Scale of wages at New York and Pennsylvania Company's Johnsonburg mill from 1898 to 1908-Continued. Per Names. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. cent. 1.80 1.80 1.80 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.20 2.20 2.50 2.50 2.50 38 Bleachers 1.70 1.90 1.90 1.90 1.90 1.90 1.90 2.15 34 10 Headmen. 2.50 Color men Helpers. Do Do 1.20 1.20 2.50 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.50 3.50 40 (2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 1.75 2.25 14.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.50 1.50 1.60 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.70 26 1.25 1.25 1.45 1.45 1.50 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.70 36 1.40 1.40 1.50 1.55 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.60 33 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.70 1.70 1.70 1.70 1.75 1.85 32 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.50 20 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 6 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.40 40 57 : Do Do Heaters 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.60 Electric, manufactur 1.75 1.75 1.90 1.90 1.90 1.90 1.70 1.70 1.80 44 1.20 1.20 1.35 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.5 75 It is estimated that the amount of capital invested in the manufacture of book papers, and grades of paper included in that category, is, in round figures, about $105,000,000. In this investment are included the working capital and the value of timber lands and soda fiber and sulphite mills, which are maintained, operated, and conducted in connection with such book-paper plants. All book-paper mills, however, are not equipped with their own chemical fiber mills for the manufacture of sulphite and soda pulp. Labor. The aggregate number of wage-earners employed in the mills manufacturing book paper and similar grades in the United States, including the soda-fiber and sulphite plants operated and conducted in connection therewith, is estimated to represent an army of, approximately, 30,000. Conclusion. It is contended that-so far as the paper-making industry is concerned a protective tariff which insures for the American workingmen employed therein the highest scale of wages of any similar class of labor in any other country, and at the same time provides him with abundant opportunity for employment, is of itself one of the most potential arguments that can be advanced in favor of its retention. Experiment might not only prove fallacious, but disturbing to the paper-making industry as a whole, and perhaps inflict unnecessary and unjust hardship upon our American wage-earners. The tariff duty on paper and pulp should be maintained and continued at its present standard. It is not alone required in the interests of the paper manufacturer, but likewise in the interests of the large army of American laborers dependent upon that industry for its employment. Respectfully submitted. GEORGE SULLIVAN. PROF. W. H. KRUSE, CONCORDIA COLLEGE, FORT WAYNE, IND., WISHES SCIENTIFIC WORKS TO BE DUTY FREE. Hon. S. E. PAYNE, Washington, D. C. FORT WAYNE, IND., November 28, 1908. DEAR SIR: I noticed in the papers the other day that a number of New York publishers and printers appeared before your committee to urge a duty on books, pamphlets, and periodicals printed in foreign languages, which would include all scientific works. No doubt thousands of men engaged in intellectual pursuits feel exactly as I do in this matter, but they are likely to let this thing go by default and to come out with their protests when it is too late. In your letter to Mr. Carnegie you indicated a desire to hear from the citizens of this country in regard to the new schedules, and this encourages me to hope that you and your committee will not let my protest go unheeded. Whether we like it or not, the most minutely specialized work and research is still done in Europe, and it is the sheerest folly to try to change this by a duty on such books. Whenever in our reading and study we reach a point that puzzles us we glance over the catalogues of European publishers, and usually find a few pamphlets and monographs restricted absolutely to this one point. This places at our disposal the very latest and best information that the world possesses. No encyclopedia can go so thoroughly into details and treat a subject so fully in all its bearings, to say nothing of the fact that they are necessarily from five to fifteen and more years behind the advance guard of the scientists. Just to give you an illustration: A physician of my acquaintance wished to get the very latest information on bleeding of the lungs (pulmonary hemorrhages); in four weeks he had a pamphlet of about two hundred pages that absolutely covered the subject and gave him all that the foremost men of Europe know. This same condition obtains in all branches of knowledge, particularly natural science and mathematics. It seems to me a very short-sighted policy to obstruct even to the smallest extent the importation of ideas. Germany owes, in a large measure, its tremendous advance along industrial lines to the fact that they bring exact scientific knowledge to bear upon problems of manufacture. In America we are rapidly adopting the same method, and it would be strange, indeed, if we Americans, with our proverbial knack of getting material benefits from abstruse scientific_truths, should not far outstrip the Europeans. Only recently a German professor in a technical school warned the graduating class against admitting Americans to their factories, "for," he said, "they need only see a machine once and they will go home and build a better one." What is true of a visit to a factory in Europe applies in its way to books printed in a foreign language. You are no doubt aware that all American universities require a reading knowledge of French and German of all candidates for a higher degree. The reason of it is that no man can do thorough work and keep abreast with the times in any line of research without these two languages. Those publishers of New York are assuming a very narrow and unpatriotic attitude; they are proposing to kill the goose that will in time lay golden eggs. The only books that could seriously compete with American publications are those from England, and no one has thus far proposed to levy a duty upon them. If the States are justified morally, legally, and economically in appropriating millions of dollars every year to the maintenance of universities and technical schools, some man with more logic than sense might conclude a bonus ought to be paid to every man importing a scientific work from abroad. Of course, no one asks that; we are satisfied to have present conditions remain as they are. It is bad enough to be subjected to the tantalizing torture of waiting a month or more for a book you want and really need in order to go ahead. If an American book of similar scope and thoroughness is to be had, we naturally buy it rather than put up with this long delay that so frequently dulls the edge of our enthusiasm. The gain to the Treasury from a duty on foreign books would be insignificant; the profits of these publishers ridiculously small compared with the immense harm such a provision of the law would do. These books are to us not luxuries but necessities, and we, as a class, are so placed financially that a duty on such books would be a real hardship. Hoping that you and your committee will make no change in the present wise policy, I am, Yours, respectfully, W. H. KRUSE, Concordia College. W. P. CUTTER, FORBES LIBRARIAN, NORTHAMPTON, MASS., SUBMITS SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT RELATIVE TO BOOKS. NORTHAMPTON, MASS., COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: In view of the brief submitted to you by the Typothetæ of the city of New York at the hearing on November 21, 1908, and the brief submitted by Mr. Brassil, representing the Employing Bookbinders' Association of New York, and that of Mr. Rogers, of the International Brotherhood of Bookbinders, I beg leave to submit the following additional brief. The Typothetæ in their brief ask your committee: 1. To increase the duty on books of all kinds, including blank books and pamphlets, and engravings, bound and unbound, photographs, etchings, maps, charts, music in books or sheets, and printed matter, all the foregoing not specially provided for in this act, from 25 to 75 per cent ad valorem. 2. To allow of free importation for the Library of Congress of printed material for that institution. 3. To do away with the privilege of free importation for public and educational institutions, including public libraries. 4. To do away with free importation of books in foreign languages, and of books in the English language which have been printed more than twenty years, and of books printed by individuals for free distribution, and of books imported for the use of the United States elsewhere than in the Library of Congress. I shall take up these suggestions in the above order. 1. This is tariff protection which is prohibitory. The cost of the manufacture (and by this I mean the composition, making plates, paper, presswork, and casing) of the ordinary cloth-bound book does not average more than 25 per cent of the invoice value. The protection advocated would amount to a tax of 300 per cent of the cost of manufacture. To ask the citizens of this country to bear such a burden on the plea that it would protect American workingmen is an insult to the intelligence of the committee. The present duty is high enough to afford all the protection needed. I quote from a letter I have just received from the largest importer of foreign books in New York City the following: I do not think that during the last five years there have been published five books in a foreign language which it would have been profitable to reprint in this country; in fact, I do not know of any at present that has sold in more than 500 copies, not only through us, but through all importers combined. There are, of course, imported a number of English books and these come in in sheets, in editions possibly from 500 to 1,000 copies and more. They are imported by New York branches of London publishers and by other firms that act as special agents for the London publishers. While these are dutiable, the amount collected is exceedingly small, since it was published in the papers about a year ago that a book selling in this country at $2 is invoiced from abroad at about 8 pence in sheets. The appraiser tried to raise the value, but the case went to court and the importers won on their statement that they should not pay any duty on the royalty being only paid on copies actually sold, while the copies they were importing were not sold. (From letter of G. E. Stechert to W. P. Cutter, dated November 25, 1908.) I quote this letter to show that there is no need of protection for books in foreign languages, as there is small sale for them here, and that it is the custom of New York houses who are closely connected with these New York Typothetæ, to import sheets of a $2 book, paying a duty of only 4 cents a copy; that at the same time the individual importing the book would have to pay at least 40 cents duty, and under the suggested amendment he would have to pay at least $1.25 duty on a book that cost the New York publisher a little over 30 cents, duty paid; in other words, the printers, who are either publishers themselves, or work for them, are asking an outrageous amount of protection. 2. We all agree that the Library of Congress should have every facility for obtaining literature, without restriction. I would suggest that lithographs should be added to the schedule in paragraph 500. But I especially call your attention to the suggestion that all books "for the use of the United States" should be duty free. You all know that there are many collections of books, not only in Washington, for governmental use, but in Annapolis, West Point, Willetts |