The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-10-10
a wAR TARIEFITg cRusHEp.
wnI he Rednes yvasss Because Raw Ma
terial Is chcape

terial Is Chcape
Capt. Silas r. Miller. who. in the inter
est of the Republican party. is organizing
q protective tariff league. expresses the
opinion that .sif an attempt Is made TO
reduce wages here to the level of wages
in Europe, revolution viii result.
Tbe captain is rights indeed some of
the vyoolen manufacturers of Louisville
have had an experience of that kind
They attempted to rcduce wages not all
at once 10 the European level; but in that
direction. and there was q strike II cost
the mills something. but agents were sent
cast snd hands wero brought 10 Louis
ville to take the places of tho strikers.
No "attenpt hes been Inhde IN Amer
lea to reduce wages to the European level,
except by protected manufacturers. The
most recent attempt. which failed. was
madc by the iron manufacturers, who
tried TO cut wages 10 per cent.
Taking the entire product of manufac-
turcrs in the United States tho relation
of wages to, materials is ten to thirty
four. Or la. an Astielss costing forty
four cents wages counted for ten cents
and raw materials thirty four.
Now observe: Capt Miller says that
If the tariff puts wool on the free list and
reduces tho cost of tho raw materials
cents from tTenty-scven cents, he Will,
because he has cheap raw materials. be
iofccd 20 reduce wages also.
That Is a surprising proposition for a
business man to state.
1t will not do TO say that the Mills bill
viii also reduce tho tariff on manufac-
tured goods. That tariff is 60 per cent.
oa an average; Gay on the jeans Capt.
Miller makes It is reduced to 4S per cent.
Tho protection at existing rates would be
twenty cents; at revised rates it would be
sixteen cents. or only reduction of four
cents. which is made more than good by
free wool.
We see that if Capt. Miller is protected
at co per cent, it amounts 60 eighteen
cents,on a yard of jeans. which Is twice
the amount of wages paid. Paying wages
OF nine cents . yard lao gets protection to
the amount of eighteen cents.
Eow let US exaraino what Capt. Miller
says about his earders. b. pays 81 a day.
lie says, while in Belgium the pay is only
70 cents. Wo would like 10 know how
many days each year his carders work.
Wages in Massachusetts do not compare
to tla vTagos Capt. Miller insists he pays
his men. In Massachusetts, wool sorters
get $9.43 q week; scourers, S9.S4; dyers.
S7.Sl; spinners A9. .Cj; which is Tess than
half what Capt. Miller says he pays. In
Great Britain the Tages arc about two
thirds of the Massachusetts rate
Now. the point VIC mako IS that If Capt.
Miller has to pay wages twice ns great IN
kentucky as are paid in Massachusetts.
tho only way to prevent his ruin is to
establish an interstate tariff. Or paying
these high wages. higher than in Massa-.
chusetts by 125 pei. cent, If Capt. Miller
has been able TO meet competition with
goods mnde by cheaper labor without an
Interstate tariff, his experience shows
that not wages, but skill. executive
management and abundant raw materials,
counteracting the effect of high wages,
fix tho cost.
High wages follow the limo of greatest
production.
The less capital has to pay for interest,
for machinery. for raw materials. tho
moro it can pay for wages.
So you see that free wool. cheap jeans,
wider markets, cheaper. machinery do nos
moan lower wages. but they compel
higher weges.-Louisville Courier jour
nal.