PARAGRAPH 45-LAMPBLACK. "Bone black," "animal charcoal," or "ivory black" is made from bones and is used for decolorizing purposes by sugar refiners, oil refiners, blacking manufacturers, and others. The collection of raw stock is a slow and difficult matter in this country, as labor will not engage in it without being paid much higher price than in foreign countries. The collection of bones furnishes occupation for thousands of persons. Every town of any size has one or more men engaged in the collection of bones, which are shipped to the nearest manufacturers. The following statement shows the wages here and abroad: Under conditions abroad, labor is paid as follows: Common labor, $6 per week; skilled labor, $7.50 per week; while in this country the rates are, common labor, $10 per week; skilled labor, $12 per week, which is equivalent to 663 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, in favor of American workmen. Of the total expense of manufacturing bone black more than 50 per cent is labor. Bones being refuse, their value arises from the labor employed in collecting, handling, and conveying to the different factories. Removal of the duty from bone black will result in the reduction of the price of bones, which must be borne by the laborers engaged in the collection and sale of bones. For the period of eight years ending December 31, 1911, the profit to the Listers Works in the manufacture of bone black shows an average of 0.09-54/100 per cent on the gross sales. For a manufacturing business employing a large amount of capital it would appear that this is a small profit. If the duty is removed the profit will undoubtedly disappear altogether, as sugar refiners are the principal users in this country, and the duty on bone black, such as they use, as at present levied, would be from $12 to $13 per ton. The profits of 0.09-54/100 per cent represent less than $5 per ton of product, therefore, it is self-evident that the bone-black business will be destroyed if the duty is removed and foreign competition allowed without protection in this country. The business of the Listers Works in bone black has decreased about 33 per cent during the past eight years as compared with the years 1893 and 1894, and if the duty is removed will be wiped out entirely, thus depriving a large number of employees in the boneblack works of their livelihood and leaving a larger number of bone gatherers through the country with no employment. We therefore pray that your honorable committee will carefully reconsider your action and permit the duty on "bone charcoal" to remain undisturbed and as at present provided. Very respectfully, yours, (Signed) LISTERS A. C. WORKS, By J. F. KEнHOE, President. PARAGRAPH 46. PARAGRAPHS 46-47-DRY COLORS. Chrome yellow, chrome green, and all other chromium colors in the manufacture of which lead and bichromate of potash or soda are used, in pulp, dry, or ground in or mixed with oil or water, four and three-eighths cents per pound. PARAGRAPH 47. Ocher and ochery earths, sienna and sienna earths, and umber and umber earths, not specially provided for in this section, when crude or not powdered, washed, or pulverized, one-eighth of one cent per pound; if powdered, washed, or pulverized, three-eighths of one cent per pound; if ground in oil or water, per cent per pound. For sienna earths, see Italian Chamber of Commerce, page 111. DRY COLORS. BRIEF OF C. K. WILLIAMS & CO., OF EASTON, PA., ON DRY COLORS AND MINERAL FILLERS. Hon. A. MITCHELL PALMER, C. K. WILLIAMS & CO., Easton, Pa., January 6, 1913. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: As manufacturers of dry colors and mineral fillers, we wish to refute articles covered by paragraphs Nos. 47 and 56 of present tariff. Venetian red, red oxides, mortar colors, ocher, umbers, and siennas are largely produced from the natural resources of our land. The labor costs commence from the time they are first moved from the earth, and constitute fully 80 per cent of the cost of the finished product. From our knowledge of frequent visits to the mines and works abroad, with which we compete, can say that the cost of labor abroad for this kind of work is less than one-half what it is in the United States. Thus the present duty of 30 per cent is not excessive and does not prevent these products being imported in large proportions; and we earnestly request that you lend your support to the maintenance of present tariff applying to them. As you know, this is an important industry in Pennsylvania, especially in your district, and needs the protection. Very truly, yours, C. K. WILLIAMS & CO., BRIEF OF F. A. REICHARD, NEW YORK, N. Y. Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD, NEW YORK, January 4, 1913. Chairman Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. SIR: We wish to place before you a few facts regarding the tariff on those dry colors in which we are particularly experienced through importation for the past 60 years. Ochers, umbers, and siennas (covered by par. 47, customs tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909). There are no qualities suitable for paint manufacturers, which branch of the country's industries is the largest user of these colors produced in this country. It is readily apparent, therefore, that three-eighths cent per pound duty is unjust, because the ultimate consumer is taxed with this unfair duty. So long as PARAGRAPHS 46-47-DRY COLORS. suitable quantities are not produced here, we think the manufacturer and ultimate consumer should receive the benefit of free entry. The few American mines produce vastly inferior grades and really do not enter into competition with the imported products to any appreciable degree. We would refer you to a very comprehensive brief submitted to the Committee on Ways and Means of the Sixtieth Congress, which appears on pages 413-452 of the publication "Tariff Hearings," Sixtieth Congress, Schedule A. This brief goes into greater detail than we do here, and also gives you the opinions of many leading paint makers on these items. Oxide of iron (Covered by par. 56 customs tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909). There are two classes, natural, which is mined, and artificial, which is made by the calcination of copperas. These natural oxides are in exactly the same position as ochers, umbers, and siennas-the qualities mined here are so greatly inferior to those produced abroad that it seems to us a shame to tax the American consumer 30 per cent by the American consumer we mean the entire population of the country, for every person is a more or less user of paint for the benefit of a few firms engaged in the production of this material. It is recognized by the trade that the present duty of 30 per cent on the artificial oxides is inequitable-particularly on the lower grades. Copperas is plentiful in this country and we believe purchasable at a much lower price than in England, which country is the acknowledged producer of the best qualities of red oxide. It does not seem right to us that the hundreds, nay thousands, of users of copperas red oxide in this country should be compelled to stand a tax of 30 per cent for the benefit of-to the best of our knowledge three manufacturers. We would suggest a rate of 15 per cent ad valorem, which we are sure would amply protect the three American makers and vastly benefit the thousands of consumers. The brief mentioned above also treats of these items in greater detail. While on this red oxide subject we want to call your attention to a grievous wrong perpetrated under the present tariff: There is a crude. oxide of iron mined abroad and well known to the trade under the caption of "Persian Gulf red"--this is largely used by paint makers. It is being imported by one house, whom the trade believes to have the sole agency, at a rate of 15 cents per ton duty, although the tariff specifically provides that all colors, whether crude or powdered, should pay 30 per cent. This importing firm brings it in under the "Iron ore for smelting purposes" clause, which you can readily see is entirely wrong because every particle of it is used as a coloring agent or paint. Now, to further accentuate the injustice, other iron ores are compelled to pay a 30 per cent duty. As both classes go for the same purpose, we are sure you will agree with our contention that the crude iron oxide designated herein as Persian Gulf should pay the 30 per cent duty. In order to eliminate such an unjust discrimination in the tariff which your committee will draft, we respectfully suggest that you specifically provide for occurrences of this nature this can easily be done by specifying that all crude iron oxides when intended for use as a paint or color should pay the rate of duty which your PARAGRAPHS 46-47-DRY COLORS. committee thinks just. A proviso of this nature will prevent discrimination in favor of certain importers. Principal uses of ochers and oxides of iron.-These colors are used principally in the cheaper classes of paints-mixed paints, barn paints, freight-car paints, structural paints, etc., and therefore you can readily see that a duty on these items materially affects the selling price to the American consumer of a necessity such as the paints described have become. Lead products (covered by par. 48, orange mineral; 49, red lead; customs tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909).-We speak only of orange mineral and red lead. The tariff on these items is exorbitant and seems to have been created solely to benefit the National Lead Co.-the so-called Lead Trust. There is no reason for the existence of separate duties on these items-orange mineral is only a high grade of red lead. The existence of distinct duties renders it easy for the entering of the superior red lead (orange mineral) at the lower duty-the red-lead duty. One tariff on these items would render this impossible. We firmly believe a duty of 13 cents per pound on red lead and orange mineral would be ample. Such a duty would take excellent care of the Lead Trust and still benefit the consumer. A reference to the brief mentioned above will give you further information on these items. Ultramarine blue (covered by par. 50, customs tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909). This is another product very largely used by paint manufacturers, paper manufacturers, and several other industries which is in the hands of a trust and which is protected to a greater extent than it is rightfully entitled. We would refer you to pages 413-452 of the above-mentioned publication which will give you full information as to what large consumers think is a proper duty. We also wish to refer you to pages 459 to 468 of the publication mentioned herein which will prove conclusively the absolute monopoly enjoyed by the Ultramarine Trust. We can not urge you too strongly to provide a duty on ultramarine blue, which will permit of importation and thus break the monopoly in this country. Such a procedure would greatly benefit many industries employing thousands upon thousands of workmen, because free competition in ultramarine blue would then be enjoyed by the con sumers. Talc, sulphate of lime, and china clay (covered by pars. 481, talc; 88, sulphate of lime; 90, china clay, customs tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909). We would refer you to pages 413-452 of the publication hitherto mentioned. Talc pays 20 per cent duty as an article not specifically provided for. We might add that there is no talc mined in this country equal to that which is mined abroad, and the retaining of a tariff upon an article placed such as this entails considerable hardship upon the manufacturers whose needs demand the better qualities. The same is true of sulphate of lime and china clay. PARAGRAPH 50-ULTRAMARINE BLUE. We would respectfully suggest a duty of, say, 5 per cent upon tale; this would greatly benefit the consumers and would very likely increase revenue. We will be very glad to advise you upon any points not mentioned herein upon which you desire information, for it is our one desire to place in the possession of your committee true facts regarding the tariff situation upon those items with which we are acquainted. Respectfully, F. A. REICHARD. By J. W. BoSSERT. PARAGRAPH 48. Orange mineral, three and one-fourth cents per pound. See F. A. Reichard, page 309. PARAGRAPH 49. Red lead, two and five-eighths cents per pound. See F. A. Reichard, page 309. PARAGRAPH 50. Ultramarine blue, whether dry, in pulp, or mixed with water, and wash blue containing ultramarine, three cents per pound. See F. A. Reichard, page 309. ULTRAMARINE BLUE. BRIEF OF THE HELLER & MERZ CO., ON ULTRAMARINE BLUE. Hon. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD, NEWARK, N. J., January 3, 1913. Chairman Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, D. C.: We wish to submit to you and your committee the following facts for consideration in deciding on the duty to be put on "Ultramarine blue, * and wash blue containing ultramarine," paragraph * 50, Schedule A. The duty on these items under the Payne-Aldrich Act is 3 cents per pound, specific. In filing with you our protest against any change we will discuss the subject under three heads: (1) The duty should be specific, and not ad valorem. (2) The production of maximum revenue. (3) Relations of wages paid in, and duties levied by, the United States compared with wages paid in, and duties levied by, foreign countries. THE DUTY SHOULD BE SPECIFIC, AND NOT AD VALOREM. Ultramarine is used in paints, oil enamels, printers' inks, paper making, wash blue, and for other purposes. Each trade requires its own speciality, and the prices vary between very wide limits. The external appearance, and even the chemical analysis, gives no clue to its adaptability for a given use. It is therefore apparent that an ad valorem duty, involving an appraisal, is uncertain, unreliable, and fraught with difficulties in application. |