The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-18
TOY MAKERS WANT
 PROTECTION FROM
 FOREIGN INDUSTRY
Declare German and Japanese Competition Is Destroying Their BuSines any
 FaCtor t. ed
.sSss' sd Press
December

Was .A December IT, AmeA x -nufacturers of toys and dolls a. Id the Senate finance com mittee today for protection against German and Japanese competition. Specifically they asked for duty of 4U per cent o1 the value of the toys ana dolls based on the prices pc valllng Tn the American markets.
 speakers for the manufacturers piled high the tables with toys, rang ing all the way from the wooden let ters to elecIrIc trains, to support theIr arguments that they had revolution ized the industry by making educa- tional toys for the children. They had been able to build up the industry during the war, they said, and had turned from the eflimsy, namby- pamby' things imported before the war to substantial toys that laid the ground work for the ehlIds educa- tion. German competition is the most se- rious factor, they asserted, and i'm ports from that country are being seriously felt. The American industry has slumped off 50 per cent. it was testified, despite price reductions ranging from 25 to 50 per cent. Doll making has been even more seriously affected, the witnesses declaring that of the 134 doll factories in the coun- try year ago, only 12 of the largest now remain.
 Imitation Jewelry
 Imitation pearls, buttons. tooth and other brushes, novelty jewelry and y4 before the committee during the day.
 George A. Fernley of Philadelphia, speaking for the American Brush Manufacturers association, present ed the other side of the case. He said the American manufacturers could meet the home demand and that their product was far superior to the im- ported article, particularly that com Ing from Japan. He added that one of the manufacturers through it's na- tional advertising campaign had done more to spread the doctrine of oral hygiene than the entire dental pro- tai profession.
 B. R. Johnson, speaking for Amer ican manufacturers of imitation pearls and specialties, urged that the duties on these article as proposed in the Fordney bill be retained. He ex- niD iDlteO a NdrlGu COiieGIiOn or lTntLd- ton articles manufactured in this country and gave the wholesale prices, remarking that the retailers ''get the profits"
 "As usual" said Senator Shoot, re- publican, Utah.
 Novelty JeyveIry
 Asking for cut of more than 50 epr cent in the duty proposed in the Fordney bill on novelty jewelry. Da- vid J. Gallert of New York city told the committee that the jeweiry ln- dustry was so well established in this country that it needed little protec- tion. He declared that the rate pro- posed would shut out importations and handicap the American industry which gets many ideas from the i'm ported articles.
 A duty of 25 cents gross instead of cents as proposed in the Fordney bill on matches in small boxes was asked by Fred Fear of New York, speaking for the match manufactur- CTS bureau.
 Committee members remarked this was quite an increase, but he cited 1t was necessary If the industry was to continue.
 A protest against the Fordney rates on imported pearl buttons was made by Frank J. Appellee of New York city an importer. He said the Ford ney rates were prohibitive. and also asked that the 15 cents increase ad valorem rate on agate buttons be re- duced to 10 per cent.