No. 6500.

Statement of the John L. Whiting & Son Co., of Boston, Mass., manufacturers of brushes.

Under the present tariff there is a duty of 10 cents a pound on bristles. Nearly all bristles used by brush makers do not grow in the United States, and can not be produced here, as our pork packers kill their hogs when they are very young, and the bristles are too short and soft to be used in paint, varnish, whitewash, hair, cloth, and other staple brushes. Although the United States is a large producer of pork, it is an insignificant producer of bristles useful for staple brushes. Our firm used during the past year many bristles, and of them 95 per cent were imported from Europe and only 5 per cent grown in the United States. Other manufacturers may use somewhat larger percentage of American bristles than we do, but all must buy Russian, German, and French bristles, for by far the greater part of their purchases, for the emphatic reason stated previously, that they do not grow in the United States, and circumstances are such that they never will be grown in the United States.

Of American bristles about 75 per cent are 22 inches long, gray or black color, and without stiffness. For all the staple brushes used by skillful workmen and in everyday life, the brush manufacturer must have bristles measuring from 3 to 6 inches long, and very largely white. Russia and eastern Germany are the only countries in the world producing such bristles in merchantable quantities.

We think it would benefit brush manufacturers and the public to have bristles put on the free list, and, if so, they should be distinctly named in that classification, so that they can not by any chance be placed under a dutiable heading, as has been attempted in tariff bills heretofore proposed.

So far as we know, the only houses likely to object to this change are two or three establishments that clean and prepare American bristles; who, perhaps, would like to extend their business to include the preparing of foreign bristles, now done with economy by the brush manufacturers themselves. It is not desirable to make brush manufacturers tributary to bristle dressers.

There are no raw bristles imported into this country; all are partially manufactured or dressed; all are assorted, tied up straight in bundles, packed in cases or casks. No brush manufacturer wants to have bristles come to him in a crude, raw state, as taken from first hands; it would make his factory unclean. Every manufacturer in the world is now educated to receive and work the bristles from the condition they have been furnished to brush manufacturers for generations, and all would need new additional knowledge to take crude stock and prepare it, aside from making their factories uninhabitable to the employees working at the cleaner, neater work of making brushes.

Brush manufacturers do not desire to buy their bristles in an entirely dressed condition from anyone. We all have our trade secrets, and the manner in which each of us dresses the bristles used in making his brushes is peculiar to himself. To have all bristles thoroughly dressed before being supplied to the brush manufacturers would reduce all of them to a level in that particular, making several hundred brush manufacturers pay unnecessary profits to three or four bristle-dressing establishments.

If a duty must stay on bristles it should not on any account be made higher than at present levied, nor ad valorem. To be made ad valorem would be offering a bounty for undervaluation. The variety of bristles is of great number, quality of each changing almost every year, and we do not know anyone in either the bristle or brush business who is expert enough to carry values in mind.

We believe that we are a representative brush-manufacturing establishment, and state these various facts with our views on them, as they may all be topics for consideration.

Reply of

No. 6501.

of

-, manufacturers of bristles.

[Name and location withheld by request]

[Established in 1873. Capital invested, $15,000.]

We have produced annually in bristles alone about $8,000 to $10,000 worth on an average from the beginning.

We usually work on full time about six months a year, from fall to summer, and after that on about one-third time, owing to lack of trade and material.

We need about 15 per cent duty on the lower grade of goods to be able to compete with foreign bristles.

The wholesale prices of goods did not change much in 1884, 1800, and 1892, but at present goods are difficult to dispose of at a 15 per cent reduction.

There has been a slight increase in competition in the manufacture of domestic goods in the past four years.

We think a specific duty would answer, as the higher grade of goods is not raised in the United States.

We are not manufacturing as many goods now as in 1892, owing to the dullness of trade.

There has been a reduction of 10 per cent in wages dus ing the past twelve months.

The present tariff should have been left alone.

Bristles, as they come from the slaughterhouses, are to as raw materials.

Our goods are necessities.

We

pay 6 per cent on loans, if in want of any.

Immigration has had a tendency to lower prices to some extent.
About three-fourths of our labor is skilled.

By a reduction on labor and cheaper raw material we could meet a reduction of duty on the goods we make.

We employ about 18 men, averaging $8 per week They work 55 hours per week.

The cost of manufacturing has decreased about 20 per cent since 1883. Our selling prices have decreased since 1890.

BRUSHES OF ALL KINDS, INCLUDING FEATHER DUSTERS AND HAIR PENCILS IN

Reply of Southwestern Broom Manufacturing Company, of Evansville, Ind., manufacturers of brooms.

[Established in 1887. Capital invested, $50,000.]

The amount and value of our output since starting have been as follows:

We have never been idle since we started.

Reduction in tariff would not harm or benefit our business any. If twine was reduced we would benefit some. The price of brooms from 1887 to 1893 was about the same. In 1894 the price is 30 per cent lower, owing to decline of broom corn.

There has been an increased competition during the past four years, mostly due to penitentiaries, workhouses, and houses of correction. We prefer a specific duty on manufactured goods to an ad valorem. We produce more goods now than ever.

We pay the same wages as for seven years past.

Workmen live on $12 per week, rent and all. Living has decreased 20 per cent in our locality in four years.

Overproduction, caused by too many machines being put to use, is responsible for the present depression.

Our raw materials are broom corn, handles, velvet, and flax twines. Our goods are necessities.

We pay 7 per cent on loans.

Fifty per cent of our labor is skilled.

We employ 90 laborers-30 men, 30 girls, and 30 boys-and pay skilled labor $2 and $3 per day; ordinary labor, 60 and 90 cents per day; our hours of labor are fifty-four per week.

Foreign articles do not enter into competition.

We export some of our goods and realize about the same price as at home.

Increase or decrease in cost is caused by fluctuation in raw material. We consume in our manufacture about 600 tons of broom corn, worth $40,000, and about 700,000 broom handles, worth $8,000. Flax and tin are taxed.

We need no custom duty on manufactured goods of our class.
Our selling prices change as to cost in raw material.

We believe in reciprocity, or a small duty to bear expenses, and this to be done without any more delay, as it will kill business and the party in control of the Government.

No. 6506.

Reply of Joseph Lay & Co., of Ridgeville, Ind., manufacturers of brooms and brushes.

[Established in 1878. Capital invested, $30,000.]

Our annual average product has been $25,000 since 1878.

We have been running less than one-half force the past year, owing to the great depression among large mills and manufactories, who are consumers of our make of goods. Also to the tendency of cities and railroad corporations to cut expenses, and also to the fact of very high freight tariff, and advanced price of street-broom material (bass and rattan reed), which practically crowded cities into buying but little, if at all.

There is no danger of foreign competition.

If the duty were all removed from dressed bass (bahai or coir), a South American and African product, and rattan reed, a China product, it would reduce the cost of production of street brooms and more than double our force. Bass, as sent to this country in the rough, is more