The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-12-04
STEEL PENS
stMADE IN AMERICA

LNtINOnG - amino WIN nv BA0
verb, "The pen is mightier than the
sword" But when the sword is swung
by Democratic tariff slashers the
Ameriean.made pen loses its point of
Vantage and yields the foolscap field
to its foreign-made rival.
There are six comparatively small
and Independent factories manufacture
ing steel pens in this country, giving
employment to about 1000 persons. 1t
is a small but important industry.
About two-thirds the cost of manufae-
ture is paid to labor. The average for
all employees in London and in New
York, on the same grade of work, is
S3.4s and $10.72 per week, respective
ly.
What possible reason the Democrats
had for cutting the tariff oil steel pens
SO per cent will probably never be
known, but cut it they did, from II
cents per gross, the Republican rate,
which was protective, to 8 cents a
gross which gives no protection what
ever. Joseph elliott & Sons, of New
York, importers of steel pens, and
therefore DESTROYS of obtaining the
lowest possible duties, said in their
brief: domestic manufacturers of
steel pens do not profit by the duty;
on the contrary, the competition which
exists among themselves has resulted
in lower prices than ever prevailed
under a higher rate of duty" The
reason for this is plain enough: Given
ufacturers can operate, keep their Ia
Dor employed and compete with each
other for the home market. Deprived
of protection, the foreign-made product
captures the market, the American
manufacturer eurtails his output or
closes down entirely, and having a
free field, the foreign manufacturer
raises the price.
The annual consumption of steel
pens in this country is about 100000
gross. The average retail selling price
does not exceed rs cents a gross, or
$2,550,000 per annum, which, divided
among a population of loo, 000, 900
would mean a per capita cost of two
and a half cents a year. Certainly the
consumer was not interested in a re
duction "a the DUTY with a view t.
cheaper pens. The result of the cut
in duty was ~ increase the importa-
ton of pens fo' the nine months pc
riod ending June 80, 1914, during
which time the Underwood tariff Law
was in operation, by $4,000 gross, o:
s09,250 gross tor this perio1, CON
pared with 466,170 gross for the sim
liar period ending June 80, 1913, under
Republican law. A classical example
cf the result of this cut in duty has
just been reported by a prominent pen
manufacturer, as follows: GAN Eng
lish manufacturer recently dumped
5000 gross of pens ON the American
market, selling a well-known New
York wholesaler that quantity at 33
per cent below the regular price. AS a
result we are unable to sell this dealer
any pens Tor two years, and our en-
ployes receive wages on 5000 gross of
pens less than would otherwise have
been the ease.' Has anyone noticed
any reduction in the price of steel
pensf The import price for the past
three years has remained the same,
but there has been a loss of revenue.
1t has been reported that, consistent
with the Democratic policy of deliver
ing our industries into the hands of
foreign capital and pauper-paid labor,
President Wilson contaminated the
Underwood tariff atrocity by subserib-
ing his name thereto with a foreign
made pen. However that may be, the
deed wa done, and not until the Re-
ri,blicans are again in control can the
pen manufacturers hope for that per
manent relief from foreign eompeti-
tion which the European war now tenn
porarily aecords them.