The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-11
Witnesses Express Fear
That Foreign Producers
Will Invade America
OPPOSE REVISION
OF PRESENT TARIFF
Cannot Legislate on Fears, Says
Chairman derwood-COmmlt-
tee in Future Will Hear
Testimony Under Oath

Washington January 10.-Fear that for
eign producers would invade and in1ure
the American market were expressed to-
day in the testimony on the metal sehed-
ue of the tariff before the House commit
tee on ways and means. The committee
heard arguments from representatives of
manufacturing and producing interests.
printing presses. the zinc industry of the
Rocky mountains and the Joplin fields.
the wooden screw manufacturers, of
which the American Screw company, con-
troled 40 or Is per cent and the s4O.00o,000
output Of machine tools and numerous
other products-presenting virtually
solid front against revision of the present
tariff rates
keep on the tariff as It stands Or 1t
will work a hardship to American indus
try was the consensus of the sentiment
of witnesses, all under oath prescribed
by the chairman.
Chairman Underwood pointed out that
the committee was legislating for reNe-
nue. for the present and not hguring IN
what might happen in the future.
Cannot Legislate on Fears
This committee" said Mr.. Underwood.
cannot egislate on your fears and on
the conditions that you say you expect.
The committee ought to legisate To
meet conditions when they arise
Henry ID. Sharpe of Providence. repre-
senting the Brown & Sharpe company,
whose machine tool products alone aggre-
gate sS0oo,0Oo a year. was subjected to
long examination. He wanted the tariff
on machine tools kept as at present, but
failing that, said he would suggest put
ting machine tools in basket clause
of "al other kinds of machines" Which
might run about % per cent.
"Wouldnt 2o per cent be just as prohibi-
tive as the present tariff of 80 per cent?"
| asked Mr. Underwood.
| The witness did not agree 20 this. Mr..
| Sharpe told Representative Palmer that
| IL it was further reduced In a bapket
| clause to say 10 OF 1b per cent he %ould
be resigned and take my medicine
| William G. Smythe Of the American
Screw company pictured the German man
ufacturer as rubbing his hands with de-
| light as the prospect of removal OF the
duty on machine tools. The Germans, he
said, had special rates and, he added,
| England and Germany are sending out
1 the great export trade of the world
| Mr. Smythe said some time there was
| a discount IN fd|Of OF the iOrelSn puSth
and that sometimes the per cent was in
| favor of the German buyer. The theory
of giving a lower price for export BUST
ness was that it was much harder to sell
abroad than at home was matter which
| the committee had right to look into
end questioned the witness very closely
as to details.
Oppose Change of Printing Presses
Manufacturers and maehnists were
aligned in protest against shifting print
ing presses from 30 per cent ad valorem
tariff to the free list Hugh V. Reilley
of Newark, n j., representing the Inter
national Association of Maehnists'
unions in that state joined with James
Il. Bennett OF New York city. spokesman
for % printing press manufacturers IN
representing that tariff reduction wound
njure the wori<ingmen. Mr.. Reilly went
further by volunteering the statement, IN
which he said he represented the sentl-
,,apt of raapbfniofs all over the country,