Evening journal., 1921-02-18
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY ls, 1921
SILK AND THE rARIFF.

w give you TO costs and the difference in costs,
we leave It 10 your OF fairness what the rates
souid be- declared Mr Horace b Cheney in presenting
the argument N the Sk Association OF America for the
restoration Of protective rates sink manufactures
Mr. Cheney assured the Ways and Means Committee
that books open for you 10 check COSTS" and
ask only what may prove to put upon equality
with our foreign competitors without taking into
sideaton the fact that e domestic producers contribute
much heavily 10 the revenues OF the government
than do the importers We hope and trust that you will
the necessity OF adopting this principle and OF return
ing to the frame work Of the tariff act OF 1909" the last
Republican tariff law.
Mr. Cheneys has not cut wages and It would
not do ne declared unless it became absolutely
sary His attitude OF fairness toward labor earned the
encomhNns OF the entire membership Of the committee
Republicans and Democrats
There seems to be question but that the silk indus
try in his country has been placed under severe hand
caps not only because Of Democratic rates OF duty but
also beuse Of the fearful increase in the OF the
product which our manufacturers have been Obliged 10
pay because OF Japans control OF that material.
For example. comparing the ten months period Of 1913
January October the last under protection our silk mills
imported FOR consumption something over 22OoOOOo
pounds o cocoon SIX at pound price OF about
1912 and 100000 pounds Of silk waste at about &c cents
For The same period Of 1920 they imported under
100000 pounds OF the cocoon at almost $40 pound and
FVuANfc
pound
This means an increase Of shout 200 per cent In the
cost Of e cocoon and ses per cent in the cost OF the
waste
On the Other hand me two periods considered in,pos
OF silk Manufactures increased from s26co0OO IN SEQ
10000 in value The chief competition apnoars IN ha IN
fabrics woven in the piece which Japan monopolizes
70 per cent Of he trade
The amount imported for the 1918 period Is NOT shown
but j. was valued at s7.7O0OO0
During the 1920 period imported 1901 600 pounds
valued al SS"o@o Wearing apparel increased 40 per
cent; aoes and embrohieries. 100 per cent -
In addition to this imports OF manufactures OF artin-
cial silks increased from s25s5OoO to s7627O0O
Mr. Cheney points out that wages in the silk mills in
this country have advanced 200 300 per cent and
while there has been advance in the foreign Mills,
it is paper advance merely when the depreciation Of ex-
change Is taken into account
Therefore ihe derental far greater as between the
American and the foreign wages than Il was before the
war
He gave interesting information concerning the
industry in Japan where the wages paid in money for
the worker does not represent the entire amount OF money
paid for services Most based upon contracts
for three to years, apprentices or first contracts
renewals made FOR year thereafter In these con-
tracts the parents practically sell the product of their
cnldrens labor for the period TO the manufacturer who
IN turn agrees TO give them board lodging and certain
other benefits and perquises Apprentices or first CON
tracts are at about one-ihrd OF the wages OF skilled
workers The workers lodge within the plants and do
not leave them from weeks end the other They
work eat and sleep and get such recreation as possible
within the walled enclosure OF the establishment
This suggests field for moral upnf in which our free
trade phlanthropss might nnd for activity instead
OF devoting their energies TO undermining policy which
maintains the American living standards