New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-05
AMERICAN SILK MANUFACTURE.

WHAT THE PATERSON MILLS ARE DOING-RISE
OF SILK NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. GOODS IN
DEMAND-CIIANGE IN THE TARIFF CNDE-
SIRABLE.
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBCSEl
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29-"See here" said
your old friend John Hill Of NcwJersey just Speaker
Blaine was calling the House TO order, yesterday morn
ing, want you to what some of my constituents
IRE doing" and he led to the Ways and Means Com
mittec room. I found there half dozen gentlemen
from Paterson n. j., representing the manufacturers
and weavers Of silk goods they exhibiting some OF
the richest samples ever saw silk ribbons OF various
widths and shades Roman scarfs cravas, braids bind
ings and serges We want to show you what we are
doing" said the first gentleman to whom was intro
duced taking up roll of wide pink ribbon Of exquisite
tint and perfect texture al sell our own goods ana I'M
port foreign of similar kinds but there is ribbon
that is superior to any of similar pattern made in En-
gland. When first began to make it, the ladies wore
afraid to buy it, because it OF American manufac-
tuTe though they could find other fault with It, But
the demand for it is better than for the foreign
! goods, and II commands a better price"
GLOW long have you been making such goods as
these 2" / asked
MAINLY the In 1861, only about 5000 900
was invested in this industry, in this country; the CAPT
tai is $25 100000 There employed 5000 opera
tives. OF whom threefourths are women; and the
amount paid TO them in year. wages, is S,2O00OO.
Men earn on an average, $40 week, and women ST. OF
course skful workers earn more. Tho value OF silk
goods woven in this country in 1871 S3OCOOO0O"
As he stopped here 10 take breath managed to get in
a word silk goods cannot lie imported without paying
duty of GO per cent; is that the least protection which
you ncedl"
Eyes and III tel you why. We get the silk free
Of duty can't he produced in this country; that is
we can raise the best silk the world in California but
we have TO send to Europe to be reecd; my friend
here will tell yOu why, presently But our machinery
costs than it does in Europe, especially as the
original looms aud spindcs have to be imported and our
labor costs far more than IN England France OF Ger
MANY Labor Is the great item of expense in the pro
ducon of all kinds OF fine goods and especially Is this
true Of sk-weaving Some of our factories have only
been started since the last advance OF per cent in the
rate of duty was made; tine lines of goods they make
could be profably produced before. But it's tho
workinman who gets the profit. Here LET me Introduce
YOU to of wcaveTs; he can tell you more about
the manufacture Of these goods than can"
This gentleman was a very intelligent Englishnan,
who at tho time, held in his hand sample of his own
work. lady'a cravat in the most brilliant coors
OF course" said he, these gentlemen who have in
vested their money in buildings and machinery are
greatly interested in the Of their enterprise hut
no less than we, the w0rklDen. was weaver IN
England before the free trade treaty with France and
had charge OF large mill. But that treaty ruined u.s.
not only the capitalists, mean, but the weayers tor
hundreds and thousands were thrown out OF employment
have been this country since 1855 and you'll hardly
believe it when tell yOu that though live much better
than in England and have children whom am educat
ng, saved more money out OF my wages last year,
than could earn at home"
"You say that the Paterson mills turning ont better
goods than were made in the mills when you were en-
ployed in England how do they do I"
the first place. fairlypald workman VIII always
make better goods than one who Is underpad Then we
all think that the future OF the business depends very
much being abb" to suppant foreign goods IN the
American market You know that American watches
made by certain firms are now much more highly priced
than foreign The prejudice against the watch
made at home was overcome, not by making walch as
good az the Swiss watches, but by making better
We are now trying TO do the same for American silks,
and we are succeeding too. DO MT you suppose the IN
tegent much interested III that as the
chinery and In our processes. The dyeing OF the SIX
thread has always been difficult matter but we have in
Paterson now, men who produce ms brilliant ana as dell
cate cOors as in England, while they put Ill
much less in weight Of dyestuii.'
The machinery is importedl'
"Yes, the first OF every kind, but very little IS
brought in As as shop once gets its feet,
the additional machinery which 1t needs TO extend the
business is made in this country"
Everybody who examined the samples expressed sur
prise at their beauty and 1t Is believed that the majority
OF the Ways and Means Committee VIII not consent 10
any reduction in the duty that Will nure this new ana
was permitted to copy from private letter written
Of the gentlemen present by his son travelling III
Austrian TyVO last year. the following extract III lus-
traes the effect of protection In striking manner:
:" ! have been making some moro inquiries as 70 SIX
town OF the region rstcass wnders get for "a
hours work, 81 so week, They are only employed at
certain seasons OF the year Raw-Slk wnderS ma
to one dollar week. They come into town from the
country on Sunday night, Monday morning, and re-
turn home Saturday night. They board ana lodge N
for 40 cents week. Their principal article OF 1904
is meal which Is cooked simply with salt ana water
Occasionally they eat little salad and salt fish, They
sleep in barracks Ike soldiers large number IN ROOM
for which they pay Austrian kreutzer night 1t Is
interesting figure out the amount OF money which these
poor people have spare after their board paid and to
Compare il and their mode life with that which paid
our hands and the in which the latter live"
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