The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-27

The Senator from Kentucky ought 10 |
know, and presume does know, that ia !
material and labor there Is not u dollar ri
charges for power. Does the Senator from
Kentucky know what the power costs in
running silk mandatory ut Patterson,
New Jersey? Does not the Senator from
Kentucky know that there is not cent
there charged for taxes? Does the Senator
know what the taxes ARE? Docs not tie
Senator know that there is not q cent |
charged for commission, nor for treasurers, !
nor for presidents, nor for superintendents?
The Senator from Kentucky has left out Of
his computation much larger sum in the |
cost OF manufacturing silk goods in pater.
SOL than he has put in there as labor.
Again, does the Senator from Kentucky |
know, he has many constituents who do |
not know and who when they read his |
statement will not know, that it Is utterly
absurd TO talk about the profits Of silk
manufacture being so per cent? There Is |
not u capitalist in New jersey who would
not build Il silk mandatory the profits
were 80 per cent, or 40 per cent, or 30 per
cent, or 20 per cent, or - per cent, There
is not a capitalist in New Jersey who would
not put his money into silk manufacturing
ut such u profit
Turning from the silk industry to that
Of Cotton manufacturing, he called the Mt.
tention Of the Senate to the equal ridicu.
lousness Of the conclusions draw by Mr..
Becks colleague, Senator Williams. II
seems that Williams had figured out part
OF the profits Of the business by assuming
the cost Of cotton to the manufacturers at S
cents per pound. Mr.. Frye asked:
Does the Senator from Kentucky know
where any cotton can be bought ut cents
pound and landed at our mills? Does
the Senator from Kentucky know in the
last twenty years Of single pound Of cot
ton that Inns been bought and landed ut
our cotton manufactures in New England
for s cents? Does not the Senator from
Kentucky know that it costs ali the way
from II cents to II cents? Then why
should the Senator from Kentucky, when
figuring out the profits Of the cotton manu-
iactnrers, deliberately put the price Of cot.
ton ut cents, when every other man in
the Senate knows perfectly well that there
has not been dollar sworth Of cotton ear.
ried into New England and manufactured
into cotton goods that costs there less than
II cents pound?
Why did not the distinguished Senator
from Kentucky put cotton at three cents
1t woutd have made the profits twice
as much. Why did he not put it Mt ut five
cents? Itwouid be justas true at five cents
MS Mt eight cents. Yet that information is
sent out to the people Of the country to
educate them touching the lniquities Of the
tariff, and to show them what enormous
profits cotton manufacturers are making
Forty.tlve per cent Tint is the iniormn-
ton Senators OF the United States send
over this country TO produce trouble with
the laborers in the mills, telling them the
manufacturer is making A5 per cent, and
that they are only getting 20.
Take the two largest manufacturing cities
in the country, Lowell and Lawrence,
does not the Senator from Kentucky know
that iii Lowell to enable them to get the
power necessary to run those mills it costs
millions upon millions Of dollars? Does
he not know that those immense stone
dams crossing the river there again and
again, and those great canals built there,
cost al immense sum OF money? Does he
not know that those mills in Lowell and
Lawrence are Obliged to pay for every drop
OF water that runs over those wheels to
make them run the spindles and looms in
those mills? Does the Senator from Ken.
lucky know how much one OF these cotton
mills pays for power? presume he does
not, because il he had known he would
have stated the fact and thus reduced
the profits. The Senator from Ken
tHcky did know when he made that state.
ment Of - per cent, that he did not include
in the cost the pay OF the treasurcrs Of
those mills, who receive from $1,000 to
$1,000 annually. lie did know that
he did not include the pay of the agents Of
those mills who receive from $1,000 TO
$4,000 annually He did know that
he did not include the selling agents OF
those mills. lie did know that he did
not include the commission on the sales OF
goods Of those mills. He did know that
he did not include the taxes paid in those
cities and towns where they are situated.
He knew, il he was acquainted with cotton
manufacturing, that the expenses OF run.
ming mill, outside OF labor and outside
Of material, are greater than the wages
paid for the actual labor itself.
Carefully prepared statistics have been
taken within the last year OF the profits OF
the cotton mills in Lowell and Lawrence,
and for the past five years land they have
been good, reasonably prosperous manu-.
faCturing years. the profits OF those mills
have been Il little less than per cent; Is
per cent says the Senator from Kentucky.
with his absurd figures. l say as matter
Of tHCt less than per cent. | say further
to the Senator from Kentucky that there is
not II cotton manufacturer in New England
who will not be perfectly coutcut il you
guarantee him profit OF per cent on his
capital invested.
Mr.. Aldrich-May interrupt the gentle.
man from Maine to make suggestion right
here2
Mr.. Frye-Certainly.
Mr.. AIdrich-t wish 10 cali his atten-
ton and the attention OF the Senate to the
matter Of depreciation of machinery, to
which the Senator has not 2llHGet ven
tUre the statement That there is not Il first
class cotton mill in New England where
the machinery has not been entirely re.
placed within the last fifteen years.
Mr.. Frye am Obliged to the Senator
from Rhode Island. The wear and tear OF
machinery is one OF the most important
items i'll the cost OF manufacturing, which
! neglected to mention. II should say
that that was % per cent ! should come
nearer the truth than the distinguished
member from Kentucky Mr. Beck came
when he declared that the profits on Bess-
emer steel were &c per cent and the profits
on silk manufacturing 30 per cent, and
when the other distinguished Senator from
Kentucky [NIr. Williansl declared that the
profits on cotton manufacturing were 45
per cent. By reason Of the small
margin for profits in cotton
and WOODEN mills to-day, by
reason otthe sharp competition all over this
country cutting down the price Of the
goods every cotton manufacturer and silk
manufacturer and wooden manufacturer is
obliged to study night and day how to de.
crease the cost OF production and not take
it from labor. Every invention is at once
seized upon. II there is an invention that
will save mill on yard Of cotton cloth