The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-10
Wants to See Competitive
Tariff All Along the
Line
IMPORTERS ASK
FOR LOWER DUTIES
Pitcairn Has Tilt With Payne and
Longworth - Allegation Made
That Eastman KOkak Com
pany Is Trust


| ocratic leader of the House, at the final
hearing on the earthenware and glass
ware schedule today.
Mr. Underwood had been hearing argu-
ments aimed at securing lowering of
the tariff of 55 and go per cent TO 80 and
/ 30 per cent ad valorem on china, earth
| enware, porcelain, stone and erockery
ware, including clock cases. statues,
/ stems, lamps and host of similar arti-
| cles taxed at the higher rate in sections
| ss and "a of schedule "B'' of the Payne
| Aldrich tariff law.
1T looks to me-" Mr.. Underwood said,
"as il schedules 80 and "a are more COM
| petitive than most of the paragraphs we
| have to deal with That is my judgment
| subject to reservation If any informa-
the contrary
Differs With Pitcairn
This view was radically divergent from
1 the presentation of the importers case
by M S. Pitcairn of New York city,
. whose protest against the ''exorbitancy OF
the present tariff" and portrayal of the
details OF the business of bringing In
English and other earthenware and other
products led to sharp colloquies with Rep
resentatives Payne of New York and
Longworth of Ohio.
Mr. Pitcairn said that under the present
| tariff earthenware importations were
steadily going down. Mr.. Payne suggested
| that il the witness statements were true.
the importers would go out of business
In 80 days. Mr.. Pitcairn cited what he
| said we're actual transactions, and Mr..
Payne attacked them.
"Do you doubt the integrity of those
statements?' shouted the witness. Mr..
Payne persisted and the witness said he
could produce the entries from the treas
ury Mr.. Payne replied that even the
treasury department could not produce
miracles
Mr. Pitcairn said that 30 per cent of
the earthenware imported is British.
eliminate the English earthenware,"
he contended. land you will have no
competition in earthenware in this coun-
try" He suggested a So and 80 per cent
| ad valorem on these products and changes
in the cassifcations in the two sections
involved and in the administrative part
of the bill. Mr.. Pitcairn said he had
heard of undervaluations at New York.
| but knew nothing of them. He had no
| knowledge of any association of French
importers and that the importers had to
sell their goods at so per cent higher
prices than American products.
Lower Tariff Urged
Several other importers of other products
urged lower tariffs, while retention of
the present rates was the slogan of rep
resentatives of American manufacturers.
| J. n. Neenan of Cleveland, president
of an association of window glass work
ers, pleaded for the present tariff pro-
lection on window glass to guard agains.
the Belgian products. He told of con-
dtions among Belgian labor, citing con-
tracts that Belgian worlkingmen have to
sign Some of the committee were dis
posed to- believe he had been sent to
Washington by the National Window
Glass association-the employers-but he
said he came at the instance of his
workingmen's organization.
The association did not pay your ex-
penses? he was asked.
Absolutely not" he replied
He said the tariff protection should be
at least a little more than enough to
represent the difference in the cost of
labor, as the American Window Glass
workers. though working under better
conditions than abroad, still had wages
men, he said, averages $l5 a week fof
the whole year, and the unskilled worls
men SO week"
| The witness was warned by demo-
cratic members not to accept too free
ly the statements that greater impor-
tations of foreign products would les
sen American wages. He replied that
II was a vital matter to his organiza-
ton and that II the tariff was made
sufficient TO enable them to maintain
their organization they would look
after the wage question.
you promise that. do you?" asked
| Mr.. Kitchin.
Yes well do that"
The witness added that the s.only
way we can get anything from an
American manufacturer is either to
strike or convince the manufacturer
that we are able 20 get what we ask
He said the window glass workers had
no complaint against the present tariff.
Photographic Trust
charge that a Photographic trust
exists in this country was made in the
testimony of William o. and @. C. Gen.
merit of New York city. who contended
that the Eastman Kodak company con-
trolled -eighths of the business in
every branch of the industry in this
country. w. O. Gennert said that in
dependent. companies here could not
successfully compete with the Eastman
company.
ssWould the removal of the As per
| cent duty open the American market
to the foreign commercey' asked Rep
resentative Harrison of New York.
TT would enable us to compete" re-
Piled the witness. The profits of the
Eastman company are so enormous that
Ii would hardly be possible to state
the point at which it could not afford
to sell camera at a profit"
The witness said that putting cam
eras on the free list would benefit ev-
erybody.
Henry p. Graves OF Geneva, ". Y.
| wanted the duty on lenses retained as
AT present. Representatives Palmer re-
minded Mr.. Graves that the American
Optical company paid really 200 per
cent profit on its actual Investment
Mr.. Graves disa greed. saying that he
understood it was really but 10 per
cent.
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