The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-01-21
HOSIERY INDUSTRY IS
AIDED BY EUROPEN WAR

Washington, Jan. 10. Especial cor.
resDondence) - Secretary Redheld
continues to insist that he can teach
his grandmother how to knit-in
other words, that he knows more
about the hosiery business than the
men who have spent their lives in it.
The Department of Commerce has re-
Gently prepared a report on the hosi-
ery industry, and Secretary Redheld
has written review of that report, in
which he intimates that all is rosy in
the hosiery business and that more
money could be made if the manufac-
turers were sufficiently diligent
in their methods of production.
Those who recall the abuse of hosi-
cry men contained in the departments
report of the hosiery industry in Mon
tgomery county, Penn, made some
months ago, will accept the general
report with reservations.
Mr.. Red6eld, in his review. MAKES
the evasive statement that from IVY
to 1915 imports of cotton hosiery fell
off from $6,40O,00O to $3,0O0,OOG." He
should credit the Republican protect
i've tariff on hosiery for this showing.
Imports of hosiery were fast increas-
ing before the European war began.
When the Republican tariff bill of
1909 was being drafted it was found,
after a very careful consideration of
the cost of labor here and in Ger
MANY that the old Republican law, the
Dingley law, did not give sufficient
protection to the American hosiery
industry on the cheaper grades. In
~, ,rI cf,1.
was in very bad shape. The importa-
tons of these cheaper grades had in
creased from $3,O0000O in 1898 to Sc,
100000 in 1907. Hence, the duties on
these cheaper grades of hosiery were
slightly increased.
The effect on the hosiery mills man
ufacturing these cheaper grades was
magical, and the importdtions of for
eign made hosiery dropped in value
from $6,40000O in 1909 to $2700.0 900
n 1918, the last year of the Repub-
lican law. decrease of 90 per cent.
During the ten months period that the
Democratic low duty law had free
swav hosiery importations amounted
to $2,760,O00, compared with $2,l78,-
900 for the similar ten-months under
the Republican law. October 1912 to
July 1918, an increase of 70 per cent
The total importations of all knit
goods under the Democratic law for
the ten months free operation show
ed an increase of 121 per cent over
the similar period under protective
rates of duty. The European war has
held hosiery importations down to
ST, 1000, and contracts for huge
stocks of cheap German hosiery were
cancelled. The total knit goods inn
portations for this war period mount
ed to $3,300,000. The effect of Demo
cratic tariff slashing of the hosiery
schedule is best indicated by Quoting
from a letter written sometime ago
BY joseph S. Rambo, president of the
Globe Knitting Mills. Norristown, Pa.
from which the following is taken:
81 consider our business was very
much affected all last year O9l4 BY
the lowering of the duties. not that
the importations increased so greatly
but because of the lack of confidence
created among the buyers and Their
employers. particularly the latter. Ir
the fore part of the year we kept run.
ming full but piled up a tremendou:
lot of stock. Toward the middle o.
| the year we cut down to halt time
and continued accommodating some
stock until after the early part of thi:
year Our dividends were
cut more than so per cent
Last wear and the early part of thi:
year C915) was the second time We
have had to stop for lack of order
for more than twenty-five years, o
since we have been in business. TIL
FIRST time was during Cleveland's sec
ond administration in the earlv o0's.
The statement in Mr.. Redheld's re
view that the highest profits are mad
on the class of goods meeting foreign
competition is a pretty good argu
ment for protection. inasmuch as it i
the Furooean war which makes tina
institution possible today.
Names Is Names.