Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-02

What the Mills Propod1tiou WIN Be-
Precedent Barbour's Opinion Of The
Matter

The Mills bill proposes to reduce the
tariff on linen thread from 10 to Is per
cent ad valorum. A strong Republican
effort in the House, under the lead
of Congressman Phelps Of New Jer-
sey was made In opposition to the
proposed reduction. Among other facts
and arguments presented in favor of the
Republican protectionist views on the
subject, were the statements made by the
Barbour Bros. Company. The following
is the language of William Barbour. the
president:
5"Our concern was founded over 100 years
ago at Lisburn, Ireland" said Mr.. Barbour,
''and from there we supplied all our foreign
trade. When the protective policy was
adopted by the Unired States. we found 1t 10
| our advantage to build factory over here at
Paterson, N. j., to supply this market.
Meanwhile the home plant supplied the rest
| Of our trade.
Now Germany has adopted a srrsng pro-
teetive policy, and We have been forced to
| build factory there. For forty years oui
mills in ireland have supplied that trade, but
| in a few months our factory at Ottenson neal
| Hamburg will be completed. and then We can
supply the German market from that factory
Now in that factory We will employ perhaps
| 800 hands to begin with. Thus you see What
protection has done for Germany in the one
article of linen thread. But it has done much
more than that for the United States, for we
employ between 1900 and 1900 operatives in
our Paterson factories. .
Two years ago | made careful compari'
son of the wages paid in our Paterson and
Lisburn factories. In the former we had al
that time 1900 hands, and in the latter 2oOO.
| Now in two weeks these 2S00 operatives il
ireland drew only $500 more pay than the
| 1900 operatives in Paterson drew.
"Of these $500 and more operatives ii
| Ireland there is not one that owns the house
he lives in. But in Paterson many have
bought and paid for nice comfortable homes
| If man working for me wants TO build &
house, | am only too glad to lend him the
money, for / know he will be more ambi
tious and better workman in consequence
of it. Or if one of my employees has saved
up money and wants to invest it, will Dor
row it and pay per cent for it. | have il
mind now two girls who have saved up Sl70'
apiece. They have deposited the none,
with us and we pay them per cent for it,
II mention these things" said Mr.. Bar
bour, "simply to show the difference between
the employees of our two factories. Nom
of our employees in Ireland ever had wage
enough to be able to have money az interest
to say nothing of owning home. The Pat
erson employees all came from Ireland orig
inally, so you can see how much better of
they are here than they were there. ! neve
yet had one ask me to let him return to Ire
land and work in that factory but every tim
go to Lisburn the operatives come in crowd
and beg for a chance to come over here.
Now as regards the tariff Within tn
past five years we have paid an average o
$50, 900 year duty on thread Labor fOrmet
such large per centage of the cost in thi
thread that it was more profitable for us t
make it over there than here. This, min
you, is under the present tariff of 40 per cent
Now this Mills bill proposes to reduce tn
tariff to % per cent. What will be the re
suit? Instead of decreasing the revenue t.
the government on this particular artcl
such reduction would increase it three-fold
because we would make great deal les
thread here, and great deal more owe
there. This, of course, is providing we wer
to continue to pay the same wages here W
are paying now. During the past three year
or so the revenue on linen thread has bee
growing smaller and smaller, owing to tn
increase in factories and facilities here TO
making it. If the government wants to les
sen the revenue from this thread, let it in
crease the tariff; then only the very fines
grades, which we cannot make here with on
well-paid labor, would be imported.
ITO give some idea of how much interes
our workmen feel in the campaign, nigh
say that they have formed tariff club, whicl
has large membership, and they all propos
to vote for protection, irrespective of part
affiliations"