Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-07-02
WHAT IS A PROTECTIVE TARIFF ?


From an Address by Hon. William p.
Frye, United States Senator from Maine,
30 the Brooklyn Academy Of Music,
March 80, 1856.
What is a Protective Tariff? Let
me illustrate it so that II shall be
within the comprehension of this
bright-eyed boy see sitting before
me; and in the illustration | shall
be governed by facts. not by fan
cies. Wherever ! give wages /
shall give those abroad at the high
est and those at home at the low
est.
Now, if you please, consider for
while Brooklyn to be the United
States and New York to be Eng
land, and | take England because
it is the best wage.paying country
in the world outside Of this repub-
lie.
propose to build twelve.set
wooden mill here in Brooklyn, Unit
ed States, and IFS exact counter
part in New York, (England.) |
commence here in Brooklyn, unit
ed Siates.) pay men who exca-
vate for the foundation from 81 to
Sl.40 a day, and the men who work
in the quarry and set the stone for
the foundation, from S1.50 TO 81 q
day; the painters, from 81 to 50 a
day; the quarters of slate, from
$50 to 81 a day; the masons who
lay the brick, from 81 to 50 day,
and when my mill is complete it
has cost me $3.50, 900, 30 per cent.
Of the whole amount being money
paid for labor. ! step across into
New York, for the time being Eng
land, and / proceed TO erect the
same mill. TO the men who exca-
yate | pay from go to 20 cents a
day to those who quarry the rock
and lay the foundation, from 50
cents to 81 a day; TO the brick.
makers, from 30 cents to so cents
day. 90 to StaflOrdshire and
hire, it may be, 100 women 10 make
my bricks, and pay them 81 cents
a thousand, or, il may be, hire
some little girls, bare.footed and
bare-beaded, from 10 to II years of
age, to carry the wet clay in my
brickyard on their little bare heads,
fOr from six to eight cents a day.
! saw report made to the English
Parliament, within ten years, which
declared that in England there
were 10000 Of these bareheaded
glrls engaged IN that work. | pay
my masons from 10 to 80 cents
day ; pay my skaters 81 a day;
/ pay my painters from so cents to
81 day, and when my mill is com.
plete it has cost me 100000.
Why that mill Sl00,0 900 and the
mill over here $7j0,00Os What
makes this immense difference in
cost! Remember that the mill is
90 per cent. labor. Remember that
the trees in our forests in Brooklyn,
United States,) the clay in our
banks. the stone and slate in our
quarTies, the coal in mines, and the
iron in the earth are as cheap as in
Europe. What then makes the
mill here in Brooklyn cost twice as
much as there Clearly, only that
labor here is paid more than twice
rs much as labor there. (Applause.)
| now build my machinery for
the mill in Brooklyn, 1.-THE United
States.) | pay my machinist from
500 to s. day, and it costs me
$4,000. | step over into New
York, (England.) and | pay my
best machlnst 81 a day, and my
costs me $4,000. Re-
member that Of the machinery 90
per cent. at least is labor.
Now the mills are complete, and
here in Brooklyn, (the Unitec
States | hire my men and my wO.
men, my wool sOrters, my mule
spipners, my card strippers, aud
my dressers. pay ny men from
$40 to $50 a week. get out case
Of cloths, and that case has cost me
lust 500.
20 over into New York, eng
and and hire men and Women
pay my women from 3l.90 to 80
1 week. my men from 81 to $7a
week. get ont a like case of
goods, and find its cost to be just
$50. Now if / can take that case of
10th, costing $50, bring it across
he ferry, and sell it IN competition
With the case which has cost here
n Brooklyn 500, don't you see
hat | can sell it for $50, $40 less
han the cost Of the case here, and
Till make a profit of $40? How
ong then will my mill in Brooklyn
IN against such competition as
hat