The Washington herald., 1909-03-21
The Tariff and Dolls

the Committee on Ways and Means OF the
last House OF Representatives that we
hope viii be given respectful attention by
the tariff revisionists Of this Congress
and inteIligently acted upon. It came
from Mr.. Abraham a. Hoffman. a rep
resentative OF the doll manufacturers of
the United States. and It vitality concerns
highly important section Of the coun-
try's population not legally able 10 peti-
ton Congress in its own behalf. but
worthy Of respectful attention. neverthe-
less.
Says Mr.. Hoffman:
Relief from the duty on doll Wigs is sought and
II VIII not in any way work an injury 20 an
person or industry in this country. There are
no mohair Wigs made in the United States. and
no angora manufactured into mohair yarn Ct thk
description.
''These wigs-mohair Wigs-arp imported solely sor
the purpose os use On domestic doll heads by
manufacturer. The double duty, IS per cent ad
valorem and ~ cents a pound, amounting together
20 10 pCr oeut. WoTks double hardship, and pre-
vents the development Of the doll-msking industry
In this country.
on doll manufacturers Is made apparent by the
following examples: II a doll head and wig for
the same are imported al the sane time the duty
is IS PER cent. whereas n tho wig alone is i'm
ported the doh MANUFACTURER who needs 4 as a
part q his raw material must pay a duty equiSs-
lent 20 10 per cent.
Our Plea Is that doll wigs made Of mohair OF
angorA WOOL be put on the free list or at least
b. dutisble a rate no larger than on dolls dolls
heads. other doh parts or accessories under par
agraph SIS"
AS the tariff concerns wool. lumber
art, champagne. and things OF similar
import. we herewith seek 10 advance
nothing by way OF argument or opinion
whatsoever. Opinions will conflict con-
cerning the final adjustment Of hundreds
and hundreds OF things, we suspect
Conditions are so widely different as va
rious sections see them that IL Il going 10
be nlanifestly impossible 10 frame
measure guaranteed 10 suit everybody
70 an exact nicety Be that as II may.
however, this question OF dolls Is one
that must be shaped up right, or Con-
gress' ability 70 solve the more complex
problems OF the tariff must be conceded
to be OF very doubtful quality.
The manufacturer Of dolls should be
encouraged to the very ultimate limit
We need dolls galore in our chiIdren's
business-and nobodys business is any
more important There never has been
enough dolls in this world and II Is the
height Of folly 10 imagine there ever
can be. The supply Will not equal the
demand in the future. no matter how
much the supply may be augmented. Who
ever heard OF child with enough dolls?
Why. the largest doll families in the land
are invariably too small, IN the philoso-
ply Of juvenile hearts and Juvenile de-
slres.
Therefore. il -burdened wigs stand
In the way Of the rapid expansion
of the doll business. of with the duty on
wigs, Get some sort Of order out Of this
impending chaos. We tariff revisionists,
or never more dare TO look young Amer
lea in the face. Let US be exquIsltely
Just TO the dolls and their loved ones
their dear little mammss. This is a
solemn duty Uncle Sam" owes them
owes It more especially because dolls.
somehow. rarely ever seem TO have any
papas, you know.
We look confidently to Congress to
give the dolls a square deal II is a hun
dred-to-one shot that Theodore Roosevelt
would advocate it-and It is still mighty
good thing in this country to favor things
Rooseyeltian, we believe.