has materially displaced the importation of German lithopone. The manufacturers of these goods-lithopone, or sulphide of zinc-are all situated on the Atlantic seaboard, in the neighborhood of New York and Philadelphia, and in our opinion they would be seriously handicapped by an extra duty, as proposed by some of the gentlemen who advocated a duty of $5 a ton on the commodity. Some of the speakers, especially the gentleman from Buffalo, were also exceedingly incorrect and "wild of the mark" with reference to the ocean freight on these crude barytes, as well as the cost of the German powdered barytes delivered in New York City or Philadelphia or the Atlantic seaboard. There is no such ocean freight from Germany as 50 cents per ton. The ocean freight for this year and for next year is about $2 per ton. Nor is the cost of the German barytes, powdered, $8 or $9 per ton. The material costs very much higher than this, and in fact we know, in a good many instances, that the cost of the German powdered barytes is higher than the domestic is now selling for in market, or was selling for in this market during the course of last year or the year 1906. Yours, respectfully, J. W. COULSTON & Co. CARBONATE OF BARYTA OR WITHERITE. NEW YORK, November 24, 1908. To the COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: This company, operating four factories in New York and New Jersey, is one of the largest consumers of imported carbonate of baryta in the United States. We are large manufacturers of building or architectural terra cotta used in the construction of the exterior and interior walls of buildings. This terra cotta is clay baked at a high degree Fahrenheit. Imported carbonate of baryta is used by us as a neutralizer of the sulphates in the clay. The domestic product, commonly referred to as "witherite," contains too many impurities and is not fine enough for our use in the making of terra cotta. Carbonate of baryta, or witherite, under the present tariff or Dingley Act is placed on the free list. Notwithstanding this provision, we have for some time past been obliged to pay the producers of carbonate of baryta a price to include an added duty of 25 per cent ad valorem levied by the customs authorities under a ruling of the department either obscure or not well defined. The protests against this tax thus imposed in the face of the provision in the Dingley tariff have taken form in an action pending in the United States courts. This 25 per cent tax with which we as consumers are charged has added greatly to the cost of our finished material and operates as a burden and an injustice to all manufacturers of architectural terra cotta. During the first session of the Fifty-ninth Congress, about two years ago, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives providing for a duty of $25 per ton on this imported carbonate of baryta, but the bill was not taken up for consideration. We glean from the newspapers that certain interested persons have appeared before your committee and urged the adoption of the provisions of this bill. If such were accomplished the cost of this material to us as consumers would be nearly double the present onerous expense, inasmuch as the increased tariff would be added to the high price now paid by us as users and consumers of a chemical indispensable in the manufacture of our product. Hence we protest against the imposition of a duty or tax upon this witherite or imported carbonate of baryta and earnestly urge that it be continued, as in the Dingley Act, on the free list. Respectfully submitted. ATLANTIC TERRA COTTA Co. CHICAGO, November 24, 1908. Hon. HENRY S. BOUTELL, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: We are informed that there is now a bill (H. R. 7599) before the Ways and Means Committee which will increase the duty on carbonate of baryta to $25 per ton. We are large users of this material, perhaps the largest consumers in the country, but only one among many interested. While under the present tariff it is on the free list, it has been and is being assessed a duty of 25 per cent. This is a product that is only produced in small quantities and of a very inferior quality in this country. Any advance in duty would be imposing hardship upon us, and we trust that you will see fit to make vigorous protest against any such advance. Yours, very respectfully, THE NORTHWESTERN TERRA COTTA COMPANY, CAFFEINE, BENZOL, AND TOLUOL. THE SCHAEFER ALKALOID WORKS OF MAYWOOD, N. J., ASKS AN INCREASE OF DUTY ON CAFFEINE IF BENZOL AND TOLUOL ARE MADE DUTIABLE. Hon. SERENO E. PAYNE, MAYWOOD, N. J., December 2, 1908. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: We take the liberty to submit a petition for an increased duty on caffeine in the event of the imposition of a duty on benzol and toluol. We are manufacturers of caffeine, an alkaloid, which is extracted from tea leaves on a commercial scale by using benzol and toluol as solvents. The cost of benzol and toluol is, besides labor, one of the principal items in the manufacture of caffeine. We are informed that a petition has been submitted to the Committee on Ways and Means to impose a specific duty upon benzol and toluol. If the protection asked for would be granted it would in all probability raise the price of the two ingredients in this country to the extent of the imposed duty. This would mean a serious increase in the cost of caffeine manufactured in this country. Caffeine has the protection of an ad valorem duty of 25 per cent under the present tariff. This rate just enables the American manufacturer to hold his own against the European maker, who sells caffeine to-day in this country at a figure which leaves only a very small margin to the American maker. We in all probability will have to discontinue the manufacture of caffeine if a duty be imposed on benzol and toluol as proposed unless equivalent compensation be given to the American caffeine maker by a corresponding raise in the tariff on caffeine. We therefore respect fully request that a specific duty of $1.25 per pound be placed upon caffeine in case a duty on benzol and toluol be imposed. DEAR SIR: We desire to call your attention to an article called yellow and white ceresine. This is manufactured from ozokerite and all are admitted free at the present time. The white and yellow ceresine are manufactured principally in Germany, and as a manufactured article should have a duty placed upon it to encourage the manufacturers in this country. The ozokerite we desire to have come in free of duty. Respectfully, yours, THE W. H. BOWDLEAR CO. Pres. and Treas. CITRATE OF LIME AND LEMON OIL. THE CITRUS PROTECTIVE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA ASKS TO HAVE CITRATE OF LIME AND LEMON OIL MADE DUTIABLE. WASHINGTON, D. C., November 23, 1908. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: The Citrus Protective League of California, representing the citrus fruit growers of California, hereby makes application to have the commodities known as "citrate of lime" and "lemon oil" placed upon the dutiable list, and respectfully rep resents: That at the time of filing its brief of facts concerning citrus-fruit tariff with your honorable committee the consular report of Arthur S. Cheney, consul at Messina, Italy, published in the Daily Consular and Trade Reports of October 31 and November 2, 1908, was not available for its use. That said report shows that practically one-third of the lemons produced in Italy are annually converted into citrate of lime and lemon oil. That 100,000 lemons, or about 303 boxes of 80 pounds each, are consumed in the making of a pipe of citrate of lime, weighing 672 pounds, which when converted to citric acid produces 430 pounds of such acid. Consul Cheney's report shows that the manufacture of citrate of lime in Italy is increasing rapidly; that for this year some 23,000 pipes of citrate of lime (consuming practically 23,000 carloads of lemons) were manufactured, and that the output for 1909 would be 20 per cent in excess of that for 1908, or approximately 27,000 pipes. Citrate of lime in 1907 sold for $42.46 per quintal, or about 193 cents per pound, for export. It also appears that from the peel of the same lemons converted into citrate of lime is extracted the essential lemon oil, which, from information secured from other sources, is said to have as great a unit value as the citrate of lime. From this deduction it is found that each box of lemons converted to oil and citrate of lime has a manufacturing value in Italy of about 85.6 cents per box, plus the value of the peel after the oil is extracted, which is candied or exported in brine, and plus the duty paid on lemons if converted into manufactured products, or approximately $1.90 per box. Statistics show that during the years 1898 to 1907, both inclusive, in addition to the 1,582,657,922 pounds of lemons, equaling 19,783,224 boxes of 80 pounds each, imported into this country, practically all of which came from Italy, and paid a duty of 1 cent a pound (excepting the 535,977 cubic feet imported between June 30, 1907, and July 27, 1907, which paid 8 cents per cubic foot), there was also imported 26,836,267 pounds of citrate of lime and 3,143,193 pounds of lemon oil, both free of duty. We are informed and believe that citrate of lime, when imported, is converted into citric acid, a substitute for lemon juice, and which forms the basis of soda-fountain concoctions and impure lemonade. The practical effect upon lemon culture in this country is that Italy, with her immense crop of lemons, produced with cheap labor, can and does supply the lemon markets of the United States at and near its eastern seaboard points and in disputed territory, when it can realize more for its fruit than its value as a manufactured product; and when that can not be accomplished, it is brought to this country in lemon oil and citrate of lime free of duty, and absorbs the legitimate use of both home-grown and imported lemons. This application is made with the hope that your committee will have the subject investigated and that you will find the request reasonable. If the present duty on citric acid (of 7 cents per pound) may be taken as a guide, the duty on citrate of lime ought to be 5 cents and the duty on lemon oil 30 cents per pound, or in excess of such sums. Respectfully submitted. CITRUS PROTECTIVE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA, By A. G. KENDALL, Secretary. COAL-TAR COLORS. THE CENTRAL DYESTUFF AND CHEMICAL COMPANY OF NEWARK, N. J., ASKS THAT PRESENT DUTIES ON COAL-TAR COLORS AND COAL-TAR PRODUCTS BE RETAINED. Hon. SERENO E. PAYNE, NEWARK, N. J., November 30, 1908. Chairman Ways and Means Committee, Washington, D. C. SIR: As one of the four factories in the United States engaged in the production of coal-tar colors or dyes, we beg to submit to you our views on tariff matters as affecting our interests. The paragraphs immediately concerning us are: Relating to coal-tar products: Dutiable: Acids, salicylic acid... All other acids, n. o. p. f. 10 cents per pound -25 per cent ad valorem Section 15, coal-tar dyes or colors, not specially provided for in this act, 30 per cent ad valorem; all other products or preparations of coal tar, not colors or dyes and not medicinal, not specially provided for in this act, 20 per cent ad valorem. Free list: Section 464, acid benzoic, carbolic, phtalic Section 469, alizarin, natural or artificial, and dyes derived from alizarin or from anthracin. Section 524, coal tar * * *, benzol, toluol, naphthalin, xylol, phenol, cresol, xylidin, toluidine, cumidin, binitrotoluol, binitrobenzol, benzidin, tolidin, dianisidine, naphthol, naphtylamin, diphenylamin, benzaldehyde, benzyl chloride, resorcin, nitro-benzol, and nitro-toluol; all the foregoing not medicinal and not colors or dyes. Other chemicals, not of coal-tar origin, consumed by us are generally at a higher rate of duty than that placed on our finished product, 30 per cent. Among these are: Sulphuric acid, one-fourth cent per pound. Nitrite of soda, 23 cents per pound (this is nearly 45 per cent ad valorem). Chlorate of potash, 24 cents per pound. Soda ash, three-eighths cent per pound. Caustic soda, three-fourths cent per pound. The 30 per cent duty on our finished product is an extremely modest rate, considering the conceded scientific requirements of the line, with the higher cost of management, labor, and materials, among which latter are included those chemicals enumerated above that are covered by a duty as high or higher in many cases than the 30 per cent on our product. |