The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-27
AMERICAN PnTTERIEs.

amounts to not quite five and half cents
would be we'll to look at the business in all
its aspects. Twenty-Five years ago the pot
terry business in America was scarcely worth
considering, 1t was so Insignificant in ex-
tent in 1851, nearly all of our ware being
imported from England and other European
countries. The demands of war compelled an
import duty ranging from 25 per cent. to IS
per cent. ad valorem" according to the News.
The natural result of this bounty" as
claimed by free traders, would be to raise the
price of pottery just that much or, in other
words, American potters would be enabled
to ask from 25 per cent. to So per cent. more
for their products than before this duty was
levied. For example: the article that cost
81 under free trade would sell for $1.25 or
s155. Instead of this, the result is directly
to the contrary, and the same grades of pot
terry now sell at from so per cent. to 90 per
cent. cheaper than in 1861, when the English
potteres had no opposition.
The industry has grown 30 rapidly in
America that we are ready to compete with
England, except in one direction-the ques-
ticn of wages, The average weekly wages
paid for skilled labor in English potteries is
$3.50, while the average weekly wages paid
the same class OF workmen in American
potteries is $780, or nearly three-fold
greater. Now if free trade means anything
it means that the men now receiving $1S. so
per week in American potteries shall come
into direct competition with the men who
receive but $3.50 in English potteries. The
| free-trade doctrinaire wants the wages of the
| potter, the puddler, the operator in the
wooden and cotton mills, and of every
American mechanic, cut to a level
with those paid in England. He
would have the people believe that the work
ing men of America are too well paid. 1t
would not make much difference to the
SIS 0OO,0 600 if the thousands of skilled work
men In American potteries were turned
| adrift after a vain effort to compete with
artisans working for one-third of what they
receive But it does not stop there. The
same principle that would wreck American
potteries would close rolling mills, wooden
and cotton mills, and every manufacturing
industry now operating in America under
protection. Free trade unmasked means,
down with wages in America; they are too
high we would better pay the s., 991 ,096
into the Federal treasury as direct
taxes than to use it to keep alive
an American industry which has reduced
the cost of its wares so per cent. to 60 per
cent. Those in favor of a well-devised sys-
tenn OF protection take the opposite view
They think it better to pay this burden of
taxation in such way that 10000 American
potters can be fed and clothed thereby
They are of the opinion that the man at the
wheel is paid not one cent more than he
earns. They rejoice that way has been de-
vlsed whereby the taxes that would have to
ury in such way that in transit they
furnish food and clothing and shelter
to 10000 potters and to the 90
900 or more women and children
dependent upon them. All this for 81 cents
per capita, which, but for the protective
tariff, would have to be paid directly to the
tax collector; and this takes no cognizance of
the fact that all users of pottery now save
vastly more than the protective tax in the
reduction of price.
We have immense sums to be raised annu-
ally in the shape of taxation. Free traders
maintain that these shall De paid directly
into the public treasury; that American in
dustries and their well-paid workmen shall
be placed in competition with those of the
old world, and that we shall run the risk of
increased prices after English capitalists
and low-paid operatives shall have killed OPP
position here. Protection means directly the
opposite of this; that our industries shall
and our workmen shall not yet be obliged
to work as cheaply as do those of European
countries If under this impetus the profits
are inordiuateiy large for time, the induce
ment to invest will be SO great that home
competition will soon regulate matters, and,
as, in the case OF American potteries, re-
duce prices to point whers no reasonable
citizen would complain.
The News, In the article now under con-
sderation. attempts, in covert way, to
show that the average wages of skilled work
men in American potteries is not $3.50, but
much less. 1t says 'There were, in 1880,
6s6 stone and eqrthenware factories in this
country, employing 9.494 hands, all told,