[Paragraph 153.] HON. RICHARD WAYNE PARKER, M. C., SUBMITS LETTER OF C. J. WISS, NEWARK, N. J., RELATIVE TO SCISSORS. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 8, 1909. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, House of Representatives. GENTLEMEN: I beg to submit for your consideration letter from Frederick C. J. Wiss, president of the J. Wiss & Sons Company, of Newark, N. J., manufacturers of shears, scissors, razors, and cutlery of different kinds, in regard to the effect upon that industry of a revision of the tariff in certain particulars, stating that the scissors industry now requires fully as much protection as is afforded by present schedules, and that to encourage the making of small scissors the tariff should be materially increased; that they have never been able to successfully compete with the line of small scissors, of which great quantities are imported, and that what little effort they make in this line is more of a fad than a paying proposition. It is likewise urged that if the tariff should be reduced upon articles which they manufacture it would certainly call out a great many of their present employees, and attention is called to the fact that the average rate on scissors is between 50 and 60 per cent, while on almost all other cutlery it ranges from 75 to 90 per cent, or even 100 per cent, in spite of the fact that, as is generally recognized in the trade, the making of scissors is a great deal more particular and more difficult than is the manufacturing of any other line of cutlery. I have pleasure in forwarding this letter to you. The J. Wiss & Sons Company has the highest reputation as manufacturers of cutlery, and their character is esteemed by the business community in which they are situated, and I know that any representations that they make are to be fully relied upon in every respect. Very respectfully, Hon. R. WAYNE PARKER, RICHARD WAYNE PARKER. NEWARK, N. J., January 7, 1909. House of Representatives, DEAR SIR: In view of the agitation of tariff revision we take the liberty to inquire if you can give us any suggestion as to the best way to protect our interests. As explained to you when at our works the scissors industry requires protection fully as great as on the present schedules, and to encourage the making of small scissors the tariff should be materially increased. We have never been able to successfully compete with the line of small scissors of which great quantities are imported. We are doing a little in this line, but so very little that it is more of a fad than a paying proposition. Should the tariff be reduced in any way it would certainly call out great many of our present employees. The average rate on scissors 2171 is between 50 and 60 per cent, while on almost all other cutlery it ranges from 75 to 90 per cent, or even 100 per cent, and the trade as a general rule recognizes that the making of scissors is a great deal more particular and more difficult than that of making any other line of cutlery. Thanking you in advance for any suggestions you can furnish on this matter, we remain, Yours, very truly, J. WISS & SONS Co., Per FREDERICK C. J. WISS. KNIVES AND PLIERS. [Paragraphs 153 and 193.] HON. J. S. FASSETT, M. C., SUBMITS CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE CRONK & CARRIER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, ELMIRA, N. Y., RELATIVE TO PLIERS AND KNIVES. Hon. S. E. PAYNE, M. C., JANUARY 8, 1909. Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN: I beg to inclose herewith for the consideration of your committee a letter from the Cronk & Carrier Manufacturing Company, Elmira, N. Y., making certain suggestions with respect to the necessity of change in the present law regarding the stamping of the place of manufacture on imported goods. This concern is composed of high-class gentlemen, and their suggestions strike me as good ones and worthy of the consideration of your committtee, which I know they will receive. I have asked this company to submit a brief to your committee on the subject of the proposed increases in the cutlery duties, which it mentions. Your, very truly, Hon. J. S. FASSETT, M. C., J. S. FASSETT. ELMIRA, N. Y., December 26, 1908. Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. FASSETT: As you can do more with the Ways and Means Committee in a minute than we could do in a week, we will ask you to kindly see that the tariff on pliers of all kinds from Germany is raised to about 45 per cent. We think the present tariff is about 30 per cent, but we can not make the goods at the price the Germans are selling them in this country, and we would like to be in a position where they will not cost us any more than the German goods cost laid down in this country. On an equal basis we could get our share of the business, but with the present tariff it is impossible to compete. On the balance of our line the tariff is all right with the exception of a cheap two-blade pocketknife, one that the Germans are selling in this country at $1.30, which costs us about $1.65 to make. On the balance of the line we can compete. The law is that all goods shall be stamped "made in Germany." The goods are brought into this country so stamped, but after arriving the stamp is ground off in such a manner that there is nothing to show where the goods were made, and they are being sold as if made in America. We think the law should be changed to make it a criminal offense to grind the name off on any goods where the law specifies that the goods must be stamped as made in the country they are shipped from. Sincerely, yours, THE CRONK & CARRIER Mfg. Co., By C. F. CARRIER, President. ELMIRA, N. Y., December 30, 1908. Hon. J. S. FASSETT, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. FASSETT: I note in yours of the 28th that you say it will be hard to lift any rates. I had understood that it was proposed to revise the tariff, making rates higher where they were needed and lower where it could be done without injury to business in this country, and not that a revision was necessarily a reduction. I believe Mr. Payne will so understand it, and hope that you can obtain the change we suggested. Thanking you for past favors, we are, Very truly, yours, THE CRONK & CARRIER MFG. CO., By C. F. CARRIER, President. TABLE CUTLERY. [Paragraph 155.] HON. EDWIN DENBY, M. C., SUBMITS LETTER OF THE NATIONAL CUTLERY COMPANY, DETROIT, MICH., RELATIVE TO TARIFF ON HOUSEHOLD KNIVES. Hon. EDWIN DENBY, M. C., DEAR SIR: to pay DETROIT, MICH., December 23, 1908. Washington, D. C. We are interested as to whether there will be any reduction in the tariff on foreign cutlery. We still find foreign manufacturers able the present duties on butcher and household knives and underself us on both high-grade and cheap goods. We do not think that the present tariff is any too high on cutlery, and although the writer is not aware of any concerted action on the part of the cutlery manufacturers to appear before the tariff commission of the House, we are satisfied that any reduction of the tariff on cutlery would be detriment to our business; in fact, it would be impossible for us to make a profit on our goods if we had to meet foreign competition through any reduction of the tariff. If there is any data you would like to have, such as present prices, costs, etc., we would be pleased to send the same on to you. Thanking you for any efforts you will put forward on any of these projects, we are, Sincerely, yours, NATIONAL CUTLERY COMPANY, Per H. D. HADENFELDT, Manager. THE HARRINGTON CUTLERY CO., SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS., URGES RETENTION OF PRESENT DUTIES ON TABLE CUTLERY. SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass., November 20, 1908. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: Concerning Harrington Cutlery Company, Southbridge, Mass.: Capital stock, $30,000; number of hands, 50; wages and salaries, $30.000; sales at home, $60,000; sales abroad, $4,000; originally established in 1818; continued, by individuals and partnerships (in Harrington name), in a small way, until 1902, when present company was incorporated; growth at present being very rapid. Schedule C, paragraph 155, interests us, and we very strongly urge that present rate be maintained, in order that we may continue present standard of wages. Some grades of cutlery manufactured by us would be entirely eliminated should rates on same be reduced. We respectfully ask your favorable consideration. Yours, very truly, HARRINGTON CUTLERY COMPANY, REPRESENTATIVES OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS SUGGEST A MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM FOR TABLE CUTLERY. NEW BRITAIN, CONN., December 2, 1908. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: The manufacturers of table cutlery respectfully submit for your consideration that their total sales in 1896 were approximately $2,000.000; in 1906, $3,000,000. That they have no trust, combination, or agreement as to selling prices. That their total capitalization is $2,500,000, much less than the actual amount invested. That on this capitalization in the last ten years dividends have not averaged over 6 per cent. That selling prices on their entire output are from 10 per cent to 20 per cent lower than in 1896. That 70 per cent of the cost of production is labor. The margin of profit being, as above shown, small, no serious reduction in selling prices to meet foreign competition can be made except largely at the expense of the wage-earners. In the endeavor to meet the committee's views we submit for consideration a schedule which shows substantial reductions through the entire list, both on specific and ad valorem duties, and on common knives and forks, which represent in dollars one-third at least of the entire production of the trade, the reduction is from 45 per cent to per cent ad valorem. More than this this industry can not stand without serious detriment. We earnestly urge a minimum and maximum tariff in place of the present reciprocity treaty with Germany, which puts a premium upon undervaluation and leaves us powerless to prevent it. If such be adopted, the duties here submitted should be fixed as the minimum rates. Table, butcher, carving, cooks', hunting, kitchen, bread, butter, vegetable, fruit, pie, cheese, plumbers', painters', pallet, artists', and shoe knives, forks, and steels, finished or unfinished. With handles of deerhorn... With handles of mother-of-pearl, shell, or ivory.. With handles of hard rubber, solid bone, celluloid, or any pyroxylin material.. With handles of any other material than those above mentioned, except as below noted....... In addition, on all the above articles, 15 per cent ad valorem, provided that none of the above-named articles shall pay a duty of less than 40 per cent ad valorem. Table knives and forks, commonly called "scale tang," with riveted handles of cocobolo, ebony, or bone, 25 per cent ad valorem. Blades, handles, or other parts of either or any of the above articles imported in any other manner than hafted shall pay a duty of 50 per cent ad valorem. This last paragraph is to prevent blades and handles being imported, as now, at a low rate of duty and being put together here, obviously taking advantage of the obscurity of the present bill to avoid payment of proper duties. The steel parts, we are advised, now come in under paragraph 135, under the clause "steel in all forms and shapes not specifically provided for," at so much per pound. We can not find at what rate the handles are dutiable at present. In our opinion, the duty should be made so high on goods imported in parts that the goods themselves come in in a finished condition in their proper class. C. F. SMITH, Committee Representing Manufacturers of Table Cutlery. |