Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-15
"How Labor is Protected I'm Pennsyl-
vania."
IBrooklyn Eaele, May 2. l

from tne theories up
on which Free Traders and Revenue
Reformers lavish their giddy affections.
Knowing this, the Eagle takes pleasure
i'm presenting from time to time to the
admiring gaze ofits protectionest friends,
not theories, but facts, and we especial
ly commend to their attention the fol-
lowing dispatch which we find in the
columns of the New York Times this
morning:
"PITTsBUGH, Penn, May IA secret
meeting of the Iron Manufacturers AS
sociation of the West, which was Or
ganized during the strike of 1882, was
larger than at any meeting since that
strike, $50, 100000 of capital being rep
resented. A. F. Heating, of this city,
presided. The committee which met
the representatives of the Amalga-
mated association two weeks ago re-
ported their failure to agree on a rate of
wages to be paid after June l, and
stated the arrangements offered by both
sides. This was thoroughly discussed,
and.it was unanimously resolved that
the reduction of 10 per cent. demanded
by the Manufacturers Committee be
adhered to and the programme submit
ted at the conference carried out at all
hazards. Secretary Weeks says that so
far as he knows this closes the negotia-
tions of the manufacturers, as not a
word was said about any further at
tempt to settle the differences. This
was corroborated by manufactures, who
stated positively that work would be
suspended after June II, If the work.
men do not come to terms"
This, we submit, is an admirable text
for dissertation on the beauties of the
tariff by such of our Protectionist con-
temporaries as may be in the mood to
enlighten waiting and somewhat be-
logged community. We trust they will
not be deferred from the task by the
jeers of the Revenue Reformers, for
however little these may be disposed to
listen to reason, bribed, as they motor
iously are, by British gold and bent, as
every child ought to know, on running
our country, the working-men of Pitts
burgh will assuredly listen with eager
minds to an explanation of the benefits
which they derive from a tariff which
has put them at the mercy of q $40, 900, :
600 monopoly and reduce their wages.
But before proceeding to shed upon the
subject the light which so peculiarly
irradiates their disquisitions we beg
them to consider also certain other
but cognate facts which we make
haste to place at their disposal. In a
speech delivered in the House of Rep
resentatives last week by Mr.. Wood.
of Indiana, we find an exhibit which
seems to have been made designedly to
round out the case in hand. How the
manufactures propose to protect the
workingmen the dispatch before us
shows with lucidity which leaves
nothing to be desired, and Mr.. Wood
tersely, but with little less luminous
ness, tells the story of how the manu-
| facturers have been protected. 1t is
thus:
"Iron ore is charged with duty of
IS cents per ton. From the ore is made
pig iron, which is charged with duty
of $6 per ton. Pig iron is run into bar
iron, ETC., and that pays duty of So
per ton. Bar iron, round and flat iron
is made into spikes, nails and other ar
ticles, which pay duty of $25 per ton
while horseshoe nails, hob nails, wire
nails, wrought iron and steels nails pay
a duty of $50 per ton; chains pay $50 pei
ton, and fence wire $12 per ton. These
rates apply substantially to iron and
steel blooms"
Manifestly there is protection enough
here for somebody. Who that some
body is Mr.. Wood proceeds to show in
the matter of fact way so dear to thu
Protectionist's heart: "In 1880 ther'
were 1,005 establishments, with capita
of over $3.50, 0,971 ,S74. Their iron an(
steel products were valued at 1926, ,557,
675; value of material, S191 ,271 ,150; wa
ges paid, $50, ,475,7S5. The profit is $40,
800, $50 or 21.56 per cent. On the capita
invested. The average wages paid wa
$l.31 per day. In 1880 there were thir
ty-siX establishments engaged in tn,
manufacture of steel, with 20,965, ,2l0
value of materials, $36, 1885, 1928; wage:
paid, $4,930,349. The profit was $l4,
047 1888, or 81 per cent. upon the capi
tai. Average wages paid $1.50 pc
day
"This," adds the gentleman from In
diana, "is protection in full" The sto
nv, of course, does not end here. How
the tariff affects the consumers mus
also be Indicated "When they buy
cotton or woolen goods of any class o
kind they pay 80 to Ill per cent. Whel
they buy boots and shoes they pay 3
per cent; brooms and brushes, 80 pc
cent; buttons, As per cent; carpets, A
per cent; clothing, from 40 to so pc
cent; felt goods, 5Oper cent; drugs ant
chemicals, q per cent; havoring eX
tracts, so per cent; food preparations
20 per cent; furniture, so per cent.
glass 6S per cent; hats and caps 30 to s.
per cent, house furnishing goods, 2
per cent; leather, 80 per cent; liner
goods, 40 per cent; millinery goods, A.
to so per cent; rubber goods, 25 to 8
per cent; soap, 20 to 2S per cent; suga
and molasses, Is to 35 per cent, tinwar
and copperware, 45 per cent; varnish
40 per cent; fiannels and blankets, 6
per cent, women and childrens's dres
goods, "a per cent; and so on through
the list of six hundred articles charge,
with an average duty of AZ per cent"
AS the total increase in the price o
commodities caused by the tariff i
: about $500, 900, 600 per annum, the aver
age cost of labor in manufactured artic
, les III per cent. of the market value O
the finished product and the averag
tariff rate AZ per cent, no really goo
, Protectionist need have any difficult
in ciphering out what percentage of tn
, tariff goes to labor and what left to tn
capitalists.
In this relation there is another fac
presented by Congressman Dorsheimel
J which ought not to be overlooked b
our esteemed Protectionist contem
, poraries: eff" says Mr.. Dorsheimel
, 1--WE find that prices of labor vary a
much here under the protection of thes