PARAGRAPH 224-CIGARS, CIGARETTES, ETC. Representative Reyburn, PHILADELPHIA, PA., January 30, 1913. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: Increased revenue tax on cigars means one of two things-closing down of factories or reducing the present low standard of wages to the starvation point. All fair-minded Representatives will work to defeat the measure. BAYUK BROS. Co. CHICAGO, ILL., January 30, 1913. OSCAR W. UNDErwood, Chairman Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: The Cigar Makers' International Union earnestly protests against any increase in the internal-revenue tax on cigars. Cigars have a fixed retail selling price. The burden of increased internal taxation falls directly on the trade, not the consumer. Heretofore reductions in wages have universally followed an increase in the internalrevenue tax. This is a positive statement grounded upon the records of this office. Increase the internal-revenue tax and you will reduce the wages of fully 70,000 if not over 100,000 working men and women. Written brief is on the way. G. W. PERKINS, International President. SOUTH PHILADELPHIA, PA., January 31, 1913. CHAIRMAN WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: Wish to be recorded as protesting against proposed increase of internal-revenue tax on cigars. ALLEN R. CRESMAN'S SONS. NEW YORK, January 30, 1913. Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD, Chairman Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: As president of the National Association of Cigar Manufacturers of the United States I strongly protest against any increased internal revenue on cigars. The industry is now suffering from undue taxation and any further increase will mean a cut in labor and cut in tobaccos purchased from the farmers in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ohio. Ninety per cent of cigars in this country are sold for 5 cents-it is impossible to change the unit of a nickel and get 6 cents. I understand there is a movement on foot to increase the internal-revenue tax on cigars from $3 to $5. If this is permitted it will demoralize the industry. JACOB WERTHEIM, President. This concludes the hearing on Schedule F. SCHEDULE G.-AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND PROVISIONS. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, January 20 and 21, 1913. The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Oscar W. Underwood (chairman) presiding. Present with the chairman: Messrs. Harrison, Kitchin, James, Rainey, Dixon, Hull, Hammond, Peters, Palmer, Payne, McCall, Hill, Needham, Fordney, and Longworth. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. Gentlemen, the committee, in order that we may dispose of the large number of witnesses that are coming here, has been allowing each witness 10 minutes. Of course, that does not include the time taken in cross-examination. We will endeavor to let each witness have 10 minutes, and if the committee wants to crossexamine afterwards the time so, consumed will not be taken out of his time. We want to give all of the witnesses a chance to be heard. Representative SPARKMAN. May I ask the Chair, would it be proper for one party who will appear here to yield his time to another? The CHAIRMAN. The committee has been in the habit, where there is an important subject and there are several witnesses whose names appear on the calendar, of allowing them to select one man to make the statement; under such circumstances they may yield their time, 10 minutes, to anyone else. Of course the committee reserves the right, where it does not think the subject requires so much time, not to do that. PARAGRAPH 225. Cattle, if less than one year old, two dollars per head; all other cattle if valued at not more than fourteen dollars per head, three dollars and seventyfive cents per head; if valued at more than fourteen dollars per head, twentyseven and one-half per centum ad valorem. CATTLE. TESTIMONY OF MR. DANIEL J. HALEY, OF THE UNITED MASTER BUTCHERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. The witness was duly sworn by the chairman. Mr. HALEY. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I represent the United Master Butchers' Association of America, an organization composed of retail market men. We have branches in every section of the country and represent the sentiment of a good many men in the trade. I have a great deal of data or figures to offer simply as facts in support of our contention that the tariff on cattle, animals designed for human food and meats, should be eliminated. |