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The Commoner,
'
AUGUST 27, 1909
CHICKENS OF MARCUS A. MARKS
COME HOME TO ROOST
During the last campaign Marcus M.
Marks, president of the National Cloth-
iers Association, declared that if Bryan
were elected his company and other
companies would concel a large number
of orders and many working men in his
trade would be thrown out of employ-
ment.
At the special session of congress he
protested unsuccessfully against repub-
lican party legislation by which the
public must pay $120,000,000 more for
garments than they paid last year. This
enormous margin is going into the
pockets of not more than one hundred
already enormously rich men.
The showing made by Mr. Marks and
his associatess as told by the Philadel-
phia North American in its issue of
July 20, is in substance as follows:
"Relying on their influence to insure
-a high protective tariff on raw wool, the
large wool men in this country have
stored away millions of pounds of that
product until the tariff bill shall have
been passed by congress. As a result,
the American public will have to pay
$120,000,000 more for its clothing. The
average prices for woolens and worsteds
for next spring are 25 per cent more in
this country than they were last spring.
In London, the wool market of the
world, prices have advanced only 6 per
cent."
The Philadelphia., North ' American article
follows; .
"By keeping up the tariff on wool congress
will place an additional tax of $120,000,000
upon the people of this country for clothing
next year. So confident have the raw wool
interests been that the tariff will not be reduced
in the bill now before congress that they have
stored millions of pounds of wool "and expect
to sell it for next year's clothing at prices which
prevailed before the 1907 panic and which are
19 or 20 per cent higher than are quoted in
London.
This declaration was made yesterday to the
North American by David Kirschbaum, of A. B.
Kirschbaum & Co., one of the largest clothing
manufacturing houses in the country. v
It is asserted by Mr. Kirschbaum that the
wool men who have thus held their wool for a
higher market must either have relied upon
their influence to control the situation in con
gress or must have had assurances that no
change in the duties on wool would be made.
Clothing manufacturers throughout the United
States, on the other hand, Mr. Kirschbaum says,
took President Taft at hh word, and looked
for a material reduction in the tariff on wool.
Thousands of appeals to the president to re
deem his and the party's pledges are now, Mr.
Kirschbaum said, going into Washington with
every mail.
His statement as to the force and extent of
the protest that is being made by the clothing
men of the country was substantiated by those
of other manufacturers.
He asserts that if the pledge meant anything,
the first place to begin was on the wool
schedule.
"The average prices of woolens and worsteds
for the spring of 1910," said Mr. Kirschbaum,
"are approximately 25 per cent higher than
what they were for the spring of 1909 in the
United States.
"That this increased cost is due to conditions
prevalent in America only Is proved by the fact
that the price of spring woolens in 1910 In Eng
land are only from 5 to 6 per cent more than
they were for the spring season of 1909.
"London is the wool market of the world.
Whatever wool is Imported into this country is
almost invariably bought through London.
Therefore, London being the wool market of
the world, the increase there would indicate
the natural increase that ought to be demanded
here.
"If the manufacturers of America are en
abled, through an unreasonable high wall of
protection, to increaso the price of woolens from
20 to 25 per cent, while English manufacturers
only have raised tho prices from 5 to C per
cent, the conditions hero speak for themselves.
"Wool has been stored to tho extent of mil
lions upon millions of pounds, not only in Bos
ton, but in cities like Philadelphia, with a rea
sonable assurance that tho wool tariff would
not bo tampered with, and that thoy would
eventually get tho same prices for tho raw wool
that prevailed before tho panic.
"Tho clothing manufacturers throughout tho
United States took President Taf t's word, which
was a pro-election pledge, records of which aro
obtainable, stating that raw products would
come in free, or the rates of tariff would bo
very materially reduced.
"For these reasons we wore justified In ox
pecting that we and other clothing manufactur
ers would bo able to continue our policy of giv
ing to tho trade, or tho wearers, thoroughly
trustworthy fabrics in their garments.
"We expected that wo would get, through tho
proper legislation, such woolens as would on
able us to give as good values as we have boon
giving, but tho more prominent wool and wool
en men of this country, on tho contrary, stored
quantities of all grades of domestic wool, feel
ing assured that President Taft and tho repub
lican party's pro-election pledges would not bo
kept, and that the issue would bo sidetracked.
"There aro less than 20,000 people omployod
in the raising of wool in tho United . States.
Ninety per cent of tho people engaged In this
industry are not owners of the sheep; there
fore, it leaves 10 per, cent of tho whole that
aro owners or directly financially interested In
this tariff. More than 90,000,000 people aro.
overtaxed for tho sake of protecting a handful
of wool barons.
"There is but Qno way by which President
Taft can keep his promise to the people of tho
United States, and that is by referring schedule
K back to the house, and having tho wool ques
tion re-opened.
"There Is no raw material used in tho man
ufacture of anything so vitally important to
the American public as raw wool, and there Is
nothing so highly and so unjustly protected as
raw wool.
"I think that the president Is getting more
detailed information on this wool subject than
ho has had in all the months previous to this
time. President Taft owes It to every oH'-ron
of the United States to see that this tariff is
revised.
"There is not a community in the United
States that Is not agitated over this subject.
The little commercial bodies, oven In towns
of from 3,000 to 4,000 people, have started pe
titions signed by the leading citizens of their
community and are forwarding the same to
Washington. A tariff of 45 per cent ad valorem
on all grades of wool would satisfy the clothing
manufacturers."
Letters like the following are now going out
from many of the clothing manufacturers in the
country to their trade. This one, we arc send
ing to all the firms on our books:
" 'Dear Sir: Within forty-eight hours you will
receive from the National Association of Cloth
iers a copy of its statement appealing to tho
president of the United States for relief from
effects of the prospective tariff legislation. The
rate of duty on wool and woolens, as provided
by the bill now before congress, does not re
deem the platform pledges of the republican
party. On the contrary, the proposed measure
has already caused an advance of as much as
32 per cent in the price of spring woolens for
1910. This is an injustice to the American
people an injustice to your customers. You
owe it to your patrons to o everything In your
power to prevent tho final enactment into law
of such a bill. In order to strengthen and sup
port the campaign for relief which is being
waged by the National Association of Clothiers,
we advise that you telegraph President Taft
and your congressman immediately, protesting
against a tariff that will increase the co.rt to
the wearers of men's and boys' clothing in this
country $120,000,000 for the year 1910 an
amount double the value of the entire wool
clip of tho United States. Doubtless you feel
as we do: namely, that it Is both your right
and your duty to demand that the president and
the republican party redeem their pre-election
plodgos to revise tho tariff downward. Tele
graph without n momont's dolay. Yours vory
truly. A. B. KIIISCIIBAUM & CO. "
Tho following lottor, Mr. Kirschbaum says,
has boon sont to tho prosidont by tho National
Association of Clothiers:
"Tho National Association of Clothiers has
alroady filed with you its objections to tho wool
schodules ombodlod In tho tariff bill now In
conforonco between tho houses of congress.
"Practically no chango from tho Dlngloy bill
has boon ombodlod in tho now tariff, nnd we
must theroforo nssumo that no relief from tho
present unfavorable) conditions can be had save
through your intervention.
"An industry whoso product Is uaod by prac
tically ovory porson in tho United States ap
peals to you for slmplo Justlco, not for itself
alono, but for tho consumers of tho country.
"Eighty million wearors of woolous aro pay
ing yearly much moro than tho total value of
tho domestic wool clip to afford oxcoss profits
to a comparatively small number of shoop rais
ers and worsted yarn splnnors.
"Wo nro not opposed to a reasonable protec
tion to tho wool grower, and to tho domestic .
manufacturer, but from our practical oxpor
ienco wo know that tho Dlngley bill, through
tho unjust discriminations against tho lower
and cheaper grades of wool, has created a con
dition which has decreasod tho weight and dur
ability of tho clothing worn by the inassos of
tho pooplo and unduly advanced tho prlco of
tho depreciated cloth. Should present tariff
conditions continue tho situation will grow
worse and tho burden on all woolen clothing
extremely heavy.
"Tho pro-eloction plodgos Iod tho pooplo of
tho country to assume that thero would bo such
a revision of tho tariff as would afford relief
from oppressive conditions bearing heavily
upon tho consumer.
"Wo aro convinced that thero Is no schedule
in tho entlro tariff which is so Important as
tho one covering wool. As tho product of the
clothing manufacturers is an absolute necessity
to the masses, who suffer under present condi
tions, wo are impelled to ask you to disapprove1
tho Ontiro tariff bill should it not- afford tho
relief in this particular which tho people have
been led to expect. Respectfully submlttod,
"Marcus M. Marks', of David Marks & Bona, or
Now York City, President of tho National
Association of Clothiers, Chairman;
J. Kuppenheimor, of B. Kupponhoimor & Co.;
Chicago, 111.;
"Siegmund B. Sonnoborn, of Henry Sonneborn
& Co., Baltimore, Md.;
"David Kirschbaum, of A. B. Kirschbaum & Co.,
Philadelphia, Pa.; . .
"Louis E. Kirsteln, of tho Stoln-Bloch Co.,
Rochester, N. Y.;
"Frank R. Chambers, of Rogers, Poet & Co.;
Now York City;
"William Goldman, of Cohen, Goldman & Co.,
New York City;
"E. R. Smith, jqI E. R. Smith & Co., Boston,
Mass. ;
"W. R. Corwlne, Secrotary."
Sidney A. Aloo, of tho firm of A. B. Kirsch
baum & Co., is the prosidont of tho Philadelphia
Clothiers' Association, tho local branch of the
Clothing Association of tho United States. As
such, Mr. Aloe has had general charge of the'
campaign against high duties on wool, so far
as the Philadelphia manufacturers aro con
corned. Mr. Aloo said:
"Within tho next forty--ight hours, President
Taft will receive at least 50,000 personal ap
peals, in the form of original telegrams, direct
from clothing manufacturers and dealers. All
of these telegrams will insist that the president
shall stick jq his campaign promises.
"No such widespread movement was ever be
fore organized. The telegrams will come from
every city and town in the United States, and
each message will call attention to the fact that
he and his party are pledged to downward re
vision. It will amount to a telegraphic inunda
tion of the White House.
"Philadelphia manufacturers' of clothing have
all sent these telegrams, and most of them will
send a second dispatch. The dealers In clothing
aro to follow at once.
"All clothing men know that what Is needed
on the present duty on wool is downward revi
sion. As tho tariff Is under the Dlngley bill, 40
per cent of the wool used in the United States
Is imported, this for the reason that the wool
produced in the United States Is not sufficient
to supply the demand. Only CO per cent of tho
amount of wool needed by American manufac
turers is furnished by American sheep raisers.
"It will be apparent to any reasoning man
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