, 1875-10-18

HEUIEtIEU INDUSTRY.
The third annual report of the Six Associa-
tion If America furnishes tho figures which
crprrss the details OF silk manufacture in
the United States for tho year en1ing Jan.
ii, 1851. Front this report We get the fol-
lowing facts: Tint there are 12U firms mud
corporations engaged in the manufacture Of
silk goods; OF theae there are ~ in New
York, Il in New jersey, - in Pennsylvania,
and q in Connecticut.
These establishments employ in all 1a,41a
worktncr, of which ?,}45 are females, The
capital employed il $lt,70s,1a4. Tho ralue
Of the total production wns $50, ,0s2, 1872. The
whole sum paid for wages wns $4,+97,:1o.
We have two important points established
by these figures. First, we have the proror-
tion which the cost Of inbor bears to the
value Of tho manufactured product; and,
second the aggregate amount paid to pro-
tected labor. In the cnso Of tho silk mnnn-
factllre, TINT proportion is something less
than -; per cent. In other words, upon
eacll dollar Of silk manufactures there are
but 23 cents expended for the support Of
American labor. The other Il ceuts repro
sent the cost of new material aud the interest
on capital. by reference to the Same report
re learn that the total Ya1uo Of tie raw silk
imported into the United States in 1871 WAS
;s3,ol7,o13. Kidding :sl,ootl000 more for
other material, VIZ have an expenditure OF
9J,oOO, ,0uD for material and $1,000, 900 for
labor, u,.king together 50, 5tlD, Don, which. de-
tlucted from the value OF the manufactured
product, leaves n surplus Of $4,000, ooo to
rcmunerase the Sill, ,70s,l64 capital invested
md employed, aud to pay snc!I other ex-
penscs as uro not included III the cost Of
labor mud material. Tho report omits all
mention of the cost Of production.
The Congress- Of tho United States has in
no ono of the many items which make up tho
taria more grossly prosttnted its powers to
oppress tue people than it has done in tho
case OF tIis platoon OF manufacturers Of silk.
1t has levied tux of 20 per cont on all goods
made wholly or in part Of silk imported into
the United States. Wien the freight aud
other charges are added to this duty, and the
premium on gold both on the original cost
aud Oh the duty, tho protection furnished, or
tho bounty levied, does not fall much short
Of ID per cent in currency.
The wide margin between the cost Of labor
md Of the raw material, aud tile value Of the
products, muy bo largely explained by this
enormous tar imposed on atl compelling silk
goods.
This business Of lcvyiug protective tar to
| heueat particular olasses Of persons Ia con-
coded to 10 robbery but 1t Is claimed that
this robbery, bocausa 1t warrants the manu-
factnrers Of silk goods TO pay enormous
| wages to American labor, enables these Amer
ican laborers to live in princely style conf
pared with tho pauper lnborers Of Europe.
| This is tho prctext on which tax OF IL per
cent Ia lovied upon oach piece OF ribbon Or
| fringe, brail, binding, velvet, Grape. or en-
broidery, which is bought or used in the
United Staten. There liz not girl In the
country who has to buy enough ribbon for
l,cr Int, or silk neck-tie, or sash, but paya
~ centa out of every dollar sl.e spends rs n
special bounty to these $50 persons and com.
pauiea who arc fostering American labor by
paying it costly wages!
Tho silk operatives iu tho United States,
all told, number ll,479 persons, and they arc
paid, including tho skilled worknlon, an
average Of S3loGt for 3l3 days Of ten hours
labor. The aserngo weekly pay Of the
American lnborera in whose behalf tho Gov.
ernnsent lays q tar Of IL per cent on $40,
| GOO, GOO ofslk manufactures consumed annual
ly in the country is &5.9s in paper, worth 81
cents OIL the dollar. How the laborerf
Of 1,ur,pe will howl with rage wher
| they hear that In free America tht
laborcrs iu tho manufacture Of silk
including the skilled work1nan,-w who
wo are informed by this report,-ear1
SC per day,-ayerago $5.sS per week, O.
$A1GGl per aunun. Tho Government o
tho United statss lovies annually tax upo1
tue consumers of silk goods, including good
| uhero silk Ia mixed with worsted, linen, @
cotton, Of 5000, COO. Or this sax there IL
paid into the Treasury, perhaps, somo $19,
Oo0,o ,oo0; tho other $l.,01o,00o beinl
the bounty collected to foster a,'s
encourage kou,e' industry, aud espe
ecidly to pay American labor libera
wages. We and that this liberal wages IL al
average Of 8l per day t--out Of which arc t
be paid house~raut, fuel, clothing, and food
This ta1 haa now boen In operation nearl,
fourteen years. 1t wiz slightly reduced a
ono time, but tho lost Congress haatened b
restore It. The importance Of this 1nanufac
, turs as MI excuse for tue leyy OF such a
i enormous tax to support it, and to make
} profitable to those epgased In it, naay b
Illustrated by the comparIus figures OF an IL
It sestment in agriculture, tho number Of Pc,
q soma employed, aud the value Of the produ;
's ton, in single Congressional District
j. lllinois.
!. In this State We have Congressional Di
y tr1cs which averages u, ,0o0, 400 bushels
d corn annually, ,-cnouRh to buy out the enti
U six manufacturing husiueas Of tia Unitt