New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-21


,.,ort an Schedule Is sent 10 Congress 10
6av hv President Taft. suggests general
revision OF the duties on wool and wooilens
and MANY REDUCTIONS in the rates. Inc
hoard makes no recommendations. but
rointS out what changes arc desirable. In
nearly all classes Of the schedule the
boards experts report tho majority OF the
rates Of duty rrohibitory and condemns
the systems Of levying them.
Thu report points the way 10 two great
changes IN the present system Of levyinS
duties on raw wool and finished cloth. II
would assess duty on secured wool-not
wool and grease combined, and suggests
q graduated scale Of ad vslorem rate on
cloth
The report IL divided into sections; Raw
wool. yarn and cloth. They are taken M
IN the order IN which they come In produc-
ton and manufacture
Tho board finds the present system OF
levyfng duty on raw wool bad ana the
duties higher than tho difference IN cost
Of production I'm the United States as com
nsred with the cost abroad. The method
Of levving duty is condemned because II
charges for grease as well as for WOOL
and operates TO keep out Of this country
the heavy shrinking woOllens
on tons. from which yarn IS made the
present rate Of duty Is found 10 be pro-
hibitory. II costs 80 per cent moro IN the
United States TO convert tops into yarn
than II does anywhere else. on yarn from
which cloth IS woven, the present rate OF
duty is found 10 be prohibitory because
II keeps out all except the finer grades
An Unfair System.
On cloth the present rate Of duty is pro-
rounced prohibitory on heavyweight. cheap
and medium grade cloths, principally be-
cause OF the specific compensatory duty
which fixes a certain charge pound be-
fore the ad valorcm rate begins. II costs
100 per cent more 10 make cloth from
warn in the United States than it does in
England or France. The present system
OF fixing the same ad valorem rates OF
duty on different grades Of fabric is con-
demned as unfair
The board holds that fair solution
would be the adoption Of a graduated
scale under which the ad vslorem rate
uroperly assessed on goods Of low value
should then increase progressively ac-
cording 10 slight increments OF value up to
whatever maximum rate should be fixed.
The boards figures would seem TO show
that the "prohibitory duties do not affect
the American consumer so much as would
he inferred by the use Of these words; for,
while the duties on sixteen samples OF for
o!cn cloth selected by the board average
49, per cent, the actual excess Of the do
nestle over the foreign price was found
10 he g. pcr cent, as the result Of domestic
competition
\ AT the present time the industry in
nj general Is on a competitive basis" says
VI The report
Cost Of Suit Of Cloths,
The cost Of suit OF clothes from the
back Of sheep TO the back of man Is
computed in the report, and the profits
which accrue in the process are traced &c
their sources. For purposes Of computa-
ton the board takes suit Of clothes re-
failing al So and wholesalng at SIG 90
This is said fairly 10 represent the suit
Of clothes worn by the average American
Tho farmer receives s. 20 for the wool in
such suit and his profit IS 6S cents; the
manufacturer Of cloth receives MS for
his product, and his profit is % cents; the
wholesale clothing dealer receives SIG 30 for
his product. and his profit is s. IS; the re-
vail clothing dealer receives Sc, and his
profit IS s. 80 The figures are aggregate.
The board says
The investigation into the ready-nade
clothing industry shows that tho cloth is
the largest single clement IN the clothing
produced, and is equal 10 one-third of the
let wholesale selling price. 1t varies with
the grade Of clothing produced. being high
est relatively ;n the cheaper garments. The
eoet of linines is about per cent Of the net
wholesale selling price. The total cost OF
cloth and poollen materials, taken as A
Whole, is equal 70 about 40 per cent of this
rrtce.
cost 10 the wearer Of clothing, il is neces-
Sarv 10 bear IN mind the margin between
wholesale and retail price. The retail price
net wholesale price. On this basis about
* per cent OF the price paid TO the retailer
goes 20 the manufactured of cloth.
Taking the industry As d whole. the cost
Of material, labor and all other expense
undergone IN converting material into
finished garments is 81 per cent Of the net
product out Of this ~ per cent margin
between the total manufacturing cost and
the, manufacturer net selling price come
selling expenses, such general expenses ss
cannot be charged directly 10 manufactuT-
ing or selling and profit. These hgures
spDly particularly 70 mems clothing. where
garments are more standardized and rep
resent costs more easy 10 secure
In women's garments the cloth ts also
the largest single item. In skirts n Is
equal 10 ~ per cent OF the net wholesa le
selling price, on most coats equal 10 be
tween % and 50 per cent. on cheap suits II
is over 70 per cent, and on more expensive
varieties II falls below % per cent. To the
nnsnufs cturer, therefore. cloth IS not 50
important IN element OF cost In women :
clothing IS in mems. on the other hand,
'he labor ard manufs cturing expenses are
more important IN women's clothing. The
margin remaining 70 the manufacturer Of
Vornen's garments over and above the cost
~ materials ard expense Of converting
them into wearing apparel is somewhat less
than in the mems clothing industry. hut
selling expenses are considerably lower for
these ests blishments.
There is submitted detailed statement
Cor m actual standard high grade suit ~
all-wool cloth. which traces the relation Of
costs and prices in detail for each process
- production from the retail price 10 the
cost of tho wool on the farm.
Regular vNoiesalc g~..e. SIC 90 roteN H '.0.
80" alc ur. Cio.h. fancy vofatcl-
CLOTHING MANUFACTURES
cost a. stock. trimmings Body iiuing. rs Is
cents ya'd. sicov" ligi1g. - c-1ta d ward.
Ntnber of wards a aIt--.aJ Coat. {; Do pants.
q. (-l vest. a.: total. 60. cost ~ cloth used
g. f1it--'sj yard, SL3cS. tb) total. 81 Is.
cont Pants. Vest.
cost a. tt.............. SIS 1895 S0Ea7
Cost ~ uiu1drcs. ........ i1D .21S -27
ro,a,s ................... SASS seer s1l24
Cle6ir yeSfe ......-.-... ."-f .ols WG
-~,.. .. ~ gtoor s. 700 s. an 81 MS