The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-04-03
The Influence OF a Tariff on

SO wages.
'eiThe N. Y. Herald detailed sharp
young man to gather some items in
Pittsburgh and vicinity on the condi-
tions of manufacturers and the ques-
ton of wages. He met Mr.. Rankin,of
the knights of Labor, who impressed
him with the fact that the condition
of labor could not he much worse off
than it is under the present tariff,
which sounds strangely from a Repub-
lican protectionist in Pittsburgh. The
correspondent says: 3
"There is no doubt that labor unions
do keep up the wages of labor, and
very materially" said one of the prin-
cipal superintendents in the largest
steel works in this city. "Of course, ]
don't care to have anything say re-
peated, but. between you and me, if
the whole protective system Were
wiped out of existence, the laboring
man wouldn't be u bit worse off than
today. In fact, l don't see how he
could be much worse off any way
We have here in our Pittsburgh mills
the highest wages anywhere in the
country, and yet there are anywhere
from 900 to 5000 men, and good men
at that, loafing around the streets
without work. We have in Pittsburg
the most perfect organization among
laboring men known in the country,
and that is the real reason why these
who do work get the highest wages
paid anywhere"
"Why dos you attribute the high
wages to the labor unions ?" was
asked.
Because right close to us at the
Cambria Works, where the laborers
are not organized, you can get a man
for ninety cents day whom we have
here to pay SIPS day. The man we
pay 50 SO in Pittsburgh only gets ST IS
at the Gambia works. Our common
puddlers make $4 simply because they
are backed by the union. could take
a common laborer now seeking a job
at 81. 10 a day and make an equally
good puddler of him in two weeks.
There is an enormous disparity be-
tween the wages paid to labor that is
organized and labor that is floating
around loose"
do you consider the present con-
dition of labor bad ?"
IS Very bad indeed. My interests
are with the employers of labor and /
should not care to be heard talking in
this way. But no one who has given
the labor question any thought can
fail to see that wages are steadily tend.
ing downward. All manufacturers
are looking about to see where they
can curtail expenses, and the first thing
to be touched is the pay roll. This
country is afflicted with the spirit of
competition to such a degree that at
present we have more manufactured
stuff on hand than we can dispose of.
Mills are closing down all over or run.
ming short. The men May do their
best to strike, but it is no use. The
employers have the advantage every
time. All the labor unions can do is
to see that the men get the highest
wages in the market; but when men
are lying about idle, no power under
heaven can keep wages up if the en-
plOyers choose to make a reduction.
"Then, again, the laboriDg men
themselves are largely handled in
their union meetings by agents of the
employers. Werkingmen are often
ignorant, and a few smart men can
handle them if they take them at the
right time. You find every working
man about here a rank prOtectionist
He doesn't know what it is all about
but he has had it preached to him ovel
and over again until today he believes
that, badly off as he is, if the tariff
should be reduced he would be ruined
Ofeourse l am prOtectionist, because
l am In the iron business, and 1 am
ready to take all the protection I can
get. But as to the wOrkingman, he
plays right into the hands of the bosses
in this matter. He is made to believe
that unless manufacturers are protect
ed labor will be destroyed. Bat he is
carefully kept from seeing that labor
is the only commodity that is freely
imported into this country to benefit
those whose interest is to get cheap
labor"
A MACHINIST TALKS.
A practical niachinist. who is con
nected with a large manufacturing
concern here, said to ysur correspond
ent in chat on the labor question
Ignorance is at the bottom of all
this protective" tariff talk on the
LIZ L.. l. L a