, 1924-07-17
CHINESE EGGS AND
AMERICAN TARIFFS

WASHINGTON, JULY - The
Republican tariff law of 1909 placed
a duty of 5 cents a dozen on eggs,
and their importation was hardly ap-
probable. The Democratic tariff of
1892 placed eggs on the free list,
and almost Immediately following
the passage of the law eggs came
rolling in from China, which is our
chief competitor in the egg trade.
The present Republican law made
the duty s cents a dozen at the
earnest solicitation of farming inter-
ests. Last year we imported 412,-
900 dozen, of which "a per cent came
from China, and 35 per cent from
Canada.
The present duty on dried eggs is
is cents a pound, and on frozen eggs
6 cents a pound. The rates under
the old law of 1909 were Is cents
and 3 cents, respectively. The DEM
ocratic law of 1913 reduced these
rates to- 10 cents and 2 cents, n
again competition was severely felt
in his country. For example, dur
ing the fiscal year 1921 under the
Democratic tariff, we imported g.
316, 600 dozen eggs and nearly 49,
600 900 pounds of the dried and
frozen products.
1t is estimated that the annual egg
production of China is about 26,-
25O,OOO,OOO eggs, being the product
of $50, 900 hens at an average
of rs eggs per hen. OF these, about
1,1S2,OOO. 900 eggs are exported in
the shell, and there are also export
ed annually about 57,642,000 pounds
of egg albumen and yolk and &c.
$4,000 pounds of frozen eggs. ia
pan is at present the principal mar
ket for Chinese eggs in the shell,
while Great Britain imports more
than half the albumen and yolk and
almost all of the frozen eggs export
ed by China. The United States buys
only one-fourth as much egg albu-
men and yolk from China as does
Great Britain. Last year Ii i'm
ports of eggs and yolks totaled some
thing over 16, 900 900 pounds, and
of egg albumen over 1000, 600 lbs,
90 per cent coming from China.
In the opinion of the Department
of Commerce the very small. impor-
tation of eggs in the shell into the
United States in 1928 demonstrates
that this country can produce SUI
fcient eggs to meet all consumption
requirements and to- furnish over 3d.
600, 600 for export" In the opinion
of supporters Of the protective taritf
policy, a protective duty on eggs
makes this demonstration possible,
for without protection Chinese eggs
would swamp the American market
as they were doing before the tariff
bill was passed. as anyone on the
Pacific Coast will tell you.
The cost of producing eggs in
China is very low. There are M
poultry farms. but a few chickens
are raised by almost every family
and these feed on table scraps, coarse
rise, low grade wheat, and refuse
that can be picked mp in the yards
and fields. The average price of
eggs in a representative Chinese sec
tiou, in Wholesale quantities laid
down al the factories SIS from S to 10
cents. and 10 has been known TO go
as loss as g and 4 cents "a dozen.
The competition i'm esq products
tnol iu the sHoil1 from China IS
glill apUreyianle, notwithstanding
the Is cent J8r.u. These products
are used largely by bakers lu tile
manufacture CL cakes. oLg, They cut
into the market Tor dome tie c-
known as seconds. JLusu Clipped. or
cracked. while. can D.. cold lar uuE-
iu- r. powder and Che l-# Sau-
ya.T ug1 O. large OH Hr.r..Iun which
la. boon operating ll POI goL lAe
... ..U....u state making ess
-r..H.. pulled uu stakes aud moved
go China U..HH.. t.. r tHN
I.Hur made Ht u"Fu.H.H." iH do 3d.
NI..l concern hos protested ls-l-s.
Uur LIT.L aU u--
Should th. Democrats ra.1ru TO
power am0uE utn.- lre.. SOD urll-