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