rags gathered in the United States to supply the demand of the paper makers, and therefore it is necessary that we should go abroad for rags. Now take,, for instance, rags bought in the last two years and ten months. We used in 1906 12,513 tons, at an average cost at the mill of $19.83 per ton; about 13 per cent of this was foreign stock. In 1907 we used 12,988 tons, at a cost of $22.24 per ton; about 10 per cent of this was foreign stock. And in the last ten months of 1908 we have used 7,956 tons, at an average cost of $15.15 per ton; about 5 per cent of this was foreign stock. I think it is perfectly absurd to think of paper makers paying 10 cents per pound for the wool these foreign rags contain, or $200 per ton. There ought to be some way for the paper makers to get all the rags they want free of duty. When you take it on an average the year around, the stock does not cost them a cent a pound. Of course the Government must have some means of knowing these rags go into paper, and not into shoddy. Now, any reliable firm will be willing to give a bond that all the foreign rags they buy would be put into paper. The object of the roofing mills of the country is to sell roofing paper as low as it is possible to manufacture it, in order to shut out competition of other materials for roofing. We would like this committee to make a strong plea to the Ways and Means Committee that in taking this duty off the woolen rags suitable for making paper does not interfere in any way whatever with the growers of wool in this country; but when woolen rags are sold in this country to shoddy mills, then it does come in competition. Taking the duty off the woolen rags, as far as paper making is concerned, benefits all parties and gives the American people a cheaper roofing. Yours, respectfully, PETERS PAPER Co., JAMES PETERS, President. YORK, PA., November 18, 1908. Messrs. CASTLE, GOTTHEIL & OVERTON, New York, N. Y. (Attention Mr. Frank C. Overton.) GENTLEMEN: We have letter from Mr. W. A. Forman, of the Barrett Manufacturing Company, New York, that you expect to send a representative to Washington to meeting of Ways and Means Committee on Saturday, 21st instant, and we hope that you will use your best endeavors with the committee to admit foreign satinets without duty. As manufacturers of roofing paper, we can use large quantities of this material if admitted without duty, but as the value of this stock is so low we would be unable to use it should any duty whatever be put on its importation. Yours, very truly, YORK FELT AND PAPER COMPANY. By W. D. BALM. PHILADELPHIA, November 18, 1908. Messrs. CASTLE, GOTTHEIL & OVERTON, New York, N. Y. GENTLEMEN: With reference to the hearing before the Ways and Means Committee on paper stock, would say we are manufacturers of roofing paper and consequently large consumers of foreign rags, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 tons per year. We understand that as the matter now stands, rags coming in under section 632, the question as to whether they are dutiable or not is discretionary with the appraisers, the difference of opinion of the appraisers making the importers very indifferent in regard to bringing the stock out. We would suggest, in view of the above, that the rags containing a mixture of cotton and shoddy or wool, fit only for paper making, should be put on the free list absolutely. Yours, very truly, JOHN LANG PAPER CO.. E. H. MORRIS, President. NEW YORK, November 20, 1908. FRANK OVERTON, Esq., CASTLE, GOTTHEIL & OVERTON, New York City. DEAR SIR: It will interest you to know of the following case that we are experiencing with an import of flax waste at the port of Boston. We bought a little while ago a shipment of 15 tons flax waste from Europe, and shipped it to Boston with the intention of selling it to one of our paper mills which offered us 90 cents delivered, with 10 cents freight for this shipment. This mill makes box and leather board papers. Another mill offered us 95 cents for it. The stock costs us £4 per ton, equal to about 90 cents per 100 pounds, and, of course, there would have been no profit in this transaction. Last week we received notice from our custom-house brokers that the value of the entry of £4 per ton was advanced by the appraiser to £7 per ton, which is above the seizure point, and it was figured out to us that the final sum that we would have to pay, including the fines, would amount to about $1,200 on a shipment worth $300. We went to Boston to examine the stock and found that a good many bales contained a better grade of flax waste than our purchase sample and contrary to the stock that we expected to get. A good deal, however, in all the bales was only the lower grade, and the stock in the bales is mixed up in such a way that the expense for separating the various qualities would bring the price of the goods to a very high figure, which would be prohibitive of selling it for the ordinary uses which such flax waste is put to. The quality of the shipment being mixed up, it is only fit for making into paper, but the technicalities of the law say if there is a percentage of higher grade, the duty should be assessed on the higher value, but in a practical way this lot of stock could only be used for paper. If there would be no 10 per cent duty on flax waste, which is only a necessary by-product of the raw material, and which latter is free. of duty under the tariff law, these burdensome matters would be done away with, and as the revenue derived from these importations is a very small sum, and as it is not a protection for any domestic stock nor for the manufacturers, but only a burden on him and the consumer, it would be most desirable for everybody concerned in the trade to have this duty removed, as nobody can profit thereby, but only gain by such removal of the existing duty which is applied in certain cases. Very truly, yours, SALOMON BROS. & Co. PHILADELPHIA, November 19, 1908. Mr. FRANK C. OVERTON, New York Paper Stock Dealers' Association, DEAR SIR: Replying to the communication_of_Mr. F. H. Chase, dated November 16, 1908, to President J. I. Lenhart, asking to use the name of our association in relation to the changes in the tariff law affecting the importation of paper stock, bagging, fibers, etc., I beg to say the matter was passed favorably upon at the meeting of our association held this evening, so therefore you are at liberty to use the name of this association. We are pleased to offer your association our cooperation in this matter. Yours, truly, FREDERICK H. MEYER, Secretary. 217-231 CLYBOURN STREET, Milwaukee, Wis., November 23, 1908. CASTLE GOTTHEIL & OVERTON, New York City. GENTLEMEN: With reference to section 632 of the present tariff act, under which importations of rags, etc., for paper making are made. We are manufacturers of roofing paper and users of rags, wool, papers, cotton waste, and this class of material for the manufacturing of roofing papers. At the present time there seems to be a great difference of opinion among the appraisers as to whether these goods should be dutiable at 10 cents per pound or free as paper stock. To all intents and purposes this class of material is of such a grade that we feel it should be covered by section 632. We would suggest that old satinet garments or rags composed of a mixture of cotton and shoddy and suitable only for paper stock, and to be used only to be converted into paper, should be admitted free. Yours, truly, H. W. JOHNS-MANVILLE COMPANY, Assistant Manager Milwaukee Factories. Mr. FRANK C. OVERTON, MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, November 19, 1908. New York City. DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 17th received, and are pleased to note that you have been appointed to represent the paper stock dealers' association at the Ways and Means Committee on tariff revision. In reference to having the old section, No. 632, revised, I think it ought to be done by all means, as the way it is worded is very confusing and unsatisfactory, both to the Government and the paper manufacturers, as you are aware it has been one continual strife ever since the present tariff bill was put in force. We think there is no doubt but what the Government intended to let the old waste material, such as is used for paper manufacturing, come in duty free, and the idea of saying "fit only to be converted into paper " is a grand humbug, as we do not know of any old material but what could be used for some other purpose. As you know, we are large users of old rope, jute wastes, and bagging, such as burlaps and gunnies, flax waste, threads, etc. We think it has been demonstrated heretofore that most of these articles can be used for something else. For instance, you can take old rope and tear it in pieces and use it in plastering in place of hair. You can also take bagging and tear it up and use it in place of excelsior or for packing purposes, or for stuffing cushions, horse collars, and various other things. Flax waste we presume could be used for the same purpose, although we have never heard of it being used this way. They could also take any of this material or all together and grind them up with other articles and make fertilizer out of them.. If the matter could not be adjusted any other way, why not have it arranged so that the importers could be put under affidavit when parcels arrive that they have sold the material to a certain paper mill, then let the paper manufacturer also make affidavit and state that they had received the stock, and state that it would not be used for any other purpose but for the manufacture of paper. If this matter is presented to the committee in the right light, we think you would have no difficulty in getting it adjusted satisfactorily, as we feel the Government is willing and anxious to have old paper-making material come in free of duty; as you are aware they are investigating the matter of preserving our forests, and everything in the line of old material that can be used to make paper helps to decrease the usage of wood. If there is any way that we can be of service to your committee or the Ways and Means Committee, we would be very glad indeed to render our services if you will let us know what it is. Yours, truly, THE WARDLOW-THOMAS PAPER CO. EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL., November 19, 1908. CASTLE, GOTTHEIL & OVERTON, 41 Park Row, New York. GENTLEMEN: Referring to the hearing before the Congressional Ways and Means Committee, on paper stock, will say that we think it a very important matter to take up the matter of satinets imported. The question, which in the past has been left to the discretion of the appraiser, and which has led to such uncertainty on importing these goods, should be settled definitely and in such a way as to permit any old satinets or rags, which are suitable for paper stock only, to come in free under section 632. Any assurance required could be given that the goods would be used only for making paper stock, and a severe penalty could be put on for any other use of the material. It will surely cripple our line of business to have this continued in that it is now. the way Hoping you will be successful in showing the committee why this change should be made, we are, Very truly, yours, CASTLE, GOTTHEIL & OVERTON, GENERAL ROOFING MFG. Co., By GEO. M. BROWN, President. LOCKLAND, OHIO, November 19, 1908. New York City. GENTLEMEN: Mr. Forman has forwarded us a copy of your letter to him dated November 17, and we are taking this opportunity of going on record in behalf of this cause, which is only fair and just, and add the weight of our signature to your petition when taking this matter up with the Ways and Means Committee. So much has been said already on this subject that it is difficult to add to it, and every manufacturer of felt paper, as well as all of the importers of paper-mill stock, know how absolutely unfair it is for the Government to take the position of collecting duty on satinets and let the dark cottons come in free, when they are both used for identically the same purpose. Perhaps it might be a good suggestion to state that when putting satinets on the free list every consumer in this country could be required to furnish a bond, guaranteeing not to resell any of this material to woolen or shoddy mills at any price; also to guarantee not to put the rags through any process in which the wool was removed from the cotton fiber, but work it all up at the same time and in the same sheet of paper; also to guarantee to sell every pound of the article manufactured from this raw material at less than 5 cents per pound, which is one-half of the duty now assessed. This might convince the government officials that the mills buying these foreign satinets are not trying to take any unfair advantage or evade a duty that should be imposed. We certainly wish your association success in taking this matter up. It is certainly a good cause, as the collection of rags in this country suitable for the manufacture of felt paper is not increasing in proportion with the demand for and consumption of felt paper, and unless your association or some similar movement by others does bring about the result desired the action of our Government in prohibiting the importation of this grade of rags is surely going to hinder, in fact prevent, the further growth of an industry in this country that gives desirable employment to labor and produces almost exclusively an article that is used as a building material, thereby causing a saving in lumber in substituting for shingles an article manufactured from junk and waste material. |