High Duties On Buttons

The button nianüfacturers, present and prospective, are unusually greedy in their deruands for tarifif duties. McKinley dnties are entirely too slow for the button infanta. The following is part of a statement made by button importers: The proposed duties on buttons, as per schedule of the finance committee of the senate, are as a rule prohibitory and would prove a severe hardship on goods used by the poorer and middle classes, and also to manufacturers of various garments used by. the mass of onr people, such as low priced shirts, underwear, clothing, etc. The following data will give some idea of the inequalities of the proposed duties: Agate Buttons - Present duty, also McKinley bil], 25 per cent; proposed dnty of one-twelfth of 1 cent per line per gross, plus 15 per cent ad valorem, would average from 67 to 161 per cent, bearing heaviest on the class of goods that raake up the great bulk of the importations. The followins; schedule, taking the styles tbat sell, shows the range proposed: BUTTONS FOR 1IANUFAOTURING TRADE IN BULK. Mineral 14 0.138 0.034 0.160 116 Ivory 16 0.145 0.036 0.182 125 Lentille 18 0.153 0.038 0.203 132 These buttons are not made here, nor are they likely to be made. First, becanse little or none of the raw material required has been found here ; second, because the total sales being limited to this country would not warrant the investment of the necessary capital in a plant needed to make the various styles wanted. It is evident that the iritention is to exclude these goods in the interest of some higher cost goods. The proposed duty would be a real hardship and bear heavily on the class of people who buy "china buttons," as well as on the manufacturera of cheap shirts, nnder■wear, etc. Bone Buttons (to sew on) - Present duty, 85 per cent; McKinley bill, 60 per cent; proposed duty, f rom 106 to 194 per cent. These goods are mostly sold to manafacturers of cheap underwear, children's waists, clothing, etc.