The Portland daily press., 1888-07-24
PROPOSAL TO LET DOWN THE BARS
Greeted with High Appreciation in
Her naaJesty's Provinces.
Very Different Feelings on this Side
of the Line.
Maine Industries that would Suffer
Severely.
Special to the Press. |

cultural SUBJECTS, reIurneu JnlS morning
| from an extended tour through New Bruins
wick and Nova Scotia, in the course of
which he delivered seventeen lectures under
the auspices of agricultural societies, and
met large number of the most intelligent
and wide-a-wake farmers Of these two prov
| inces. He says that in talking with them he
| finds that almost to man they favor free
trade with the United States and are watch
ing the progress of the Mills bill through
Congress with deep interest. They say 1t is
business matter with them and well it may
be as 1t means so many additional dollars
In their pockets. Especially are the changes
made by the Mills bill which removes the
tariff from lumber aud wool and other agri-
cultural products, of Importance to these
provinces. as their population is largely en-
gagged in fa1 n-ing and these commodities con-
stitute the surplus which is exported. On
the other hand the Maine farmer who also
has these same products to sell will suffer.
as the provincial farmer well knows.
Republican Tariff Legislation.
New YORK, July 23.-A Washington
special to the Tribune says: There is a
difference, opinion among Republicans as to
the wisdom of an attempt by the Senate to
consider and pass suitable substitute for
the Ozark Lantern" bill at this session. A
good many of them express the opinion that
it would be wiser-in view of the evident
fact that no tariff measure can become law
before Congress adjourns-to have a SUBJ
committee OF the committee on finance au-
thorized to sit during the recess, to obtain
such further information as may be necessa-
ry, and to prepare and submit to the Senate,
Wnen Congress reassembleS, substitute for
the s0-called Mills bill which will commend
itself to the country and from the basis of
intelligent revenue legislation. They fear
that the hasty consideration and adoption of
a substitute month hence when everybody
Will be exhausted by the toll and strain of
10 months, session and anxious to leave the
National Capitol, might not be wise or profit
able On the other hand, some Republicans,
Including, 1t is said, majority of the Re-
publican members of the finance committee,
favor an effort to bring substitute forward,
pass 1t before the adjournment, and let 1t be
sent to committee of conference, whose
report shall be. acted upon in December.
Probably decision as to which course shall
be adopted will be reached within the next
three or four days. If the former Congress
may adjourn by August 20, If the latter, 1t is
probable that the session will run pretty
well into September.
ParaIyzIng Effect of the Mills Bill.
ALBANY, July 22.-It was striking fact
to those who talked with the members of the
Legi stature while they were here the past
week that the Mills tariff bill and its effect
on industry seemed the main subject of
thought among the Senators and A jsembly-
men. Members from manufacturing dis
tricts reported that the mere consideration
of the. bill in the House of Representatives
bod hoI
This was especially the case in places where
are wooden mills or knit-goods mills. The
Mohawk Valley is studded with these mills
and the reports of disturbance of business in
the Valley were numerous. Assemblyman
Mase. who is a large stockholder in the Mat
teawan Manufacturing Co., at Matteawan
on the Hudson River, made this interesting
statement on Friday:
To-day dealer in hosiery called upon
me. a drummer for New York house. and
he told me that he had not been able to get
an order in consequence of the uncertainty
among business men owing to the Mills bill.
Retail dry-goods men are not going to lay in
large stocks OF hosiery as long as there is a
chance of the stock depreciating in value
before they can sell it. People want to see
what Congress is going to do This drum
mer said to me that when he proposed to 90
out upon the road, his employer said that he
could go, but that he doubted whether he
hurts all kinds of business. A business not
touched by the tariff sympathizes with other
trades when they are depressed Passing
bill reducing the tariff ON certain articles IS a
good deal like turning cow into a garden
with the intention Of having her eat only
certain vegetables for somehow or other ali
the vegetables get nibbled and spoiled MY
business Of making felt hats is an example
American wOrkingmen. As a ionrneyman
halter before 1860, only received S1.25 or
Sl50 day for my work. Now j0urneymen
hatters receive $50 and $50 as weeks
wages. My workmen nearly all own their
own houses in Matteawan and have money
in the savings bank. But that was not the
case before the war. Then their wages
barely sustained life, and they lived in
leased house and had no property beyond
their the clothing All over this State you win
wan, which have become prosperous through
the protective tariff
Opinions In Lewiston.
LEWISTON, July 23.-Inquiries have been
made by the Journal among those interested
in the great manufacturing industries of the
city as to the probable effect of the Mills bill
should it become law.
Mr.. c. S. Barker, president OF the Board of
Trade. and one of the leading cotton manu.
facturers in New England, says: st would
have most depressing effect upon our own
Lewiston industries, and if passed ultimate
ly and made law, would cut down the
wages of every operator in the mills of Lew
iston and Auburn. That is my view of the
BILL am competent to know something of
the prices OF labor, and in this movement
can see nothing but depression of living
prices OF labor in this country if that bill or
one like it be passed. This tariff legislation
in such bent of affairs is seriously Grip
ping new industries as it is. | am somewhat
interested in the projection of one or two en-
terprlses. One of them is absolutely at
standstill because of the imminence of this
Mills Dill. Who wants to start into cotton
goods manufacture when bill is on the tapis
that cuts down the, duty on foreign goods,
and takes away the protection that is the
chief inducement to the venture?'
George w; Bean, ESQ.,, agent of the An
droscoggin Mill says: "If the Mills tariff
bill should pass the Congress, and the presi-
dent, and be made law, it would stop our
bag mill forever, and throw our 400 employees
out of employment. The Mills tariff bill, as
l read 1t, puts jute bags ON the free list.
Jute bags are made at Bombay by the ma
tlyes at almost absolutely no expense for la
Dor and at very little cost of material. They
can be made, shipped to this country and
put into the hands of the farmers at 10 cents
a piece. What are we going to do in that
event? The consumers of bags in the West
don't like the jute bag so well as he does the
SObeOh bo5 Uub llC VIII uoO ~ IL lu6 pIlc6 Is
an object Well, sir the stock alone for the
cotton bag costs us nine per cent bag. If
we can get labor free and wear and tear of
machinery free we can't compete
with them with jute bags on the
free list As we figure It, it cost
US considerably oyer 10 per cent to make
the cotton bag. but, for the sake of argument.
suppose we call it 13 per cent. The importa-
tion of jute bags at 10 per cent would close
our bag mill and every other bag mill In this
country. The duty on jute bags has been 40
per cent I'D UdLOrem.
A. M. Pulsifer, Esq, treasurer of the
Barker Mill,who is opposed to an ad ralorena
duty. because when goods are high the duty
is high, and when they are low it is low.
SAYS: "At present, according to my impres,
sion, the duty on the grade of goods such as
we manufacture at the Barker Mill is 4 cents
a yard specific for bleached and cents for
colored. Such is my impression. The Mills
bill fixes it at 40 per cent Gd udlorem. IF we
sell Barker Mill goods at &c yard the duty
would be and two-tenths cents ward. il
our goods drop to &c, as they would be likely
to uDder the unloading of England. our pro-
lection would drop to two and four-tenths
cents per yard. We are making a mighty
small margin now. We have passed a mum
ber of dividends lately. How do Won think
we would prosper with such duty as that.
L should hate to have to run a mill under
such conditions. There is only one way ont
of it that | can see, viz, reduction of fine
wages or the management of the mill at n
loss to the stockholders"
lanes Dempsey, ESQ.,, agent of tba au,;e