tation of contract labor, the workman from abroad being regarded as a contract laborer if he comes here with a position already arranged for. Mr. FORDNEY. What is the difference, do you say, between the cost of labor here and in Germany? Mr. BLANCHARD. Four dollars here to $1 there, approximately. These schedules are on page 6 of the brief. The CHAIRMAN. He stated exactly in the brief what it is. Mr. FORDNEY. Yes; but it will be some time before I get that brief. Mr. GAINES. That statement as to the comparative rate of wages seems to be a matter of some doubt. Do you file with the committee evidences of the difference that you claim? Mr. BLANCHARD. Yes, sir. I will give you the entire details. Some of them have come from the chief clerk of the Census Bureau, Mr. Rossiter, and I will file with the committee the authorities from which they are compiled. Mr. FORDNEY. The Republican campaign text-book showed that the difference between the wages here and in Germany was very great, sir, and I had that in mind. [Laughter.] Mr. CRUMPACKER. I had the idea that the difference was great, but I did not know it was so great as that. The Germans, I should think, would come over under the present conditions. Mr. BLANCHARD. The German post cards come over, and why? Because Blanchard can not get people here to make them and pay the bills for labor. The CHAIRMAN. The committee have been obtaining during the recess, through the State Department, reports on the cost of labor abroad, and I have had one of the clerks prepare a statement of the cost of labor of hand compositors, and so forth, the class of labor mentioned in his brief, and while the wages vary from his brief, they show a higher cost paid in Great Britain, while they are meager in Germany. The chairman submitted the following: The following rates are paid by the city of Sheffield, England, in cases where no contract for printing is made, as given in printed circular accompanying report of consul at that place: Hand compositors, $8.40 per week; machine compositors (linotype), $10.08 per week; machine minders, $8.40 per week; lithograph printers, $8.30 per week. News printers-compositors (night work), $10.80; compositors (day work), $10.08; machine minders (day work), $8.40; jobbing compositors, $8.40. Coburg, Germany, pays $7.14 per week for male compositors; Stuttgart, Germany, $8.80; Nice, France, $10.45; Berne, Switzerland, $8.20. BRIEF OF THE TYPOTHETÆ OF NEW YORK CITY RELATIVE TO THE TARIFFS AFFECTING THE PRINTING INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. WASHINGTON, D. C., November 21, 1908. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: The Typothetæ of the city of New York is an organization composed of the leading houses of the graphic arts trades in that greatest American city. Our organization is a part of the United Typothetæ of America (the national organization of the graphic arts trade) and is the strongest branch of that national organization of employing printers. We feel, therefore, that we represent to-day the sentiment of the American job printers and publishers of this country. The printing industry in New York City is its second greatest industry, and occupies a high relative position in all of the other leading cities of the United States, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, St. Louis, and San Francisco following in the order named. We would respectfully request from your committee the further privilege of laying before you at a later hearing such additional specific information from our national organization and other local organizations as will be of further use to your committee in reaching wise and helpful conclusions as to legislation. Many members of our organization are represented in the brief presented to your honorable committee by the National Association of Employing Lithographers. Our membership beg to indorse in detail the representations placed before you by that organization. Our membership also includes the largest manufacturers of post cards in the United States. Respectfully submitted. ISAAC H. BLANCHARD, Chairman of the Executive Committee Typotheta of the City of New York. President Typotheta of the City of New York. TARIFF SCHEDULES IN FORCE AT THE PRESENT TIME AFFECTING THE PRINTING INDUSTRY. Tariff on manufactures of paper. 403. Books of all kinds, including blank books and pamphlets, and engravings bound or unbound, photographs, etchings, maps, charts, music in books or sheets, and printed matter, all the foregoing not specially provided for in this act, twenty-five per centum ad valorem. Free list. 500. Books, engravings, photographs, etchings bound or unbound, maps and charts imported by authority or for the use of the United States or for the use of the Library of Congress. 501. Books, maps, music, engravings, photographs, etchings bound or unbound, and charts, which shall have been printed more than twenty years at the date of importation, and all hydrographic charts, and publications issued for their subscribers or exchanges by scientific and literary associations or academies, or publications of individuals for gratuitous private circulation, and public documents issued by foreign governments. 502. Books and pamphlets printed exclusively in languages other than English; also books and music, in raised print, used exclusively by the blind. 503. Books, maps, music, photographs, etchings, lithographic prints, and charts, specially imported, not more than two copies in any one invoice, in good faith, for the use or by order of any society or institution incorporated or established solely for religious, philosophical, educational, scientific, or literary purposes, or for the en couragement of the fine arts, or for the use or by order of any college, academy, school, or seminary of learning in the United States, or any state or public library, and not for sale, subject to such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe. PROPOSED TARIFF ON MANUFACTURE OF PAPER. Substitute for section 403. Books of all kinds, including blank books and pamphlets, and engravings bound or unbound, photographs, etchings, maps, charts, music in books or sheets, and printed matter, all the foregoing not specially provided for in this act, seventy-five per centum ad valorem. Substitute for section 500. Books, engravings, photographs, etchings bound or unbound, maps, and charts imported for the use of the Library of Congress. Substitute for section 501. All hydrographic charts and publications issued for their subscribers or exchanges by scientific and literary associations or acade mies, and public documents issued by foreign governments. Substitute for section 502. Books and music in raised print used exclusively by the blind. Volume of job-printing industry in the United States. From page 21 of Bulletin 79, Census of Manufactures for the year 1907: Book and job printing, 1880, $90,979,341; book and job printing, 1890, $95,592,765; book and job printing, 1900, $124,070,861; book and job printing, 1905, $186,759,503. Volume of imports in job-printing industry. Books, maps, engravings, music, photographs, etc., which have been printed more than twenty years at date of importation, and all hydrographic charts and publications issued for their subscribers or exchanges by scientific or literary associations, or academies, or publications of individuals for gratuitous private circulation, and public documents issued by foreign governments (free of duty)-1900, $621,623.38; 1905, $953,797.81; 1907, $1,238,877.50. Books and pamphlets printed exclusively in languages other than English (free of duty)—1900, $789,849.05; 1905, $1,088,957.15; 1907, $1,459.134.89. Books and music in raised print, used by blind (free)-1900, $512; 1905, $595; 1907, $567. (Act of 1907.) Books, maps, music, photographs, etchings, litho graphic prints and charts specially imported, not more than two copies in any one invoice, in good faith, for the use of any society or institution incorporated or established for educational, philosophical, scientific, literary, or religious purposes, or for the encouragement of the fine arts, or for the use or by the order of any college, academy, school, seminary of learning in the United States or any state or public library and not for sale (free)-1900, $191,528.50; 1905, $265,871.84; 1907, $302,349.41. Books; pamphlets, bound or unbound; maps, charts, music in books or sheets, and all printed matter not specially provided for. Rate of duty, 25 per cent-1900, $1,327,727.14; 1905, $1,753,864.75; 1907, $2,770,061.67. Engravings, bound or unbound; etchings and photographs. Duty 25 per cent 1900, $210,852.91; 1905, $213,022.17 ($1,318); 1907, $273,317.33. Weekly wages comparison in printing trades expressed in United States currency. NOTE. These figures for Germany are averages from 33 cities in 1905 plus a 10 per cent increase to provide for the wage increases granted during the year 1907, the records being compiled from United States census reports. These figures for Great Britain are approximately from reports in the files of the American Tariff League of New York. These figures for the United States are the scales of wages paid in New York City, and are representative of the wage scales throughout the entire United States. In the illustrations which we herewith submit as concrete methods of showing present conditions and conditions which are desired, a few points should be borne in mind. First. In all printing inventories the labor item fluctuates from 30 per cent to 80 per cent of the entire inventory value, depending on the number of copies in an edition. Second. As shown in the tables, wages in Germany are from 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the American wages, while wages in Great Britain are from 50 per cent to 70 per cent of American wages. In our illustrations we base our estimates on wages at 333 per cent of American wages. Third. In our estimate we have based the values of merchandise used at the same figures in the United States as abroad, although in reality these values throughout Europe are considerably less than in the United States. Fourth. In making allowance for cost of transportation, insurance, and interest on the capital invested during transit, we have allowed. but 25 per cent on the inventory value, which experience demonstrates to be a low estimate. Illustration No. 1. On an inventory of $1.000, where the labor value is 75 per cent of the total, the laid-down value of this inventory is: If produced in the United States at wages three times as great as covered by the inventory on an inventory consisting of 75 per cent labor and 25 per cent merchandise stock, the laid-down value of the $1,000 inventory is: Merchandise stock. Labor Total present laid-down value, American manufacture__ $250 2,250 2, 500 If a tariff of 75 per cent, as proposed, prevailed, the conditions would be as follows: Original inventory--. 75 per cent duty---. Interest and transportation charges... Total proposed laid-down value of $1,000 inventory--. Illustration No. 2. $1,000 750 25 1,775 On an inventory of $1,000, where the labor value is 50 per cent of the total, the laid-down value of $1,000 inventory is $1,275. If produced in the United States, at wages three times as great as covered by the inventory value, consisting of 50 per cent labor and 50 per cent merchandise stock, the laid-down value of the $1,000 inventory is: Merchandise stock_. Labor Total present laid-down value, American manufacture‒‒‒‒‒ $500 1,500 2,000 If a tariff of 75 per cent prevailed, the total laid-down value of the $1,000 inventory would be $1,775. Illustration No. 3. On an inventory of $1,000, where the labor value is 25 per cent of the total, the laid-down value of $1,000 inventory is $1,275. If produced in the United States at wages three times as great as covered by the inventory, value on an inventory consisting of 25 per cent labor and 75 per cent merchandise stock, the laid-down value of the $1,000 inventory is: Merchandise stock. Labor -- Total present laid-down value, American manufacture_--- $750 750 1,500 If a tariff of 75 per cent prevailed, the total present laid-down value on this inventory would be $1,775. Conclusion. From the above tables it is apparent that with a tariff of 75 per cent the merchandise stock values of the average inventory would have to be in excess of one-half of the total inventory before the American manufacturer would be able to deliver the goods at a price equal to the price quoted by the foreign manufacturer. |