The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-07-08
FILES "MADE IN
AMERICA

lGA UlOlGIoY aAAA We GoNS ~ NV wv
of mankind's oldest implements. It is
found in all trades. from the making
of shoes to the building of locomo-
tives. From 25 to 80 manufacturers
in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts,,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and
Rhode Island. employing over 5000
skilled hands, make the bulk of the
files produced in this country. From
the time a file is cut from a bar of
specially rolled steel until finished
and ready for shipment, it passes
through from 20 to 26 processes and
is handled from rs to 80 times. On
some of the finer grades the value of
the metal is enhanced 272 times.
There is a smaller proportion of labor
cost entering into the manufacture of
the coarser than in the finer grades
of files. For this reason, and on &C
count of the Republican protective
tariff, our domestic market on the
coarser grades has been in the hands
of American producers. On the finer
grades our chief competitor has been
Switzerland.
A comparative statement of wages
in the production of fine files in the
United States and in Switzerland,
shows that the minimum advantage
in wage rate in the latter country is,
for machinists and die makers, $1.S9
per day; forgers, $1.19; grinders.
$0.65; blank fnishers, $0.47; cutters
by hand, $1.66; cutters by machine,
$2.05; etchers, $1.78; straighteners
and trimmers. 1910; hardeners, $1.16;
and cleaners, $1.24. The maximum
advantage varies from $1.34 to $2.78l
in favor of the Switzerland operat-
ives.
A few years ago the American Swiss
File & Tool company, of Elizabeth
port, N. j., embarked in the business
of making these finer grades of files,
and the pre-eminenee of the Swiss
manufacturers in the American mar
ket was in dispute. When the Demo
cratic party had the Underwood
MISUNDERSTANDING bill under
consideration, this company, and 9TH
ers interested in the industry. pre-
scented incontrovertible proof of the
necessity for increasing the duties on
these finer grades, agreeing to accept
reductions on the coarser grades of
files. But with that s~lap-dash, hit
and-miss method characteristic of the
Democrats in framing tariff legisla-
ton. they discarded the specific du-
ties, and provided a fiat ad valorem
rate of 25 per cent on the four grades
of files enumerated in the bill. A
hoof rasp pays no more duty Than a
jewelers. file with teeth so fine as to
be almost invisible. Based On imports,
this tariff reduction Appropriated 5S
per cent.
The Underwood law took effect Oc-
tober A, 1913. During the remainder
Of that fiscal year, ending June 80,
1914, u imports OF niles amounted to
over 104, 000, 900 dozen, valued at
$85,650, on which a duty of $21,413
was collected. During a similar nine
months under the Republican law,
October l, 1912, to June 80. 1913, our
imports of files totaled 45,170 dozen,
valued at $40,519, and yielding a duty
of $24,386. Here was an increase of
ITO per cent in the value of files inn
ported under the Democratic law,
while the duties collected thereon fell
off IA per cent. AS the bulk of these
imported files were of the finer
grades, American enterprise aud labor
were correspondingly injured. This
shows the fallacy of Democratic ar
gument.
Our domestic production of files to-
tails about $500. 900 annually, and on
the face of it, the import figures do
not appear to be dangerous, but that
is not the point. Samuel Nicholson,
OF the Nicholson File company, hit the
A6A OA tAC hN0A WHICH, nC SldbC0. /
You can easily understand why, if
you should let the bars down in this
country on files and we should get
over here 100. 900 dozen fles-no more
no less-those prices would go broad
cast throughout the United States. To
lold our trade we would nave to meet
those prices; you know that. Now, if
we lower our prices do we not from
necessity have to lower our cost of
production?" And that means lower
wages to labor and smaller dividends
to stockholders. The file industry de-
mands protective duties. and the re-
turn to power of the Republican party.