The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-15
DR.. NORTON'S VIEWS
ON DYESTUFF TARIFF
Expert Discusses Opportuni-
ties for Competing With
Foreign Manufacturers.
COMPARES WAGE SCALE

~ -
the New York Herald and THE SUN, on
the tariff and the dyestuf problem;
The question OF tariff plays an ex-
ceedingly important role In the soiu-
ton Of the American dyestun problem
Four-afths OF the coal tar dyestuns
which we import enter upon payment
OF a duty OF 80 per cent. OF the de-
clared value This 80 per cent. In the
Great majority OF cases amply covers
the difference In the costs OF produc-
ton betwee American made dyestuns
and European made dyestuffs. There
may be a few colors OF recent invention.
impor,ed in small quantities, for which
possibly this tariff rate is not fully ade-
Quate. | am doubtful II many OF the
colors OF recent invention would fall IN
such "a category.
"On the other hand there Is ahso-
iutely no question but that many OF the
dyestuffs now imported and paying 50
per cent. duty can profitably be msnn-
featured in this country with a les
sened degree OF protection. There are
certain colors which probably would
have ample protection. as far as the DIFF
ference In the cost Of production Is con-
cerned. IL the tariff rate were 10 TO ~
per cent. There are others whose pro-
duction would be sufficiently protected II
che tariff rate were 20 per cen
Lack of Logic shown.
'The existing tariff rate of 80 per
cent. on the great mass of so-called
amiline dyestuffs Is one illustration OF
the lack Of logic shown In placing a
horizontal Nat rate OF duty on a cate
kIla - IAr
neutrality-suspicious. some of which in
volve very few and simple operations In
their manufacture. as well as products
which are the result OF n long series
Of intricate and complex transforma-
tons. Some products might be intro
duced without any tariff protection on
account of the slight element OF labor
involved In the cost OF their manufac-
ture. The protection afforded by freight.
interest on the value of the wares while
in transit. and other items would in
itself constitute an adequate measure OF
protection.
The absolute lack OF any impera-
tive necessity for a high rate of duty
on coal tar products is easily shown
when we aullyze the elements which
enter into the cost of production.
Chemicals which are employed during
the various processes In the manufac-
tuIt " any hInu VI uAtSlul " Pidt-
tically the same in Germany, or France.
or England as they do I'm this country.
. "1n the item of labor there is, how
ever, "A distinct but not pronounced
difference. The average operative In
the great dyestuf works on the Rhine
is paid n rate not so very far removed
from that OF the chemical factories on
this side of the water. This rate Is
heightened, in fact. In Germany and
I'm England and franz by the various
OUTLAWS resulting from recent social leg
i~slation. II the sum total of eNpendi-
ture for labor paid directly in the form
OF wages or indirectly In payments for
social welfare be taken into considera-
ton, il will be seen that the wage of
the average European workman en-
ployed in operations involving n con-
siderable measure of expertness, ex-
perience and carefulness is not much
below current American rates.
1T il further to be borne in mind
that the item of labor entering into the
total cost of production of a dyestuf
constitutes frcm 10 to Is per cent OF
its entire cost. On an average the labor
can be estimated at about IL per cent
When we consider that the rate OF
wages nowadays is not so much In
excess OF the current rates on the other
side OF the water II will be seen that
no very elevated rate OF duty is essen
t!al to protect the American workmer
against the lower ate OF wages curren,
in competing manufactures across the
Atlantic.
Utilising the n~y-prOducts.
'"where. for the time being. a dis
tinct advantage in cost Of production
r. plainly evident IT is TO be found In
the highly protective organization of thu
great dyestuff companies on the bank
OF the Rhine and elsewhere. 1t Is In
this marvellous and almost perfect sys'
tenn OF production, where by-product'
ore utilized to the utmost. and where
all OF the man. links in an extended
chain of manufacture involving a large
number OF secondary products and q
multitude of final products. tinctorial
medical, for use in the manufacture OF
explosives, in the production OF pho
Geographic developers. in the prepara
tion of synthetic perfumes, SC. arr
thoroughly utilized.
an any establishment of a compre
hensive, thoroughly independent, Ameri
can dyestuff industry. at the outset thu
expenditures due TO a distinct ack o.
this complete organization must neces
sarily be felt TO a greater or less degree
In the early years OF such an American
tndust ry we must count upon the as
sistance of a tariff as helping the manu-
facturer to overcome the slight add
tional outlay involved while building NJ
a complete fabric of the s~elf-conta!nc'
industry. With each added month anC
year the difference in cost OF production
due to this one factor. will rapidly dis
appear.
at is for this reason that American
capitalists and technical chemists wh'
have mastered the details in the infrl
cate problem OF an extended dyestuf
manufacture are seriously studying
projects for the establishment on Ameri
can soil OF extensive plants to produce
two important dyestuffs. alizarine ant
indigo, Each one of these hyestuffs Il
imported to the extent of over $1,000,
600 annually. Both have been for year
on the free list. 1t Is an open question
In my mind from a purely unofficia
standpoint, simply from n technical a n
professional standpoint. whether thes'
two leading items in the dyestuff prob
lem could not advantageously prof
from a moderate tariff CT Is to 20 pc
cent during the first decade OF their pro
ductlon on American soil.
Would EauaIise Burden.
'While touching upon this question II
q non-oficial way and without com
uniting myself to any definite rate o
duty 7 tapJ tn the npinInp that IN ,,ndar