TARIFF SCHEDULES. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Thursday, January 30, 1913–7.30 p.m. EVENING SESSION. The committee reconvened at the expiration of the recess. The first witness this evening is Mr. Quinn. STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN QUINN, ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS. The witness was duly sworn by the chairman. The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed, Mr. Quinn. Mr. QUINN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I appear before you on hehalf of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, a New York association, which is devoted to the practice and cultivation of contemporary art. That association, and I think I may safely say American artists generally, ask that the present duty of 15 per cent upon all art not 20 years old be unqualifiedly and unconditionally removed. I will not take up the time of the committee to any great length in giving the history of the various provisions of the eight or nine tariff acts that dealt with the subject of art. I intend to submit a brief, with the permission of the committee, in which the dates of the acts and the duties, as well as where there were no duties, will be set forth. I will come right down to the act of 1909. A very great effort was made at that time to have the Congress of this country make all art free. Art associations, free-art leagues, painters, and sculptors, presidents of colleges, chambers of commerce, and other public bodies all addressed the then committee of this House in favor of free art. A few artists and a few tradesmen asked that the duty be retained, and asked that it be made a specific duty of $100 on all art objects, irrespective of their value. The result of that is that the importation of old works of art has risen enormously. A glance at the figures will show that. For example, in 1908 the value of all art imported was $3,911,125, and it yielded a duty of approximately $700,000. In 1909 the value of all art imported was $3,239,168, and yielded a duty of approximately $600,000, In 1910, after the duty on art over 20 years old had been removed, the value of the imports increased to $18,634,131, from which, under the present law, the Government derives no revenue. |