Men's Sewed Straw Hats Report of the United Stated Tariff Commission to the President of the United States (1926)

"Men's Sewed Straw Hats" by United States Tariff Commission is a detailed governmental study that explores the economics surrounding the manufacturing of men's sewed straw hats in the United States during the early 1900s. The document carefully looks at the cost to make these hats locally versus how much it costs in other countries, especially Italy and England, which were big competitors at the time. As part of the tariff laws of the 1920s, the report checks into how making hats in America is structured, who is doing the work, and what kinds of hats are being produced. The reason for the report is to figure out if imported hats are hurting American businesses and to see if it costs more or less to make hats in the U.S. compared to somewhere else, considering things like materials, labor, and other expenses. Ultimately, based on what they found, the report suggests changes to tariffs to level the playing field for American hat makers so they can compete with cheaper hats from abroad.