The Washington times., 1909-04-03
THE HOSIERY SCHEDULE
ANOTHER OUTRA AGE.

1t has been pointed out from time to
time, in the articles on the tariff legis-
lation in these columns. that the con
sumner, for whose especial benefit it has
been supposed this revision was being
made, is going to get nothing but the
worst of it if the Payne bill passes.
Today a discussion of the hosiery
schedules is presented. 1t is so simple
that nobody can fail to understand it.
The hosiery schedule represents a uni
form series of Increases in the taxation
levied against the necessaries of tie
poor, but no increase in the levies
against the rich. The pair of stockings
costing 10 cents in Germany, is taxed
s1s cents at the port. under this bill
The pair costing 81 in Germany is tax
ed 80 cents. That is, the socks of the
poor man pay So per cent tax; those
of the rich man-those illuminated
ones with the striking clocks and the
open-work effects-they only pay 80
per cent. Isn't it an odd way 70 help
the consumer?
The old hosiery schedule was bad
enough; Its rates were outrageously
hlgh IN some items. But one good
thing can be said for it; the American
industry prospered under it. Prospered
saarvelously. Few Industries have
grown so fast, or succeeded so admir-
ably in occupying their full field and
practically excluding foreign goods.
Note the figures:
In 1890 we imported from Germany
S6,0l6,"00 worth of hosiery and made
$40, ,l62,n00 worth That is, the i'm
ports were a little over a third of the
home product
In 1908 we imported $685., 900 worth,
and made s5O,OOO,0OO worth. That is,
the imports were a little over one
eighth the home product.
Doesn't sound like calamity TO the
home manufacturer. Yet the home man
ufacturers actually went to the Ways
and Means Committee, complained that
their present protection, which aver
aged IS per cent, was not sufficient, and
demanded that they be given % per
cent more They said they were on
the verge of ruin; the Germans were
driving them out of the home market.
Those figures don't look ike it, but
that was what they told the commit
tee, and the committee believed it. Not
only that. The manufacturers told the
committee that hosiery mills in this
country are generally closed down or
working three or four days a week. 1t
was declared that unless more protec-
tion be granted, reduction of wages
would have TO follow.
The New England Dry Goods Asso-
citation declares that at the very time
that pathetic appeal was made to the
Payne committee the mills were all run
ming with full forces. Who was right
and who wrong2
The fact of the matter Is that the
hosiery manufacturers. like everybody
else in the country, though in less de-
gree than most other people, felt the
effect of the depression beginning in the
latter part of 1907. They took advan-
tage to ask for an increase in their pro-
lection which they don't need, but
which, If they get it, will make them
further than ever removed from the
possibility of competition. 1t will place
them in position to control the home
market and make whatever prices
therein they may choose.
Experience of the past has shown
that there is strong tendency, when
this opportunity is presented, TO effect
combinations 10 raise and hold up
prices. There is no need for an in
crease in the hosiery schedules in order
10 protect American labor or American
capital. The record of eighteen years;
of expanding and profitable domestic
business, while the import business did
not increase at all, proves this.
This hosiery schedule is one of the
places where something ought to be
done for the consumer before the Payne
bin passes. The increases allowed by
the Payne committee in these duties
should be topped off.