Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-02
SEWING MACHINE
PLANTS PROSPER
Congressman futile Finds Ru-
NOR of Wholesale Singer Re-
auctions Untrue.
FREE DUTY ON ARTICLE
HASN'T DECREASED EXPORT
Says After Investigation 1t Is
Too Early to Say What Effect
Tariff Has on Industry.

WASHINGTON, April 2.--Congress-
man william f. Tuttle, jr., of the
Fifth New Jersey DISTRICT. is con-
cerned over the rumors that have
come to his ears regarding the effect
of the reduction of the duty on the
importation of sewing machines and
sewing machine parts. The Repre-
sentative has heard that many en-
ployes of the Singer Manufacturing
Company were out of work and that
the force at the Singer plant in Eliza
bethport, n. j.. had been seriously re-
dueed.
When Mr.. futile received these re-
ports at his office in Washington, he
Immediately became active in gather
ing statistics, having i'm view the de-
termination for himself just what eff
feet the tariff changes had upon the
= industry Mr.. Tuttles conclusions
are not prone to cause any alarm, for
instead of finding a general retrench-
ment on the part of the Singer con-
Germ, he finds that there are actually
more hands at work now in the fac
tories at Elizabethport and Bridge
port, Conn, than there We're at the
same plants one year ago.
Mr.. futile says as a result of his
investigation that it is much too early
to say now just what effect the reduc-
ton of the tariff will have upon the
industry.
More Workers Are Employed.
The Congressman gives the result of
his investigation in this language:
merce | learn that there has been no
decrease in the total number of per-
sons employed in the factories of the
10, 90, -, ~
Elizabethport. N. j., and Bridgeport,
Conn. On the first day of March,
1918, they employed S,0S9 persons at
Elizabethport; on the 2Sth day of
February, 1914, they employed S,022,
or siXty-seven fewer persons than the
year before In a factory employing
such large number of hands this
slight variation Is not significant. In
fact the variation in the number of
persons employed has been greater
than this at various times in the past.
While the number of employees in
the l1lizabethport factory was thus
q few less in 1914 than at the cor
responding time in the year before, in
their factory at Bridgeport, Conn,
the number of employees on the 2Sth
day of February, 1914, was 302 more
than were employed on the first day
of March, 1913. At the latter date they
had employed at that factory 1,114
persons, whereas on the 2Sth day of
February, 1914, they employed 1916.
Thus, in the two factories this COM
pany employed 235 more people on the
2Sth day of February, 1914, than they
did on the first day of March, 1913
Effect of Removal of Duty.
\ The tariff act of October 8. 1913
placed sewing machines on the free
list Prior to that time they had to
payta duty of thirty per cent. ad va
lorem This change has not resulted
: In any significant effect upon exports
ana imports, nor can it be said that
H'' n ! YES slad|tmy important effect upon
the sewing machine industry in this
country. The present tariff law has
been in force too short a time tC
enable any certain forecast of what
its effects upon this industry will be
However, it is the opinion of some OF
those most capable of reaching cor
rect conclusion that the effect will not
be injurious.
An analysis of the statistics of ex-
ports and imports of sewing machines
seems to warrant this conclusion
These statistics indicate that the re-
moval of the duty has not materially
affected the status of the industry
A very significant fact is that the
has been constantly increasing for q
number of years, and that this in
crease has been maintained since the
removal of the duty, The exports OF
sewing machines for the calendar
years 1909 to 1918, inclusive, have beer
as follows:
1909, Sc, 1853, 105; 1910, $S,142, 765; 1911
s9,417,474; 1912, s11.100,2 54; 1918, s1t,-
s51 ,420.
Americans Increase Business.
These figures indicate that Ameri-
can sewing machine manufacturers
have been able to go into the markets
of. the world in competition with man
ufacturers of other countries and con-
stantly increase their business. In
FIVE years exports have increased
more than eighty per cent. In this
connection it is interesting to com
pare the value of sewing machines
exported during the first five months
of the operation of the new law with