The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-11-30

changed.
"The manufacture of toys and dolls
began in this country as far back as
1886, but nothing was done to help the
trade for a number of years. Bnt in
1897 man named Dingley, who was
at the head of the Committee on Ways
and Means, in Congress, which makes
our tariff laws, put protective duty
of S5 per cent ON toys which came in
from abroad. At that time William
Mckinley was President, statesman
whom our new President, Mr.. Hard
ing, much resembles. Mckinley was
always read to help American indus
tries. from 1899 to 1909 our toy in
dustry increased from 100000 to
$S,000,000 year in value of products.
This was due chiefly to the part which
the protective tariff played in encour-
againg American business.
Still, large quantities of toys came
in from abroad because they were
made so cheaply the sellers could pay
the tariff duty yet undersell many
American toys. When the Democratic
party passed its low tariff law it did
not make any great reductions in the
tariff on toys. although it adopted
some classifications which were not
helpful. But the tariff law signed by
President Wilson made times so hard
just before the war that the toy IN
dustry suffered with the rest. How
ever, the war came along, war pros
perity hit this country, and toys from
German we're held up by the British
blockade, although the Japanese i'm
ports increased.
Now, just consider what American
enterprise has accomplished while be-
ing permitted to develop unhindered
by foreign competition in toys. Harry
c. Ives. president of the toy manu-
facturers of the United States, said
recently that the American production
of toys for 1920 will reach $50. 100000
in value. That is en-times the value
for 1909. Our toy makers this year
will have produced $15,000.000 worth
of dolls-everything from the rag doll
to mechanical wax babies that can al
most do arithmetic. Among the $685.
100000 worth of other toys are play
things of all kinds and all made OF
honest materials, of fine workmanship
and durability, and exhibiting a re-
markable amount of originality of idea
an ddesign. Just as carloads of tops
are leaving Vermont says Mr.. Ives,
carloads of sleds as leaving Maine
and Michigan, carloads of coaster
wagons are leaving New York, car
loads of wheeled wagons are leaving
the state of Ohio, and enormous ship
meants of dolls are leaving New York
CITY, This year Santa Claus is load
ing up with American toys TO distrib-
ute to kiddies of other lands. and he
has piled his sleigh with s3,000,000
worth by the end of last September.
enough to make Dancer and Pran-
Ger, Comet and Cupid, Dasher and
Vixen, Dunder and Blixen strain in
their harness as Old Kris Kringle
snaps his whip and stars across the
Seven Seas. If we could take all the
toy factories of the United States and
group them around the town town Of
America, Winchester, Mass, it would
make a collection of facotries that
would overshawod the toy districts of
any other country says Mr.. Ives.
Since the days of the Egyptians,
toys have ben national to the country
of their origin. The kiddies Of Amer
lea should therefore fel proud in re-
ceiving toys made in their home land,
and they should be sure and ask Santa
Claus to bring them toys Made in
America"
THAT top is going wobbly, Uncle
Ted," exclaimed Jack, pointing to the
groggy motion of the gyroscope. so
it is" replied Uncle Ted. at must be
wound up again before 1t will run
again. And that is just what the Re
Publican party must do with Ameri-
can industry. We must untangle and
take the knots out of the Legislative
string, or, better perhaps, get a brand
new string, wind the shank of indus
try in business fashion and set 1t
spinnig in the plane of sanity. The
fact that idustry has been able to keep
going at all during the past seven and
a half years has astonished all experts
on the laws of motion. But the time
has come when industry must be re-
-bil-i-ta-ted."
And as the old gentlemtn slowly
pronounced this big word the top
tumbled from its perch. Uncle Ted
tumbled into revery, mad ten minutes
later Ruth and Jack had tumbled into
hed