W.A. King said they did in 1912
The testimony of W.A. King representing the Parker Gun Co.
http://books.google.com/books?id=QDk...&lr=#PPA893,M1
Mr. King. I can speak only for our own company in so far as wages go. For instance, on the question of barrels, Mr. Hunter informed your committee that some years ago some of the manufacturers of this country attempted to make barrels.
We made some barrels: we built an addition to the factory, put in some up-to-date machinery, and brought some men from Belgium to show our blacksmiths how to do it. Wo had to pay our blacksmiths not less than 32 cents an hour, up to 40 cents, and we gave it up, because the highest wages paid the Belgian blacksmiths for exactly the same grade of barrel are 11 cents per hour. That is what is paid to the highest-priced man employed.
Senator Smoot. In Belgium ?
Mr. King,
In Belgium: yes, sir. That is where all of our barrels are imported from, with the exception of our very high-grade
Whipple steel barrels. (?transcription error?)
Senator Lodge. Those are rough-bored barrels.
Mr. King. Rough-bored only.
The Chairman. Do you make any barrels at all?
Mr. King. We make no barrels whatever.