this country solely by men at wages ranging from $1.80 to $3.50 per day. For the whole process of manufacture, however, the higher wages in the United States are, in large measure at least, offset by greater production per man employed.

Raw materials constitute another important item in the total expense of manufacture. To state exactly the percentage of cost to be allotted to this item is difficult. It has been estimated at approximately 25 per cent of the value of the finished product.

TARIFF CONSIDERATIONS.

At present there is no problem with reference to the competitive position of the American manufacturer in the home market. The variety of locks produced is great and the range in value considerable. These articles are preferably adapted to ad valorem rates of duty. Locks Domestic exports.

UPHOLSTERERS' NAILS AND THUMB TACKS.

SUMMARY.

The manufacture of upholsterers' nails and thumb tacks is not carried on as a separate industry in the United States, but is usually allied with the manufacture of metal novelties. A published list of manufactures for 1920 shows 13 concerns engaged in the manufacture of upholsterers' nails in five States of the northeastern section of the country.

Foreign products sold in the United States prior to 1914 came chiefly from Germany. After hostilities broke out between this country and Germany, in 1917, Japan entered the American market and has since then furnished the principal foreign supply sold in this country.

GENERAL INFORMATION.

TARIFF PARAGRAPH, ACT OF 1913.

Paragraph 554.-Cut nails and cut spikes of iron or steel, horseshoe nails, horseshoe nail rods, hobnails, and all other wrought-iron or steel nails not specially provided for in this section, wire staples, wire nails made of wrought iron or steel, spikes, and horse, mule, or ox shoes, of iron or steel, and cut tacks, brads, or sprigs. Free.

* *

Paragraph 167.-Articles or wares not specially provided for in this section; * * * and articles and wares plated with gold or silver, and whether partly or wholly manufactured, 50 per cent ad valorem; if composed wholly or in chief value of * lead, copper, brass, nickel, pewter, zinc, aluminum, or other metal, but not plated with gold or silver, and whether wholly or partly manufactured, 20 per cent ad valorem.

* * *

Paragraph 360. and manufactures of leather or parchment, or of which leather or parchment is the component material of chief value, not specially provided for in this section, 30 per cent ad valorem; *

DESCRIPTION.

An upholsterers' nail is a short steel wire nail with a large ornamental head, designed, as the name suggests, for use in upholstering. The heads of upholsterers' nails are made in many sizes, of steel, brass, or leather, variously designed and attractively finished to give a pleasing effect to the eye or to match the article on which they are used.

A thumb tack is a steel tack with a large smooth flat or slightly concave head, commonly made of steel, brass, or nickel silver, designed to be thrust in by the pressure of the thumb or a finger. The chief use of thumb tacks is for pinning paper to a board surface. They are largely used by draftsmen in attaching sheets of paper to the drawing board.

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION.

According to a published list of manufacturers, there were 13 concerns engaged in the manufacture of upholsterers' nails in the United States in 1920, located in five States of the northeastern section of the United States, as follows: Connecticut, 6; New York, 3; Pennsylvania, 2; Rhode Island, 1; and Ohio, 1.

Steel, brass, and leather are the principal materials used in the manufacture of upholsterers' nails, and steel and brass in the construction of thumb tacks. japan and plating materials being employed in finishing. All of these materials are obtained in the United States by domestic manufacturers.

Forming the parts and attaching the head to the nail or tack, as the case may be, requires six operations: (1) Cutting the wire to proper length for the nail and expanding one end so as to form a small head; (2) stamping, or cutting, out a circular plate or disk for the head; (3) stamping an impression in the disk for the reception of the head of the nail; (4) assembling the head and nail in a press which also roughly shapes the head; (5) finishing the assembly and, (6) pointing the nail. After the completion of these operations, which are performed by the use of automatic and semiautomatic machines, the article is either polished, coated with japan, or plated.

Upholsterers' nails are packed loose in boxes of, usually, 1,000, 500, or 50 to a box and sold to jobbers, furniture manufacturers. automobile manufacturers, and to the hardware trade.

Thumb tacks are attached to blocks, 1 dozen on a block, and packed in boxes containing 1 gross, or 12 blocks, each, and sold chiefly to jobbers, hardware dealers, and to the stationery trade.

COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS.

Prior to the European war (1914-1918) Germany was the principal foreign competitor in the American market, afterwards Japan became the leading foreign source. While the events of the war were responsible for seriously checking German sales in this country the resumption of active German competition is expected by domestic manufacturers upon the return of stabilized conditions in the industry of that country.

TARIFF CONSIDERATIONS.

Under the act of 1913, upholsterers' nails are either admitted free of duty under paragraph 554, or dutiable as manufactures of metal under paragraph 167, or as manufactures of leather under paragraph 360, depending upon the component material of chief value. Thumb tacks are held dutiable as manufactures of metal under paragraph 167.

The phrasing of the tariff acts as to the classification of these articles has never been entirely clear and the customs court was appealed to on several occasions in the past to decide contentions between customs collectors and importers as to the proper classification. It would, therefore, seem desirable to incorporate a separate paragraph in the tariff law which will specifically mention uphol

1 Thomas's Register of Manufacturers, 1920.

sterers' nails and thumb tacks, and will be worded so as to include similar articles, viz; thumb tacks, upholsterers' nails, and all other tacks and nails with specially constructed heads or tops.

COURT AND TREASURY DECISIONS.

Thumb tacks are not cut tacks, brads, or springs. (G. A. 1459, T. D. 12908 of 1892.) Furniture nails composed of leather and metal, leather being the component material of chief value, were held to be dutiable as manufactures of leather under paragraph 452 of the act of 1909. (Richard v. United States, 4 Ct. Cust. Appls., 252, of 1913.) Steel nails with brass-plated heads not shown to be in chief value of steel, were held properly classified as a manufacture of metal under paragraph 167 of the act of 1913, rather than free of duty under the provision of paragraph 554 for "wrought iron or steel nails not specially provided for." (Abstract 39357, of 1916.)

For rates of duty see page 65.

76642-21-c-30- -3

TINWARE.

SUMMARY.

Tinware consists of articles made of tinplate and embrace numerous household articles, toys, cans and other receptacles for the preservation and storage of fruits, fish, meats, oils, and the like.

A large portion of the tinware of the country is used in coastal regions within easy reach of the principal fish and fruit-producing districts. Tinware is frequently employed for local and special uses, and enters the channels of international trade as a container of other articles of commerce rather than itself primarily as an article.

According to the United States Census the value of the country's output of tinware in 1914 was estimated at $81,930,880. Imports and exports, except as containers of other articles, are negligible. Manufacturers are not confronted with any serious problem of foreign competition under present conditions.

GENERAL INFORMATION.

ACT OF 1913, PARAGRAPH 167.

Articles or wares not specially provided for in this section; if composed wholly or in chief value of iron, steel, lead, copper, brass, nickel, pewter, zinc, aluminum, or other metal, but not plated with gold or silver, and whether partly or wholly manufactured, 20 per cent ad valorem.

DESCRIPTION.

Tinware consists of articles made of tin plate, such as household articles or vessels, cans, retainers, receptacles, toys, etc. The principal use of tinware is for canning and shipping provisions, fish, fruits, milk, tobacco, and other articles.

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION.

A large portion of the tinware of the country is consumed adjacent to ocean waters. The largest canneries are located in coastal regions within easy reach of our principal fish and fruit producing districts. The preservation and shipping of fish, fruit, oils, and other commodities, in cans and other receptacles, is of great and growing importance.

Materials.-Tinware is made from tinplate, which is steel plate (sheet) coated on both sides with tin. Tinplates are divided into coke and charcoal plates. The former is coated with about 2 pounds of tin to 100 pounds of steel; the latter with about 3 to 6 pounds of tin to 100 pounds of steel. Steel plate is of domestic manufacture, but the tin is imported, principally from the Malay Peninsula, the