The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-01-30

"We have, as of today, some
1.5CO Art Potteries in the United
States, located in Ohio, Nortf
Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Pennsyl'
vania and Tennessee.
"The total production for 1945
was estimated at more than $50
million dollars. The number OF
workers dependent on this indus
try for their livelihood has in
creased from 2,5C0 to more than
$1,000.
"The workers who produce this
ware must soon face the competi-
ton of ware produced by workers
of Japan, Germany and Czecho-
slayakia.
Can This Industry Survive Without
Adequate Tariff ProtectiOn-NO.
"These workers will retain their
means of livelihood only if the
tariff rates on imports of COM
petitive products are such that
they equalize the differences in the
labor costs. Our artists and design
creators are just as good, yes, to
'our minds, better, and have shown
more imagination and ingenuity
than those of any other country
in the world. Yet, these brain
workers, those who have invested
their money and who have provid-
ed work opportunities for most of
these $4,000 or more Pottery
workers are absolutely dependent
for their assurances of continuance
on whether or not the tariff rates,
which are levied on competitive
imports, will equalize the differ
ences in the cost Of production.
Japan, prior to the war, had a
reputation as a nation which copies
the work of other nations. Natural
ly, if permitted to, if the same is
profitable to them, they will copy
the work of these men and women
who have built up this Art Pot
terry industry.
81 cite this industry, not that the
competitive conditions are any diff
ferent that those which prevail in
other branches of the American
Pottery industry, but because of
the fact that the Congress of the
United States, during the past
several years, has spent literally
millions of dollars Of the taxpay-
ers monies in devising plans to
help the small business men and
women of our country.
"Here is an instance of where
Americans, without Government
help, and, in the true spirit of
America developed an industry
which is really SMALL BUSI-
NESS.
"Some 80 per cent of these
plants employ less than 10 persons.
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen:
In behalf of the officers and
members of the National Brother
hood Of Operative Potters, the
workers in the American Pottery
industry, dependent for their live
lihood on the continued operation
of that industry, | have tried to
develop for your consideration,
condition which, to our mind, justi-
fies your Committee in recommen-
ding that no further tariff rate re-
ductions be agreed to until such
time as a proper review can be
made of the conditions which exist
today which are so different from
those which prevailed when we
embarked on the program of re-
ducing tariff rates through our
entry into trade treaties with other
countries.
I'VE have proven to you, from
of the Tariff Commission,
that present tariff rates on inn
ports of competitive Pottery arti-
cles, are not sufficient to equalize
the differences in the costs of pro-
duction. We have shown that de-
spite the fact that your Committee
had available to it from the Tariff
Commission, presumably in 1910,
that competitive articles were be-
ing delivered into American mar
kets at less than our costs of pro-
duction that the Congress of the