New Britain herald., 1929-02-22
MILL MEN FIGHT
 DUTY 0N COTTON
kex England and East Opposes Long Staple Fibre Tariff

Washington, Feb. 22 R-Further opposition to proposals for tariff on long stable cotton was registered before the house ways and means committee yesterday by New Eng land and eastern cotton manufac- turers.
 Representatives from the south- western Pima cotton district yester- day urged duty up to ten cents a pound on cotton of a staple of 1 Is inches or over. It was claimed the long staple product grown in the southwest and Imperial Valley of California could be substituted for Egyptian cotton if imports were cut off, in the manufacture of automo- bile tires and fine cotton threads.
 Taking up the opposition today. John B. Clark, of the Clark Thread company, Newark, N. J.. contended there was no substitute for the Egyptian long staple in this coun- try at this time. He id the Ariz- ona Pima cotton had been tested by the manufacturers and found to be much weaker and very irregular"
 Idle Spindles Feared
 A duty on the long staple from Egypt, Clark said, would increase the cost to both Egyptian and American manufacturers ant raise the prices of thread and other man. ufactured cotton articles 10 the American consumer. Further, he said, it would decrease the consump- ton. cause idle spindlcs, and throw many persons out of employment.
 Clark maintained that the duty would not help the American farm CT, who, he said, was better off than the cotton manufacturer, inso- far as he was now exporting while the latter was not. He told Repre- sentative Crisp, democrat. Georgia, that duty would not encourage the grower in this country again 10 turn to the production of Sea Island cotton which has almost disappear ed in the United States because Of the boil weevil.
 While agreeing that this cotton was the only substitute for Egyptian. Clark said the only way it could be produced satisfactorily again would be under a government subsidy or a complete embargo against Egyptian.
 No duty, he said, would keep out Egyptian cotton as long as the pub lie demanded it.
 Mill Ben Testify
 Allan Barrows, Wamsutta mills. New Bedford. Mass, and Robert C. Kerr, American Thread Company, also spoke against the proposed tar if, as did NJ. l.. Clark, representing the tire division Of the Rubber As sociation of America.
 Clark said duty would impose a burden on the American tire con- sumers and result in no benefit to the cotton grower. He added that 75 per cent of cotton used for tires, or 530,0O0 bales year is a staple of 11-16 inches and over. Of the to- tai, 210,0 bales in 1-s inches and above. and the remainder under that length.
 The 310,000 bales on shorter length, he said, is all American cot ton while 150.000 of the longer staple also is American grown.
 Clark contended the American cotton of l 1-8 inches and over was not interchangeable with Egyptian and was used only in the maufac- ture of smaller and cheaper tires while the imported was demanded for higher priced tires used fol trucks and buses
 On cross-examination. Clark said the tire industry would be perfectly willing to have the ten per cent duty on tires removed as there were few tires now being imported.
 R2ps American Cotton
 C. M. Holmes, of the Holmes Mfg Co.,, New Bedford. Mass, said hi: