The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-04-10
TAFT SENDS TARIFF BOARDS
COTTON SCHEDULE TO CONGRESS

~ OONOIIEOO
therefore permits to fewer looms per
weaver the American cost Of produc.
ton increases In the case Of most
fancy fabrics Of complicated weave.
the cost of weaving is higher in this
country, but on such fabrics the pre-.
sent duties are in excess of any diff
are in excess of the total conversion
costs in this country
Low Price in Many Instances.
THE report further shows that in
the case of large variety of fabrics
which permit of the use of many
looms per weaver the prices at which
goods are sold by the American man
ufacturer are as low as the prices
charged by the foreign manufacturer
in his own market, and in many cases
lower.
Under the existing system Of dis
tribution a slight reduction of duties
would in some cases materially re
duce the price to the consumer, while
in other cases a large reduction Of
the duties would not change the
price to the American consumer at
all"
No Advantage in Raw Material.
In the cost of raw material, the
board reports, there is practically no
advantage for either country. Com
pairing all of the yarns selected as
, samples, the English labor cost was
2 found to be on an average practical
~ seven-eighths of the American in
two mills selected. 1t was not pos
sible for the board, with the time and
money at it's disposal, to investigate
each of the items of the cotton sche-
) dule, and its work was confined to
? yarns, threads, textile fabrics and
= such specialties as tapestries, plush,
5 hosiery. table damask and the like.
II
= although labor costs in the cotton in
f dustry are in many instances lower
= in the United States than in England,
p the actual hourly earnings in this
= country are in the majority of the
2 principal occupations, much greater.
The conclusion is that on many plain
fabrics the cost of production in this
g country is not greater.
S The report gives figures showing
+ the difference in cost of cotton FAB.
: ric at the mill and the cost to the
: consumer Cloth sold at the mill at S
o or cents a yard reaches the con
}. sumner at Is cents Some examples
It are given.
l. Where the Consumer Loses.
G "In 1908 a quilt sold at the mill fol
= G21a cents was sold to the consum
l. er at 81. In 1910 the mill increased
e the price to IS cents and the price
# to the consumer went up to $1.5O.'
o study of comparative statistics
sumner buys more cheaply because
II there is less profit between the mill
r man and the retailer.
e In determining costs the board die
S not take into consideration the item
# of interest upon investments, but the
e cost figures do allow for deprecia
e ton.
Taking all the mills covered by the
e investigation, in each country, there
J. are wider variations in the Ameri
II can costs secured than in the Englisr
1t costs, due partly to the fact that thu
IS English mills were all in the Man
y chester district, where wages an,
other conditions are well standard
lied, while the American costs were
v taken from mills covering a mucl
IS wider area, with much greater differ
r ences in labor and other conditions
e Another reason for the wider vara
Is ton in American costs is that th'
If English mills for which figures were
e obtained are all of a modern and Ell
n cient type, while some of the Anne
n rican mills included were old and o
" low efficiency"
e Finds Duties Out of Joint.
n Discussing duties in their relation
" 10 cost of weaving and finishing, IN
p report says;
IL THE ratio of the duty to the cor
IS version cost bears little relation 9
IN the ratio of the duty TO the foreig
market value. Thus in some case
b. duties which are less than 30 per cen