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1 Not stated separately after 1918. See imports for consumption for those years. Peat moss-Imports for consumption—Revenue.

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Under the act of 1883 before specific provision was made, peat moss was at first held dutiable as an unenumerated unmanufactured article (T. D. 5782, of 1883), but in 1899 the Circuit Court of the Southern District of New York held that it was exempt from duty under the provision for crude nonedible mosses. (Strohmeyer v. Magone, T. D. 21545.)

The provision for peat moss in the act of 1897 was held by the Board of General. Appraisers to include moss fiber picked by hand from peat and used for filling mattresses. (G. A. 4535, T. D. 21545, of

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PENCILS AND PENCIL LEADS.

SUMMARY.

The war has left the American pencil industry in a very favorable condition. Exports for the calendar year 1920 reached a total value of $3,849,221, while imports were valued at $225,578. The exact increase in production since the last census is not known, but has been quite large. The value of products of the industry in 1914 was $8,328,000, while exports in that year amounted to only a little over $500,000. The increase in exports alone would account for a large increase in domestic production.

There were 14 establishments engaged in pencil making in 1914, capitalized at $16,670,000, and employing an average of 4,330 wage earners. Thirteen of the fourteen establishments were corporations. Of the total number of wage earners, 53.5 per cent were women, 44.5 per cent were men, and 2 per cent were under 16 years of age. New York and New Jersey each had 4 establishments; Pensylvannia, 2; Rhode Island, 1; Kansas, 1; Illinois, 1; Georgia, 1.

The industry has developed mainly since 1890, when the value of products for the first time exceeded $1,000,000. The United States has abundant supplies of graphite suitable for making pencil leads, and is one of the principal sources of pencil cedar. An Americanowned Mexican mine furnishes an excellent grade of fine-grained graphite.

The American manufacturer of pencils is not now suffering serious competition. Germany, regarded as the most serious competitor before the war, is not now in a favorable competitive position. Her stocks of cedar are depleted and new supplies are difficult to secure. The output has been curtailed on account of the lack of fuel, shorter hours of work, higher wages, and decreased production per hour. White woods are being used and the quality of the product is poor. This situation is no doubt only temporary, but it will be some time before the German pencil makers can fully recover. Imports from Germany before the war were not over $300,000 in 'value, except in the year 1914, when that amount was slightly exceeded. Total imports for consumption in 1914 reached a high mark of $627,957. Japan is beginning the manufacture of pencils, but the quality of the product has not been such as to attract the American trade. Danish pencils of good quality are being imported in small quantities, but their price is equal to the American prices, if not higher. Pencils from L. & C. Hardtmuth, now of the new Republic of Czechoslovakia, are being received in small quantities. They sell on the basis of established quality and reputation and their status would probably not be much affected by changes in the tariff, unless the rates were made prohibitive.

Pencils and pencil leads (including slate pencils)—Summary table.

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378. Pencils of paper or wood, or other material not metal, filled with lead or other material, pencils of lead, 36 cents per gross, but in no case shall any of the foregoing pay less than 25 per cent ad valorem; slate pencils, 25 per cent ad valorem. 379. Pencil leads not in wood or other material, 10 per cent ad valorem.

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION.

Size and importance of the industry.--In 1914 there were 14 establishments engaged in the manufacture of lead pencils, capitalized at $10,670,000, employing 4,330 wage earners, and producing an output valued at $8,328,000.

Materials. The principal materials used in the manufacture of lead pencils are graphite and clay, used in making the lead, and cedar, used for making the cases. The United States is favored with an abundant supply of graphite of suitable quality for this use, which is found in several States. An American-owned Mexican mine, which produces an excellent grade of amorphous or fine-grained graphite, augments the supply found in the United States. The United States is one of the principal sources of cedar used in pencil making.

Colored pencils are made of chalk, clay, or wax, mixed with coloring pigments. Indelible or copying pencils are made from a mixture of graphite and aniline coloring matter.

Methods of production.---Pencil leads are made from a mixture of carefully graded fine-grained graphite and the finest clay. The hardness of the pencil depends upon the amount of clay used, but for the medium grade the proportions are about 7 parts of clay to 10 parts of graphite, by weight. The wet mixture is ground between stones many times, in order to eliminate the grit from the leads. After grinding, the water is forced out of the mixture by pressure until it becomes a thick dough. It is then pressed through dies or small holes the shape and size desired for the leads, and after being dried and cut into lengths is packed into crucibles and burned for several hours.

The wood used, which is usually cedar, although pine or other wood is sometimes used for the cheaper grades of pencils, is cut into little

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slabs of pencil length and usually of sufficient width for the halves of six pencils. The slabs are smoothed and grooved to receive the leads by the pencil manufacturer. The leads are then placed in the grooves and the two strips are glued together. The united strips are dried and then cut into separate pencils, after which they are polished, varnished or painted, stamped, and packed for shipment, practically all of this work being carried on with the aid of mechanical equipment. The lead is also sometimes inclosed in paper.

Except in the lead making, the various processes in pencil manufacture are largely automatic and are carried on with machinery. More women than men are employed. The following table shows the percentage of men, women, and children employed as wage earners for comparative census years:

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Organization. The corporate form of ownership predominated in the pencil industry in 1914, 13 of the 14 establishments reported being corporations, capitalized at a total of $16,670,000, or an average individual capitalization of $1,282,000.

Geographical distribution.-New York and New Jersey each have 4 of the 14 establishments manufacturing lead pencils. Other States with the number of establishments reported in 1914 were: Pennsylvania, 2; Rhode Island, 1; Kansas, 1; Illinois, 1; Georgia, 1.

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History of the industry. The present method of manufacturing lead pencils by mixing the graphite with clay was originated by Conté, a Frenchman, about 1800. The process was really perfected by the Germans. The manufacture of lead pencils was first established in the United States by representatives of the Fabers, of Germany, in 1861. In 1865 two other American pencil companies were established. The Joseph Dixon Crucible Co. attempted the manufacture of pencils as early as 1830, but did not meet with success at that time. However, in 1872 they again undertook the manufacture of pencils and met with success. As elsewhere stated, the necessary materials for pencil manufacture are found in abundance in the United States.

Domestic production and consumption. There has been a steady growth in the value of products of the industry, as shown by the following table:

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During the years immediately preceding the war the value of imports and exports practically balanced, at about 5 to 7 per cent of value of domestic products. Exports since the war have increased by leaps and bounds, from a value of $533,944 in 1914 to $2,748,129 in 1918. It is quite evident that domestic production is fully able to supply the domestic demand.

Domestic exports.-Exports of pencils and pencil leads have grown from a value of $380,315 in 1910 to $2,748,129 in 1918 (fiscal years), with the greater part of the increase occurring since the beginning of the war. Exports for the calendar year 1920 reached a total value of $3,849,221, while the value of imports was $208, 527. Germany, the principal competitor of the United States, was cut off from her export trade during the war.

Exports from the United States went to England, Canada, the South American countries, and Australia. Nearly one-half of the value of exports in 1918 ($1,015,487) went to England alone, and $383,271 went to Canada.

FOREIGN PRODUCTION.

The import figures appear to indicate that pencils came principally from Germany and England. The pencils coming from England were, however, no doubt mostly transshipped from Austria, since it has been commonly recognized that L. & C. Hardtmuth have been the principal exporters to the United States, and since the import figures do not show large imports from Austria.

Japan is now undertaking the manufacture of pencils, and some pencils are made in Denmark. The quality of the Japanese pencils has not yet reached a high enough standard to cause much competition. Danish pencils are of good quality, but cost about the same or a little more than comparable American pencils.

The latest information from Germany leads to the conclusion that it will be a long time before her pencil makers can again offer serious competition. Cedar stocks are depleted and white woods are being used. The cedar is secured from the United States. German factories are short of fuel, wages have increased, and shorter hours of work prevail, with less production per hour, and the prices have increased from 300 to 600 per cent. Orders are taken only on the basis of prices at the time of shipment.

The "Kohinoor" pencils, made by L. & C. Hardtmuth, formerly of Austria, but now of the new Republic of Czechoslovakia, sell on the basis of quality and reputation and compete only with the very highest-priced goods. Their competition is not so much feared as that of the lower-priced German pencil. They have not been available to the American trade in large quantities since the war began.

IMPORTS.

Imports were practically constant in value during the years preceding the war, at about $500,000 annually, increasing to $642,998 in 1914. Since 1914 they have fallen off, until the value in the fiscal year 1918 was only $6,085. Imports for the calendar year 1920 were valued at $208,527.

Imports have come principally and almost entirely from Germany and England, in about equal amounts. However, the imports from England were no doubt largely transshipped from Austria.

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