, 1922-08-16
Profiteering on Children

America deprived of III. TOYS which make them
happy then vote against til hill 1.-THE pending tariff
biD which makes the price oil them prohibitive."
a few weeks ago the Republican members of the
senate finance committee, with the permission and
Authority Of Secretary OF Treasury Mellon, made an
investigation OF imports for the purpose of ascer-
tanning what the imports were costing American
merchandisers who were buying their goods abroad.
simultaneously with this investigation they pur-
chased at the stores of importers or retailers who
had purchased them from importers. the identical
articles which were imported. At the time of the
of each article thcfrepresentativcs of the
Republican members of the senate finance ommittee
obtained a receipt from the sales clerk showing the
retail price paid. Comparing this with the invoice
filed with tho customhouse as to the prices the i'm.
.porters paid for these articles abroad, the Republi
can members of the senate finance committee were
able to ascertain what profit was being made by
the importing and merchandising interests of the
United States which arc now fighting the enactment
of the protective tariff.
The following is a list of eight different toys, to-
gether with the foreign price to the importer, the
tariff paid. the total landed cost to the importer
and the price at which it was retailed. The present
tariff is 30 per cent of the foreign value.
a. spears Wild West Stencil" bought in Ger.
many for 81 cents; tariff. 1 cent: total landed cost
(which includes in addition to the original cost and
tariff the freight, transportation, insurance, etc. },
at the United States custom house, 1873 cents; ar
ticle purchased from the Terminal Toy Shop. New
York City, May, 1922, for 80 cents; percentage of
DTOuI ONtT dIu cost, w per cent.
~ "Jointed Doll" bought in Germany for 81
cents; tariff, IS cents; landed cost at United States
custom house, S1.10; article purchased from L. A
Schwartz, importers and merchandisers, New York
City, May 81, 1922, for $3.50; percentage of profit
over landed cost, 800 per cent.
(3) Little Basket WORKER bought in Germany
for 80 cents; tariff, / Ito cents; total landed cost
at United States custom house, 7.3 cents; article
from Gimbel Brothers, importers and
merchandisers, New York City, June 6, 1922, for so
~ 80 nra6t ~ rat,;I -rt.1 o-.r I.uJ
ed cost, SIS per cent.
"a Union Stone Building Blocks" bought in
Germany for 21.7 cents; tariff, rs cents; article pur.
chased from +. A. o. Scbwarz, importers and mer-
chandisers of toys, New York City, June C, 1922,
for 81; percentage of profit of retail price over
landed cost, 1,042 per cent.
t) Baby Carriage" bought in Germany for
3 cents; tariff, ~ cents; total landed cost in
United States, rs cents; article purchased from
Union News company, New York City, May, 1922,
for so cents; percentage of profit of retail price
over landed cost, $50 per cent.
90 Jumping Dog" bought in Germany for 9
cents; tariff. 81 cents; total landed cost at United
States custom house, 21.1 cents; article purchased
from the Terminal Toy Shop, Pennsylvania station,
New York City, June 2, 1922, for So cents; percent
age of profit of retail price over landed cost, 303
per cent.
90 Rubber Ball" bought in Germany for 100
cents; tariff, So cents; total landed cost at United
States custom house, 1915 cents; article purchased
from +. A o. Schwarz, importers and merchandisers
of toys, New York City, May 81, 1922, for So cents;
percentage of profit of retail price over landed cost,
l312 per cent.
(s) "Schuco Monkey" bought in Germany for
10 cents; tariff, &C cents; total landed cost at
United States custom house, 30.6 cents; article pur-
chased from GiIhbel Brothers, importers and mer.
Ichandisers, New York City, May 81, 1922, for So;
percentage of profit of retail price over landed cost,
553 per cent.
From these official records it is easy to determine
what interests are charging little children extor
tionate prices for toys. 1t is the importing inter
ests, which are fighting the enactment of an Ameri-
can protective tariff.
The cost of toys abroad will be the same whether
the Underwood law remains in force or whether a
protective tariff is enacted. The cost &c transporta-
ton, insurance, etc, would be the same. The only
difference in the landed cost of toys under L pro
~tective tariff would be whatever increase there Is in
the tariff. From the above official figures it is easily
seen that the present tariff could be multiplied many
ent prices and reap enormous profits. The litera-
ture of the woman's department of the Democratic
national committee to the effect that a protective
tariff would make the price of toys prohibitive and
would deprive little children of America of their
playthings is a fragrant piece of deception. 1t is
issued not in the interest of little children but in
the interest of importers who are assisting the
Democratic party in this campaign to defeat, if
possible, the enactment of n protective tariff, and
failing in that to defeat the Republican party for
putting a protective tariff on the books. 1t is litera-
ture issued by Democratic party officials in the in,
lterests of those who are charging little children
206 to 1,042 per cent profit on toys sold today under
the Underwood tariff.
Buying Trouble
WE'D ~ Dr. H.. zz-z4- Al -. t---s -