Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-12-23
Reciprocity.

I
l We clip the following extrac
from an interesting pamphlet pub
; lished by the Memorial Committee
: of the National Lumbernen's Asso
= citation, on the proposed reciprocit!
e treaty, and laid before the United
f. States Senate:
> On the basis of s10C 90 900 pai(
out as yearly wages, it is wei
, known what portion goes to oui
farmers, mechanics, and home man
facturers.
On all this matter of wages and
expenditure, while accuracy is i'm
possible, careful investigation can
give near approximation, and the
result of such investigation we give
in round numbers, near approach
to the facts of the case, yet below
those facts:
In 1865, when the reduction Of
internal revenue taxes was being
discussed, and the Committee Of
Ways and Means in Washington
asked information from fit persons
practically engaged in leading in
dustries, letter was written by
Hon. D. j. Morrell, of Johnstown,
Pa, to the Secretary of the Amer
can Iron and Steel Association at
Philadelphia, which was sent to
that Committee to aid them in their
responsible work. Mr.. Morrell
has had large experience in the
employ of labor, as manager of the
great Cambria Iron Mills at Johns
town, and his estimates in this letter
were made with great care and |
minuteness.
He finds that of each 800 paid |
for wages some S65 are spent
monthly for the wants of the work
men and their families. Selecting
from his list of the expenses Of
workmen such amounts as they
pay for farm products, and we find
s22 of each $50 paid them goes to
the farmers of this country, and
in the West and South q share of
this, of course, to farmers in their
vicinity. BY the same selection of
home manufactures used by work
men, we find that $3.50 of each
$50 paid them goes to our mechan-
les and man ufactures. His careful
statement may be taken to apply
to lumbermcn as well as iron
workers, and will give as near an
approach to accuracy as can be
bad.
On the basis of proportion he
gives, we should have $4,000, 900
expended yearly by the worlimen
in our lumber mills and forest
camps for the products of our farms
an s23, 100000 for those of our
factories and machine shops. But
an additional large item in the lum-
Der BUSINESS is the grain and coarse
feed for their teams, which may
safely be estimated at $4,000, 600
in all. This gives total Of $751;
500, 900 worth Of farm products,
and s23,000,000 worth from facto-
ries and mechanic shops as the
yearly consumption Of home pro-
ducts in our great industry.
To give few particulars, we
find that Michigan lumbermen,
producing yearly 2,2O0,00o,0OO
feet, receive s25, 100000, in wages,
and pay out of this to the farmers
s7,045, 500 and s6,0S6,300 to home
manufacturers and mechanics, and
that counting food for horses and
cattle worked in lumber camps,
and farmers receive SS,S00,000
yearly. Wisconsin lumbermen's
wages are SO, 49,, 900, of which the
farmers get s2,953,OOO, and the
mechanics and manufacturers ST.
100000. In Minnesota s4,6G0,00O
is paid in wages, and farmers get
s1,600,000. In New York s15 ,0OO-
600 is paid in wages, and farmers
receive s5,2OO,OOO, manufacturers
and mechanics s3,S70,00O. In
Pennsylvania sls,6O0,oOO is paid
as wages to lumbermen, Of which
81, 100000 goes to manufacturers,
while farmers receive in all SO, 400,-
600; all this on the basis of the
United States census report.
Our total exports Of breadstufrs
and provisions to Great Britain in
! 1873 were l7O,OOO,OOO, and our ex-
ports to all countries in 1872 were
s170,0O0,0O0. Over half as much
farm produce is consumed by our
lumbermen as the total exports