PARAGRAPH 488-COPAL GUM.

varnishes if the American manufacturer is burdened with any duty on the raw materials that enter into varnish manufacture.

Eighth. The Canadian manufacturer, our nearest competitor, pays no duty on gums copal, kauri, damar, shellac, or Chinese nut oil, and therefore the imposition of a duty on these articles would be a manifest injustice to the varnish manufacturer of this country.

VARNISH INDUSTRY.

It is not generally known to what extent varnish is used, and that it has become a Lecessity and ceased to be a luxury. It is used on woodwork and metal work of buildings, on furniture, agricultural implements, sewing machines, locks, bolts, hardware, metal work, labels, pianos, wagons, carriages, automobiles, and in short on almost everything where wood or metal is exposed. It is now being applied to the interior walls and floors of concrete work to give a good surface and to prevent the flying of dust.

For sanitary purposes it is of great importance, as in hospitals and public buildings. From the above it can be clearly seen that a duty on any raw material used in the manufacture of varnish will affect directly or indirectly every person in the country. The growth of the varnish industry in this country is due largely to the fact that we have free raw materials.

In the report of the census of manufactures of 1905, part 4, page 461, it is stated that the value of oil and turpentine varnish was $16,170,614 and that the value of alcohol varnish for the same period was $2,202,645, from which it would appear that the varnish industry in this country is a very substantial one, and the product of this domestic industry has increased very greatly since 1905.

The present tariff has produced no trusts, pool, or agreement on prices. Internal competition has reduced the price of the article to a minimum of a reasonable profit on the capital employed.

The revenue derived from a duty on all of these raw materials referred to would be comparatively of small benefit to the Government as a source of revenue, and yet such an imposition of duty would greatly injure a growing domestic industry. We beg to call your attention to an interesting fact and that is, after the hearings of the Senate Finance Committee on the House bill 20182, the minority of the Finance Committee, composed of Senators J. W. Bailey, F. M. Simmons, William J. Stone, John Sharp Williams, John W. Kern, and Charles F. Johnson, gave their views to the Senate in Calendar No. 576, and recommended amendments which would return all of these articles to the free list. The Hon. Charles F. Johnson of Maine, in his speech in the Senate June 14, 1912, favoring the passage of this same bill, also offered the amendments already mentioned.

In view of the foregoing facts, the National Varnish Manufacturers Association urges respectfully upon your honorable committee that gums copal, kauri, damar, shellac, and Chinese nut oil and soya-bean oil shall remain on the free list, all of which is respectfully submitted.

NATIONAL VARNISH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION,
R. O. WALKER, President.

Tariff committee: Col. P. H. Callahan, chairman, Louisville Varnish Co.; Max Wolf, Standard Varnish Works; Charles C. Chopp, Glidden Varnish Co.; L. H. Conklin, Flood & Conklin Co.; S. V. V. Huntington, Edw. Smith & Co.; Col. Franklin Murphy, jr., Murphy Varnish Co.; W. H. Phillips, F. W. Devoe & C. T. Raynolds Co.

EXHIBIT.

London and New York quotations on linseed oil from July 1, 1911, to Nov. 21, 1912.

PARAGRAPH 491-ANALINE SALTS.

London and New York quotations on linseed oil from July 1, 1911, to Nov. 21, 1912—Con.

BRIEF OF THE BENZOL PRODUCTS CO. REGARDING THE AMENDMENT OF THE CHEMICAL SCHEDULE.

Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD,
Chairman Ways and Means Committee,

NEW YORK, January 27, 1913.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

SIR: This statement concerns only two articles, aniline oil and aniline salt. Both are now duty free (pars. 639 and 491). It is proposed to impose a duty of 10 per cent ad valorem on each (H. R. 20182, par. 24). Since present European exportations of these articles to the United States are sold below cost, we believe that higher moderate duties thereon would not tend to increase domestic prices. We suggest a duty of 20 per cent ad valorem, or 14 cents per pound on each.

This company was formed in 1910 for the purpose of utilizing part of the increasing domestic production of benzol and mineral acids in the manufacture of aniline oil and aniline salt. Both articles were then and are now extensively used in this country.

PARAGRAPH 491-ANALINE SALTS.

Until we began business the entire domestic consumption of each was imported from Europe, where their production and sale were and are controlled by "convention' among large and powerful manufacturers.

In 1910 the importations into the United States of aniline oil and salt, and their total and unit values, were as follows:

With a prospect of securing at first a small share of this market and gradually developing the domestic industry in competition with European manufacturers, we undertook to manufacture both articles, starting with a capacity of 2,000,000 pounds aniline oil and salt per annum. As soon, however, as the European "convention" became aware of our plans, its members announced their intention of putting us out of business as promptly as possible by underselling, regardless of costs, while our production was still small in proportion to their exports to this country. Accordingly, they at once cut the regular net delivered market price of their exports to this country to 9.9 cents for aniline oil and 8.4 cents for aniline salt, and made secret contracts for sales in large quantities at far lower prices. In the instance of one of the largest consumers in the United States a price for aniline oil of 8.5 cents a reduction of 2.4 cents per pound-failed to secure the contract.

These European sales are at prices below cost. Similar reductions have not taken place in other countries. The reductions here were made in the face of a world-wide advance in the prices of the materials entering into aniline oil and aniline salt, involving an advance in manufacturing costs of at least 1 cent per pound of product.

So long as Europe continues its present policy of exporting these articles to the United States at prices regardless of cost the rate of duty thereon, unless very excessive, can not of course be a factor in the determination of the domestic price. We assume that this policy will be continued until the domestic industry either has been destroyed or has so far displaced European exports as to exclude that possibility. The latter condition is years off, even under the most favorable conditions.

As each of the commodities referred to is known commercially as of only one strength, quality, and grade, specific duties thereon would be more appropriate than ad valorem. We therefore request that the bill H. R. 20182 be amended as follows: Page 3, between lines 13 and 14, insert:

"8a. Aniline oil and salt, 14 cents per pound." Respectfully submitted."

PARAGRAPH 492.

BENZOL PRODUCTS Co.,

ROLAND G. HAZARD, President.

Any animal imported by a citizen of the United States specially for breeding purposes shall be admitted free, whether intended to be so used by the importer himself, or for sale for such purpose: Provided, That no such animal shall be admitted free unless pure bred of a recognized breed, and duly registered in the book of record established for that breed: And provided further, That certificate of such record and of the pedigree of such animal shall be produced and submitted to the customs officer, duly authenticated by the proper custodian of such book of record, together with the affidavit of the owner, agent, or importer that such animal is the identical animal described in said certificate of record and pedigree: And provided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture shall determine and certify to the Secretary of the Treasury what are recognized breeds and pure bred animals under the provisions of this paragraph. The Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe such additional regulations as may be required for the strict enforcement of this provision. Cattle, horses, sheep, or other domestic animals straying across the boundary line into any foreign country, or driven across such boundary line by the owner for temporary pasturage purposes only, together with their off

PARAGRAPH 491-ANALINE SALTS.

spring, may be brought back to the United States within six months free of duty, under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury: And provided further, That the provisions of this act shall apply to all such animals as have been imported and are in quarantine, or otherwise in the custody of customs or other officers of the United States, at the date of the passage of this act.

PARAGRAPH 493.

Animals brought into the United States temporarily for a period not exceeding six months, for the purpose of breeding, exhibition, or competition for prizes offered by any argicultural, polo, or racing association; but a bond shall be given in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury; also teams of animals, including their harness and tackle, and the wagons or other vehicles actually owned by persons emigrating from foreign countries to the United States with their families, and in actual use for the purpose of such emigration under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe; and wild animals intended for exhibition in zoological collections for scientific and educational purposes, and not for sale or profit.

PARAGRAPH 494.

Annatto, roucou, rocoa, or orleans, and all extracts of. PARAGRAPH 495.

Apatite.

PARAGRAPH 496.

Arrowroot in its natural state and not manufactured.

PARAGRAPH 497.

Arsenic and sulphide of arsenic, or orpiment.

PARAGRAPH 498.

Arseniate of aniline.

PARAGRAPH 499.

Articles in a crude state used in dyeing or tanning not specially provided for in this section.

PARAGRAPH 500.

Articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, not including animals, when returned after having been exported, without having been advanced in value or improved in condition by any process of manufacture or other means; casks, barrels, carboys, bags, and other containers or coverings of American manufacture exported filled with American products, or exported empty and returned filled with foreign products, including shooks and staves when returned as barrels or boxes; also quicksilver flasks or bottles, iron or steel drums used for the shipment of acids, of either domestic or foreign manufacture, which shall have been actually exported from the United States; but proof of the identity of such articles shall be made, under general regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, but the exemption of bags from duty shall apply only to such domestic bags as may be imported by the exporter thereof, and if any such articles are subject to internal-revenue tax at the time of exportation, such tax shall be proved to have been paid before exportation and not refunded; photographic dry plates or films of American manufacture (except moving-picture films), exposed abroad, whether developed or not, and films from moving-picture machines, light struck or otherwise damaged, or worn out, so as to be unsuitable for any other purpose than the recovery of the constituent materials, provided the basic films are of American manufacture, but proof of the identity of such articles shall be made under general regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury: Provided, That this paragraph shall not apply to any article upon which an allowance of drawback has been made, the reimportation of which is hereby prohibited except upon payment of duties equal to the drawbacks allowed; or to any article manufactured in bonded warehouse and exported under any provision of law: And provided further, That when manufactured tobacco which has been exported without payment of internalrevenue tax shall be reimported it shall be retained in the custody of the collector of customs until internal-revenue stamps in payment of the legal duties shall be placed thereon.

PARAGRAPH 501.

PARAGRAPH 506-BEESWAX,

Asbestos, unmanufactured.

PARAGRAPH 502.

Ashes, wood and lye of, and beet-root ashes.

PARAGRAPH 503.

Asafetida.

PARAGRAPH 504.

Balm of Gilead.

PARAGRAPH 505.

Barks, cinchona or other from which quinine may be extracted. PARAGRAPH 506.

Beeswax.

BEESWAX.

BRIEF FROM E. A. BROMUND & CO. ON WHITE BEESWAX.

Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD,

Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: We take the liberty of submitting this short brief on the subject of white beeswax.

The domestic production of white bleached beeswax costs the American manufacturer from 37 to 39 cents per pound to produce. The foreign article, largely imported from Germany, is sold here at prices of 36 to 37 cents per pound.

White beeswax is strictly a product of the bleacher, requiring experienced and skilled labor, and is consumed almost entirely in manufacturing toilet cream preparations and other luxurious compounds; therefore, white beeswax can not be described as one of the important necessities. The cost of the raw or crude beeswax is about 30 to 32 cents per pound.

A duty of 20 per cent would be reasonable and a fair taxation on white beeswax. It would equalize, somewhat, the differences in the cost of bleaching. Your valued and favorable consideration would be of great service to the American manufacturer of white beeswax.

There can be no injury to the American producer of raw or natural beeswax, as the conditions here are practically the same as to price and cost to the consumer.

Yours, very truly,

Chairman UNDERWOOD,

E. A. BROMUND & Co.,

E. A. BROMund.

NEW YORK, December 4, 1912.

The Ways and Means Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: We wrote you several letters within the past year in reference to the importation of white beeswax, manufactured and mainly imported from Germany. We acknowledged receipt of your esteemed letters in which you very courteously informed us that the subject would be duly considered and presented to the tarif committee. We take the liberty of broaching this important matter again, both in justice to ourselves, as well as affecting the welfare of the labor thus employed. We have previously explained the salient details and facts relating to the manufacture of white beeswax and the many reasons why the American manufacturer can not compete with the foreign producer.

The comparative conditions as to the cost of manufacturing are no doubt entirely familiar to the honorable chairman; therefore, we would repeat and emphasize more especially the main issue that white beeswax is strictly and undeniably a product of the bleachery, requiring the employment of skilled and experienced labor.

We would state further that white beeswax is consumed extensively in the manufacturing of many toilet cream preparations commonly called "cold cream;" therefore, this product can not be described or classified in a strict sense as a commodity which is indispensably and potentially necessary to the general welfare of the American public; consequently we would presume from these facts that the importation of white beeswax would appeal very pertinently and favorably as foreign merchandise, fully justifying a revenue tax and duty to some extent at least.