The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-13
PRESIDENT JARRETT.
Why He Left the Knights of Labor-His
Views on Protection.


Interview in Philadelphia Press.
President Jarrett, in conversation with a re-
porter, said: al staid with the knights of Labor
as long as could. l found, however, that the
Dranch OF the organization IN the town in which
L then lived was drifting into the hands of GER
tain ambitious parties who were converting it
into political agent. Then | got out. l want
federation of every trades assembly or trades
union In the country, to combine together for
IN utual protection for the common good of all.
have no objection to the Knights of Labor or
the Independent Knights of Labor, or the pres
emit Federation of Labor, or any other labor
league, but want a confederation that will EN-
Drace them all, into which each can come upon
common basis. The experiment of a labor
party was tried in the Greenback-labor party,
and cannot consider it as having been success
full
al want a Bureau of Statistics, or a Bureau of
manufactures, as you may choose to call it, set
UP at washing ton that shall bear such relat ton
TO the manufacturing industries of the country
as those now existing between the Department
OF Agriculture and agriculture itself. The vast
ness OF the manufactures of this country is not
properly appreciated. Why, last year So, 000,-
O00,0O worth Of finished material was turned
out. This Burea of Manufactures should gather
complete statistics relating TO manufactures,
such as prices of raw material, cost of prodHe-
non, or manufacture, rates of wages, value or
fnisaed products, and relation of wages to
profit"
But have not these functions been assumed
by the Census Bureau2"
"They have not. IL is not enough that dry
collection of figures should be made and pub
llshed Tor nobody to read. What want is a de-
the subject, so that hen desire to know W hat
a certain class of goods cost for manufacturing,
OF the selling price, or the schedule of the en-
plOyes' wages, | may have authoritative
fountain Of information, and wages should be
regulated more In conformity With some just
schedule"
~ presume this new department almost at
the outset would come in contact with the tariff
laws as they now exist"
Exactly; that's the point. To make proper
tariff there must be the requisite knowledge re-
garding these matters of which L have spoken.
1t is impossible, for instance, TO fix just and
proper tariff upon tin-plate until it shall be
known and appreciated what it costs to make
tin-plate and the other details connected with
| its production"
You are in favor of protective tariff are you
not4"
Decidedly What I want and what the work
ingmen OF this country want is a tariff that shall
| do away as far as possible with the importation
| OF manufactures. 1t is the exports that should
| be stimulated, Everything that this nation
| needs, practically speaking, can be manufacture
| ed within It's limist There is no need of going
outside. In this way the workingman can be
guaranteed living wages The Bureau of Statis-
| tics, OF which have spoken, would examine
| into this subj ect from beginning to end"
what particular import duties in the revised
| tariff are distasteful TO the association and to
yOuf" asked the reporter.
After studying moment President Jarrett re-
| piled; Those upon tin plate, cotton ties and
| wire rods"
"And why upon these?" pursued the reporter.
Because they cannot be manufactured in this
country under the existing tariff other than at
! loss. provided the wOrkmen are given proper
wages. Take, for instance, tin-plate. The
| wages of tin-plate workers should be about the
| same as those received by the fine sheet-irOn
workers. Yet the plate cannot be manufactured
here upon this basis SO If it is produced at all
the workman made to suffer. This is where
the protective tariff protects the workmen."