THE BILL H. R. 9051, TO REDUCE TAXATION AND WASHINGTON: 1888. TARIFF STATEMENTS BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C., May 26, 1888. The subcommittee met at 11 a. m. Present, Senators Allison (chai:man), Jones, Hiscock, Voorhees, Beck, and Harris. Mr. Charles Brice, the president, and Mr. Radford, the secretary, of the National Committee of Gold and Silver Beaters, appeared before the committee and presented the following petitions: To the honorable Finance Committee of Senate: NEW YORK, May 24, 1888. SIRS: We, the undersigned, citizens of the United States, and as a committee representing the gold and silver beaters throughout the country, would respectfully present the following facts for your consideration: The present duty on imported gold-leaf is $1.50 per pack of 500 leaves. The cheapness of labor in Europe is an element of so great disadvantage to the American gold and silver beaters that we are unable with the present low duty to earn more than $11 per week of sixty hours. You will perceive the great difference by the following scale of wages paid in this country and in Germany: Germany: 1 melter and flatter 1 cutcher and 2 assistants (girls) 2 shoder beaters and 2 girl assistants 16 mold-beaters, at 16 marks 80 pfennigs each 4 fillers (girls), 12 marks 10 pfennigs each.... 4 brimers (girls), 12 marks 10 pfennigs each 21 cutters (girls), 13 marks each Total...... or less than $180, producing 220,800 leaves of gold. Marks. 25.00 28.80 57.60 268.80 48.40 48.40 263.00 740.00 The system is altogether different in the United States, but the cost to produce 220,800 leaves would amount to $795. We earnestly urge that you foster the art of gold-beating in this country by increasing the duty on gold-leaf to $2.50 per pack of 500 leaves. While the use of bronze or Dutch metal in leaf has grown to a considerable extent during the last few years, there is not a single leaf manufactured in this country, owing to the low rate of duty. In Fürth, Bavaria, a metal-beater will beat 8,400 leaves per day, and he only receives 20 marks per week for first-class work. The European manufacturers in Augsburg, Fürth, and Nuremberg, Bavaria, are able to place their goods here so cheap that it is impossible to manufactur eany in this country. We think there is no valid reason why the imitation leaf should not be taxed sufficiently to permit it to be manufactured in this country, as it would furnish employment and support to several thousand people. Your petitioners would most respectfully suggest further, that to enable the American workman to beat Dutch metal in leaf the duty be increased to 30 cents per 100 1 TAR 1 leaves instead of 10 per cent. ad valorem, as at present, so that bronze or Dutch metal in leaf that is produced by prison and pauper-paid labor in Europe can not compete with the labor of free American workmen. We also urge that you recommend an increased duty on bronze powder to 25 cents per pound on all imported powder. And your petitioners being anxious to lay all the facts before your honorable committee and knowing that it is impossible to fully explain in writing the peculiarities of gold and metal beating, we most earnestly request that you will grant us the privilege of appearing before you to state our case more fully, and having struggled for years to obtain relief through Congress, we feel we can not do justice to those we represent without a personal explanation to your honorable committee. With all due respect, we submit the foregoing for your consideration. Trusting you will sustain us in our conclusions, Yours, respectfully and truly, CHARLES BRICE, To the Congress of the United States, the Senate and the House of Representatives, as sembled: Your humble petitioners, praying for relief as the gold and silver beaters of the United States, showeth (1) The pitiful condition of the above trade, with a view to adopt a remedy by an increased duty being levied on the understated articles, gold-leaf, bronze or Dutch metal in leaf and powder. (2) Gold-beaters for several years have been compelled to work at a very low rate of wages owing to foreign competition; that many have been forced to abandon their trade, as they could not earn a subsistence. (3) We are an organized body and receive the same rate of wages throughout the country, so that our present condition is not the result of home competition. (4) Your petitioners beg to call your earnest attention to the fact that our condition is even more deplorable now than it was one year ago, when we were compelled to petition Congress to afford us relief by raising the duty on gold-leaf, bronze or Dutch metal in leaf and powder. (5) The importation of the above-mentioned articles continues to increase to an alarming extent, as the annual report of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics of the Treasury Department shows. (6) It is a fact that the importation of gold-leaf for the fiscal year ending 1887 Las increased more than 100 per cent. over the previous year. (7) Our wages are exceedingly low, as you can judge by the fact that our union only demands $11 per week of sixty hours' labor. (8) Gold-beaters earn less wages now than they did before the war, owing to the excessive competition from European manufacturers. (9) Whereas the duty on bronze or Dutch metal in leaf (which is taxed only 10 per cent. ad valorem, although the materials used in its manufacture cost 35 per cent. to import) is shown to be for the year ending June 30, 1886, $110,187.30, and for the following year the amount has increased to $135,372. (10) We are also desirous of pointing out the fact that during the years mentioned below the value of bronze or Dutch metal in leaf and powder imported was— (11) We would further desire to draw your attention to the fact that there is no bronze or Dutch metal in leaf manufactured in this country, not because we are unable to manufacture the article, but because we can not compete with the foreign workmen and earn living wages. (12) We estimate that at least 80 per cent. of the value of imported bronze or Dutch metal in leaf and powder is consumed in labor and profit. Therefore, taking the amount as before stated, viz Amount of duty paid........... Amount of profit and labor lost to the workmen of this country, and received by the employers and workmen in Europe ... $3,234, 293.00 646,858.60 2,587, 434.40 504, 627.00 2,082, 807.40 (13) The European manufacturers of bronze and Dutch metal in leaf and powder have virtually a monopoly of the manufacture and sale of those articles. So long as the duty is so small it is impossible for American workmen to compete. (14) We would further desire to state the fact that bronze or Dutch metal in leaf is displacing gold-leaf in this country to an enormous extent, and that articles gilt with bronze or Dutch metal in leaf are being sold to the public and represented as gilt with gold-leaf. (15) So that the genuine gold-leaf that is manufactured in this country is superseded by the imitation article that is wholly manufactured in Europe, to the detriment of American industry. (16) We desire to bring to your notice the facts that we are informed, through relia ble authority, that bronze or Dutch metal in leaf is manufactured in some prisons in Europe. (17) Having stated facts drawn from official reports, you will readily see that the importation of gold-leaf this year is more than double that of last year. (18) Your memorialists earnestly urge that you foster the art of gold-beating in this country by increasing the duty on gold-leaf to $2.50 per pack of 500 leaves. (19) And also, to increase the duty on bronze or Dutch metal in leaf to a specific duty of 30 cents per 100,leaves, and to increase the duty on bronze powder to 25 cents per pound on all bronze powders, so that American workmen may be enabled to open up an important industry in the United States without being compelled to compete with the prison and pauper-paid labor of Europe. (20) And for which your humble petitioners, representing the workmen of the different cities where gold-beating is carried on in the United States, will ever pray. Dated at New York, N. Y., January, 1888. C. Brice, New York, N. Y.; F. Keely, New York, N. Y.; A. McQueen, New York, N. Y.; E. Radford, New York, N. Y; H. P. Caldwell, Philadelphia, Pa.; A. Kennedy, Philadelphia, Pa.; G. S. Kiel, Philadelphia, Pa.; A. Greer, Philadelphia, Pa.; C. W. Forbush, Boston, Mass.; G. C. Russell, Boston, Mass.; G. W. Harris, Boston, Mass.; J. O'Brien, Boston, Mass.; H. Fitzgerald, Springfield, Mass.; F. A. Gruss, Baltimore, Md.; G. L. Blaydon, Hartford, Conn.; F. A. Gropp, Hartford, Conn.; A. Miltner, Jersey City, N. J.; W. Jones, Jersey City, N. J.; L. Keller, Jersey City, N. J.; L. F. Reeves, Cincinnati, Ohio; C. Mullen, Chicago, Ill.; W. Petersohn, Chicago, Ill.; J. Kingswood, Chicago, Ill. STATEMENT OF MR. CHARLES BRICE. Senator ALLISON. What is your business? Senator ALLISON. You have presented two petitions here. Senator ALLISON. You have stated that you wish to add something. Will you state very briefly what you propose. Mr. BRICE. I had prepared a statement which I was going to read, but I will cut it short. Several years ago I appeared before the Tariff Commission in relation to this matter. At that time I did not say any thing in regard to the Dutch-metal leaf because the quantity that was imported then was nothing in comparison with what it has been for several years past. We were then suffering the low duties on gold-leaf, but the importation has still increased. Gold-leaf is manufactured in eleven States, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Massa |