The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-03
THE POTTERY INDUSTRY.
The DISASTROUS Effect tho Change would
Have ON II,

The Disastrous Effect the Change would
Have on It.
The provisions Of the Mills bill would
have tho effect to reduce the duty on
decorated ware such I'd is made at the
Wheeling pottery, from 90 per cent ad
ualorem to 40 per cent, and on undeCoraLed
ware from 55 per cent 10 40. The new
classification places decorated and un.
decorated ware on the same bSsie, making
reduction oI 80 per cent on decorated
and OF over q per cent on undecorated.
An INTRLLldRECER reporter last night
saw Mr.. T. NJ. Pearson, supsrintende I Of
the Wheeling pottery, whose experience
in the pottery industry OF this country
and England gives to his views on any
matter concerning the tariff unusual
weight. Mr.. Pearson bad given the new
bill consld dsrable thought, and was pre-.
pared to explain Its effect GU the pottOIies
Of the country. He said:
"Formerly decorated and undeCorsted
wares were listed at the gamo duty, but
under tho act OF 'S3 discrimination was
made in favor Of decorated ware, which
was put st 10 per cent, while plain earthen
ware WAS listed at 55 per cent duty. This
bill will replace them on the same footing
and effect reduction Of one.third on the
decorated ware. Decorated ware Consti-
tuted about one.hHlt Of our output last
year, and the proportion ia increasing all
tho time. When we started in 1881 we
had but one decorating kiln; to-day we
make from ten to fifteen times as much
decorated ware rs we did then. In the
new LaBalle Pottery which we com.
menced to build this week we are building
eight decorating kilns. l think by an.
other year the proportion Of decorated
ware will be 75 per eelt Of the output"
"Can you stand the reduction pro-
posed 2"
"Wsll, let me explain: The prof. on
pottery ware is not great. There has been
q reliable and steady demand at close
margin, which makes the industry desirs'
bic to investors. But tho running ex
penses and investment in plant are &c
hi2h that tho profit ia very modest. II
cannot stand reduction. Our materials
are already cheaper than in England, in
Guiding coal. This statement may sur
prise You, but know what ! am talking
about. Material cannot well be cheaper,
Where, then, must the reduction come
irom2 OF labor entirely. We pay in this
Country 100 per cent more money for the
same work than they pay in England
Ware which In England costs 500, here
would cost $l60, OF which sum the wager
OF the American labor represent 500. Il
the Mills bill goes into effect as u Law
potters' wages would neceesarily be re-
duced at least ona.third; that is, where
ono OF opE men now makes 800, under The
proposed Reduction Of the tariff he woulC
Ret but $84. That's ths practical end o
LII, The fact Is, the reduction, when Il
came to the practical operation Of such
bill, would have to be greater than that
"some time ago thereNwAs strike in tht
Trenton potteriss, and the manufacturer
offered 10 pay the men Engll0h wage
with the amount OF the tariff added. Ate
due consideration, they very HsnDibly re
fused, ioras l tell you, American wage
are l20 per cent higher than those in Eng
land.
u do no. want to Gee any reduction Ii
wsgss, for they arc no higher than the!
ought to be-"
II see, Mr.. Pearson, ," said the reporter
"thRt china clay, borGsIc a0id and oihe
materials required in your industry Srt
put on the free list. What bave you Il
say Of free raw materiRlSP"
u am oppoued to it on principle. Il i
simply the entering wedge OF the fret
traders, TO cut Of protection on 8 part o
our voters. Ibslleve the man who dig
the clay is entitled TO "a good wBges B
the man who turns ont the 6nished pro
duct. By what rule Of equity can We &c!
tho man who dign the clay In Delaware I
not as much entitled to protection as tht
man who works in our pottery: We ar
all ono. We are like q row Of bricks
knock one Of Us out and we must all fall.
CHAIRMAN Mills HAPPY.