PARAGRAPHS 92-94-POTTERY. TO SUMMARIZE. We claim that the American potter has practically solved the problems of earthenware manufacture; that the domestic industry has passed completely out of the stage of infancy to full adult maturity, and no longer requires or is entitled to the practically prohibitive tax now existing. We ask relief from the exorbitant unnecessary duty of 55 and 60 per cent and urge a rate of 30 per cent on earthenware and 35 per cent on china as abundant, fair, and equitable, both to the manufacturer and the consumer. N. B. We think it should be prominently noted that sanitary ware, common yellow ware, and common salt-glaze stoneware are practically excluded from this country by the present rates of duty. The freight alone on such heavy bulk is sufficient protection. On a shipment of 12 crates by the steamship West Point to Philadelphia, December, 1912, the factory value was £54 168. and the sea freight alone was £20 18s., amounting to 38 per cent of the value of the goods. We therefore recommend that the duty on these lines should not exceed 10 per cent ad valorem. SCHEDULE B, PARAGRAPHS 92, 93, 94. 92. Common yellow, brown, red, or gray earthenware; brown stoneware; plain, embossed, or salt-glazed stoneware and crucibles, all the foregoing not decorated in any manner, 10 per cent ad valorem. 93. China, porcelain, bisque, and Parian ware composed of a nonabsorbent and translucent body, not specially provided for, including clock cases with or without movements, and all other articles composed wholly or in chief value of such ware, all of the foregoing plain, embossed or decorated, in any manner, 35 per cent ad valorem. 94. Earthenware, stoneware, crockery, white granite, and semiporcelain, whether or not vitrified in whole or in part, or whether or not composed of a hard opaque but porous body capable of absorbing moisture, including plates, cups, saucers, and other articles or pieces, such as are commonly used in breakfast, dinner, tea, and similar table sets, toilet sets, hotel ware, Pill tiles, clock cases, with or without movements, placques, ornaments, toys, vases, statues, statuettes, mugs, steins, and lamps, together with all other articles composed wholly or in chief value of such ware, all of the foregoing, plain, embossed or decorated in any manner, 30 per cent ad valorem. Rockingham, jet and samian ware, plain or decorated, 30 per cent ad valorem. SCHEDULE B.-Section 85, tiles and quarries. We submit that the present rate of 8 cents per square foot is excessive and should be reduced to 4 cents per square foot, and quarries should not exceed 15 per cent ad valorem. We append examples showing that the duty on tiles at 8 cents per square foot is equivalent to more than 60 per cent ad valorem, and on quarries the sea and ocean freight alone are equivalent to 160 per cent ad valorem, without any duty added what ever. EXHIBIT No. 1. 20 casks containing 200 square yards (1,600 square feet), unselected quality, PARAGRAPHS 92-94-POTTERY. From the above example we show that the freight alone to Liverpool is more than 100 per cent of the cost of the goods at the factory and that the sea freight to New York is equal to 60 per cent of the goods at the factory. We, therefore, submit that the geographical protection is more than abundant and we ask a reduction on this class to 15 per cent ad valorem. W. S. PITCAIRN. The following telegrams were also submitted by the witness: CLEVELAND, OHIO. W. S. PITCAIRN, Washington, D. C. We most heartily indorse suggested new tariff rates china 35 and earthenware 25, considering both fair and equitable. W. S. PITCAIRN, Washington, D. C. THE KINNEY & LEVAN CO. CHICAGO, January 7, 1913. We just wired the Hon. Oscar Underwood as follows: As extensive handlers of both foreign and domestic earthenware and French and German china, we strongly recommend a duty as follows: Earthenware 25 per cent, and china 35 per cent. We authorize you to advocate the above rates in our behalf. G. B. JONES or W. S. PITCAIRN, Washington, D. C. BURLEY & TYRILL. ST. JOSEPH, Mo., January 7, 1913. Thirty-five cents on china and 25 on earthenware is a fair and equitable rate of duty. We handle both American and imported china and earthenware. REGNIER & SHOUP CROCKERY CO. WM. PITCAIRN, Washington, D. C. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., January 7, 1913. Think 35 on china and 25 on earthenware reasonable duty. We are in favor of reduction of duty on china and earthenware, and indorse your proposed new rates of 35 on china and 25 on earthenware. PRAEL HEGELE & Co. MILWAUKEE, Wis., January 7, 1913. GEO. B. JONES, Washington, D. C.: We indorse the request of new rates mentioned in your telegram. WILD & ROHN. PARAGRAPHS 92-94-POTTERY. PORTLAND, OREG., January 7, 1913. GEO. B. JONES, Washington, D. C.: Fully indorse proposed rates earthenware. Will cheerfully give all assistance possible. M. SELLERS & Co. G. B. JONES, Washington, D. C.: KANSAS CITY, Mo., January 7-8, 1913. We fully indorse your request for new rate of duty china 35 per cent, earthenware 25 per cent. We believe these rates to be fair alike to American manufacturers, to dealers, and to consumers. Goods in bond should be subject to new rates of duty T. M. JAMES & SONS. when released. ADDITIONAL BRIEF OF W. S. PITCAIRN ET AL. A FEW ILLUMINATING FACTS AND FIGURES. Domestic productions and importations, 1912. Domestic. Imports. Par. 92, common yellow and brown earthenware kitchen utensils, salt-glaze stoneware, etc. Pars. 93 and 94, earthenware, table and toilet ware, etc... 15,000,000 1,850,000 Total earthenware.. 29,000,000 2,000,000 Pars. 93 and 94, china, tea, and table ware, bric-a-brac, and fancy ornaments. 2,000,000 8,000,000 The foreign value of earthenware imported is only 7 per cent of the domestic production and decreasing each year. Of China the domestic production is practically all hotel china, as the domestic potter (except Lennox of Trenton) has never seriously attempted to manufacture china dinner ware, which must therefore be supplied from the foreign factories. It is true a large quantity of domestic ware is sold and misbranded china," but is actually and only earthenware. FACTS VERSUS STATEMENTS OF WILLIAM BURGESS. In the brief presented January 8, 1913, to the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. William Burgess, representative of the United States Potters Association, quotes a mass of statistics so flagrantly erroneous as to merit flat contradiction. He states that his figures were obtained while he occupied the position of United States consul at Tunstall, England. That was in 1890, over 20 years ago, and every intelligent man knows that industrial conditions have vastly changed in that period. His quotations for English labor and material are identically the same as he quoted before the Payne committee in 1908 (Print 28, pp. 4000-4008), and represented earnings during a period when English factories were working about three days a week. Mr. Burgess is careful to quote advances since 1908 in American labor, but entirely ignores similar material advances in the English market, and present wages under On page 372 (Underwood Tariff Hearing No. 3, p. -), Mr. Burgess compares the total cost of an American and English factory output, in a vain attempt to prove that the domestic white ware costs 78 per cent more than English. Here again Mr. Burgess's figures of 1913 are identical with those of 1908, although he claims to be paying about 20 per cent higher for labor and materials. Here are the actual selling prices of this output based on 1912 quotations of standard brands: The difference is 18 and not 78 per cent, and if the expense of freights, etc., be added, there would be practically no difference in cost whatever. The English ware at the port of entry, without any duty, would be almost on a parity with the domestic selling price. We submit that the tariff of 55 and 60 per cent on earthenware is excessive and prohibitive. We urge a separate classification of paragraphs 93 and 94 for china and earthenware, with a duty not exceeding 30 per cent on earthenware. WM. S. PITCAIRN. GEO. B. JONES. STATEMENT OF CHARLES L. CASEY, ESQ., REPRESENTING THE GUERNSEY EARTHENWARE CO. PARAGRAPH 93. Mr. HARRISON. As to what paragraph do you speak? Mr. HARRISON. Proceed. Mr. CASEY. I am here, gentlemen, representing the Guernsey Earthenware Co. and its employees, of Cambridge, Ohio. We ask that we be continued under the same classification with a duty of 60 per cent, as now obtains by paragraph 93, Schedule B, of the act of 1909, and protesting against any reduction of the present duty. There are many reasons for us doing so. We are manufacturing a very complete line of earthenware cooking utensils, sold under the trade name Guernsey," consisting of brown earthenware outer body, white enamel lining inside, with a clear glaze over the whole surface. This product we have been manufacturing some 10 years, starting in a very small way along with other wares that we were manufacturing PARAGRAPHS 92-94-POTTERY. on so close a margin that we were fortunate to stay in business, so much so that it was simply a question of doing something, developing a new industry; in other words, a new line of earthenware in this country. We are the first American producers of the casserole, and we believe, gentlemen, you appreciate what we have done along the lines of good cooking. In fact, to some extent we have cheapened the high cost of living, you might say, by making cheap cuts of meat more tender and delicious. At the beginning, and for the first six years, our business grew very slowly from a few thousand dollars annually along to $45,000 in 1908, this being a period of six years strenuous hard work and discouraging results, notwithstanding the fact of paying the closest attention to details and applying modern methods, not alone in manufacturing but also finding a market and selling our product. There were many reasons for discouragement, perhaps the principal one after we had successfully mastered the manufacturing end being the classification of similar wares on import. Just about this time a decision was given by the Board of Appraisers, Customhouse, New York City, giving similar wares a classification under 55 per cent duty, and at the last hearing of the Ways and Means Committee in 1909 they gave us the benefit of an extra 5 per cent, making the present duty 60 per cent. Now, gentlemen, during the past four years we have increased our production, we have given our labor the benefits of 20 per cent to 25 per cent increase of wages, and at the same time the consumer, the American merchant, the benefit of a reduction in price, running through the whole line from 10 per cent to 20 per cent in his cost or purchasing price. To-day he can buy our wares, or those of a similar kind on import, from 40 per cent to 50 per cent less than 10 years ago. For instance, a custard cup, similar to the one I hold in my hand, would have cost him 72 cents per dozen duty paid on import, f. o. b. New York City, 10 years ago. To-day the same thing can be purchased on import for 47 cents per dozen, duty paid, f. o. b. New York City. Our price, f. o. b. Cambridge, Ohio, is 49 cents per dozen. We also wish to call your attention to a few exhibits, all being standard shapes and sizes, which we have filed along with our brief, showing the difference in price on all items in favor of the foreign manufacturer or importer. Through our whole line, gentlemen, there are no exceptions. The foreign manufacturer, or, in other words, the importer, can and does undersell us from 5 per cent to 25 per cent, in some instances more, and after paying a duty of 60 per cent. Notwithstanding these conditions, we are satisfied to meet them as competitors and ask that the present duty of 60 per cent be continued. We will file our brief and honestly ask your careful consideration of the same. Our factory, located at Cambridge, Ohio, is open for the inspection of your committee. We will be very glad to show you our methods that you may see what we have and what we are doing. Mr. JAMES. Are you willing to accept a rate on the article that is imported here by this underselling? |