Speech #530135677

Taking cocoa mats. the average cost of producing these In United States is estimated at 6 to 8 cents per square foot. viz. for cost of making only by American skilled labor. The proposed duty of 20 per cent ad valorem would mean on the India value of these goods about 1 to 2 cents per square foot duty. perhaps somewhat less (if values in India continue to decline). Add to this the cost of making with coolie labor in India not over I cent per squar efoot (but rather under this). would make the foreign or India product cost here. duty paid. including India coolie labor. not over 21 to 3 cents er square foot or say about half *to onethird of the cost to make in United States. including duty. So it must be plain to you from the foregoing that if this proposed duta of 20 per cent ad valorem on mats or matting is made a law. It can only result in the complete stoppage of this industry in our country. The benefit of low cost of producing in India these staple articles of household use as imported by our foreign competitors has. however. never been. nor will it ever be. given to the consumer. and these said importers and foreign manufacturers have practically had a monopoly of forty years of this business prior to 1510. It was only when the existing law was enacted that our American mills could in anyway compete with the coolie labor of India. Formerly the importers and foreign firms charged fancy prices. while now that these goods are made in the United States the consumer (and these goods are used in nearly every household in this country) gets the benefit of the lower price of door mats and mattings. which is now fully 80 per cent lower than when the said foreign firms had the monopoly of the business. and it was made possible for them to have this under the tariff of 1883 (20 per cent) and prior. With the present duty of 12 cents per square yard on matting and 8 cents persquare foot on cocoa mats. our manufacturers have taken heartand have embarked in the promotion of this industry in the United States. which business has been- now so extended that we need no longer look to the natives of India or the cheap labor of Enrop3 to supply us with these commodities.