New-York tribune., 1884-02-19
THE MORRISON BILL.
IT'S DISASTROUS FEATURES DISCUSSED.
,xnrsrRIrs THAT WILL SUFFER- SEVERELY FROM
THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS.


600 600 last year, in which many millions of capital
are invested and upon which fifty thousand people
depend for support and to offer foreign producers
Of copper ore bounty of about 2l2 cents per pound
10 bring that ore to the United States to have it
smelted. The result would be the loss of capital
invested in copper mines. mining machln-
cry, stamp mills, ETC., the throwing ont
of employment of 10000 persons in the Lake SUI
perior district alone, and large decrease In do
nestle commerce. To offset this 100 men would
find employment in smelling mills on the Atlantic
seaboard where 1000 are now engaged in copper
mining and milling. Foreigners would control the
American copper market and fix the price OF cop
per in the United States Briefly stated these are
the consequences which John Stanton, who is en-
gagged in that branch of American industry, told
the Ways and Means Committee to-
day will follow the enactment of the
Morrison bill. No member of the committee
tIed to cOntrovert Mr. StantOns statements or con-
Clusion.
THE REDUCTION on COTTON GOODS.
"The proposed or even a smaller reduction on
fine grades of cotton goods like sateens, etc, woud
cause the immediate abandonment OF the Efforts Oh
American manufacturers to compete with ther
foreign rivals" said Charles II. Dalton, of Boston,
who earnestly protested against the bill IN beha1
of the Arkwright Club, whose members have
S1OO 600 600 of capital invested in man.
ufacturing industries who employ 100000 PERSONS
who Turned out $50. 600 600 worth of goods last
year and who pay for transportation of raw cotton
some Sc 900 600 year. The bill will also prove
disastrous the infant cotton manufactures III te
Southern States which have already begun to 1eei
the injurious effects OF tariff agitation, one concern
at Augusta ha wing failed within a few days. Mr.Dal-
ton exhibited samples Of fine goods made ID Massa-
chusetts TO compete with the fine goods of
France He also showed common
cotton cloth made In England for
the Mexican market. He said that it contains 80
per cent of clay. These goods bear forged Ameri-
can stamp and they have driven American cOttOns
out of market.
The present rates Mr.. Dalton said should be
maintained for ten years in order to protect Ameri-
can workingmen against a reduction OF wages
which would cause great distress. Mr. Hewitt eN-
bibited samples of cotton goods sent him by Arnold
& Constable, and used, he said, by miiners for
facings, etc, which now pay a duty of 143 to l40
per cent.
MesSrs. Dalton, Chace and others said no snch
goods are made in the United States and they dld
not think they were largely imported.
fC.N Bliss, of New York, whose firm handle
100000 packages of cotton goods last yea. pro-
tested against any reduction which he declared is
not demanded by anybody so far as he knows.
HOW GINGHAMs WILL BE AFFECTED.e
j. b. Barnaby of Providence, who is manu-
facturer of fine ginghams as well as a member OF
the Democratic National Committee, not
only protested against further reduction, but
argued IN favor of increased duties on ginghams in
order to enable American manufacturers to compete
with their Scotch rivals "Unless the increase is
granted we must stop business" said Mr. Barnaby.
whose statements were corroborated and fortified
by figures. S. NJ. Ashley, also a gingham manu-
E. g cbnvviuu that American
tives in that industry are paid 100 per cent more
than operatives in Scotland.
Mr. Taft of Providence, declared that the present
tariff has not yet been in operation long enough 10
show what its effects will be. 1t is as important to
the cotton goods industries of the South that the
market for cOarser grades of goods shall not be
crowded as it is TO the England manufacturers
that the market for fine goods shall not be captured
bv foreigners One effect of the bill will be TO increase
impOTtations largely and thus aggravate the evils
of a redundant revenue which it proposes to cure.
MIR. Taft criticised with some severity and appa-
rently with considerable justice, the cotton sta
tstlcs prepared by Mr.. Atkinson for the tenth cen
sus and Mr. Hewitt thought it worth while oplace
on record the fact that the census was first pub
Hshed under Republican Administration.
A discussion springing up as 10 what items prop
erly enter into the cost of production, Mr. Mills
said he did not think il fair to include wear and
tear of machinery" an opinion which was strongly
cOmbated by Mr.. Hewitt
THE CALICO INDUSTRY.
Mr. Taft's analysis and criticism of the census
seemed TO worry Messrs. Morrison and Mills con
siderably The latter became so deeply abstracted
that after Thomas j. Borden had been engaged for
some fifteen minutes in an effort to show the COM
mtee the serious effects of the proposed bill on the
calico industry, the chairman asked question
:. al, axdaut that ha thOuUht MIR
Borden had been talking about the cotton yarn
ipdustry-which is a different matter. MIR.
Borden showed that wages of unSkilled laboreB
are So per cent higher now, and of skilled wOrkmcn
60 per cent higher, than they were in 1861. There
fore to reduce duties the rates of that year was
to compel a reduction of wages which could not be
effected under three years if at all. Domestic COM
petition has reduced prices of calico 20 per cent
since 1861 despite the increase III wages Mr MlllS
thought if this prices wOud be still fur
ther reduced by throwing down the bars and
allowing foreign competition.
Mr.. Hiscock wanted to know If tins would not |
drive American manufacturers out OF the business
MI. Borden replied 1t would aud that the next
effect would @ higher prices.
, Edward NJ. Townsend. of New-YOrk, described |
the disastrous consequence to the hosiery industry
which would follow the proposed reduction Ii |
would utterly destroy all hope of American COM
hosiery. Mr.. Townsend read some fgnres showing
tbat while men kntters III the United States receive
10 GlSd WICK, WOlkllg ten hours daV. and plrl
stitcheTs So to SIS week, men knitters i'm Saxonv
receive SO to 81 a week working ~ hours day |
and girl stitchers So TO SO % week. ~
Representative Davis. of Massachusetts, submit |
ted written protests in behalf of the cotton yarn |
industry from which il appears the English manu-
facturers are greatly encouraged by the far pros
poets of the Morrison BILL which, if adopted, will |
give them control of the American market.
The representatives of the spool thread industry
submitted cOgent reasons ana conclusive 1acts ana
figures against the bill.
INJURY TO THE THREAD TRADE.
" If this proposition carries the thread industry
must 60" said Mr.. Ferguson, of the Clark Thread