The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-31
THE MILLS BILL DOING ITS WORK.
Eight Hundred Men Thrown Out OF
Employment in New Jersey,
AS the Result OF the Uncertainty In
Business Circles.
Free Trade Rulings make Trouble for
a lewiston MIlI.

NEW YORK, July 3O-The Norfolk and
New Brunswick Hosiery Company Of New
Brunswick, N. j., on Saturday suspended
work at their mills for period Of several
weeks; or, at any rate, until there should be
larger demand for their goods than at pres
ent. The company run small mill at Hart
ford, Conn, but most Of their work Is done
at New Brunswick, whore they own Eve
large brick buildings. The company, which
has been in existence since 1866, is In sound
financial condition. 1t has paid as high
dividend as 10 per cent. but last year the
dividend was only per cent. The prinei-
pal part Of their business consists in the
manufacture OF fine underwear shirts,
drawers and stockings
To reporter, who asked him the reason
for the temporary closing Of the mills. John
n. Carpenter. president Of the company, said
that Il was entirely owing to ''the uncertain
ty brought about by tariff legislation; that
their customers were waiting before giving
their orders, TO see II the Mills bill would
be passed. and that the company did not
want to accumulate a large amount Of stock
on an uncertain market
What effect would the passage Of the
Mills Dill have upon your Industry"
I'VE would be obliged 10 lower wages in
order to compete with foreign manufactur-
ers. VIII tell you why. The present tariff
on raw material Is 10 cents pound and on
tne manufactured articles there Is a duty Of
90 90 cents, which Is our mainstay Of protec-
ton. NOW, We're both these duties wiped
out, as the Mills bill proposes, we might
save a small sum In having free raw wool.
but It would not be equivalent TO one-half
what we should lose by the removal OF the
weight duty on the manufactured article
This difference would either cause US 10
close up our mills or make It up In some
other way. We cannot curtail our general
expenses. We have been giving from 60 10
100 per cent more for labor than Is paid In
Germany and England. Our competition Is
principally foreign"
+. M. Breeze, the treasurer Of the compa-
ny, TOOK the same ground as Mr.. Carpenter,
and said Il have been a life long Demo-
erat. but know where my interests lie, and
propose to vote this year for Harrison,
Morton and Protection" The SEQ employees
OF the mil, while bemoaninglthe necessity for
smut down, are convinced that IL will not
be for long. Many Of them are strong In
tnelr condemnation Of the removal Of the
tariff advocated by the pending bill.
A Blow to lewiston Industry
LEWISTON, July 3O.-The Journal tonight
has the following: We understand that
about half Of the looms producing damask
table cloths in the Bates Mills, are ordered
to be stopped at the end Of this week for an
indefinite period. Why is this? We learn
from good authority that there has been no
increase In looms In the country, producing
these g5eds, during the past year. These
danasks are made Ia the United States main
ly by the Renfrew and the Bates Of Lewis
ten The Renfrew, last month, stopped 6
large part Of these damask looms. as we
learn. The demand for these goods has been
excellent and equal to the production until a
few months ago.
We are informed that latterly an inferior
grade Of damasks, selling at just below the
price OF the American goods, have been
largely imported, either under false impor-
tation and differentiation or because Of a
change In the construction Of the
clause Of the tariff law applying 10
these goods. made by the free trade
Collector. Of the Port Of New York.
these foreign goods. admit they are not SO
good value TO the consumer as the home
made article, but they are enabled by virtue
OF the lower cost to them Of the foreign pro-
quot, and by selling them a little under the
domestic goods, to make little larger profit
on their sales, which Of course stimulates
them to introduce them and thereby CORES
p0ndlngly reduce the sales of domestic goods
The Bates doubled their capacity In this
kind OF goods two years ago. because OF ina
bility at that time to meet their orders. No
accumulation Of these goods has occurred
until within few months. Now IL Is clear,
whatsoever may be the cause Of this increase
OF importations, that the thrush Of inferior
foreign goods at lower price, has made IL
necessary to shut down the Renfrew and the
Bates damask looms, as already stated, and
tnus throw American wage-earners out Of
employment.
We note great disappointment among the
employees thus affected. but of course the
same disappointment exists in the manage
ment OF the company, as every curtailment
goods produced.