Morning journal and courier., 1888-10-25
Bfw 8.ptn 9ailg s1oraiug yanrnal aud Gpnrier.
0omrAR1aon oRwAana.

OOM&AA$ESON OE " A&H A6Ss Henry F. Peck Says That If We Have
 Free Trade Either Three-FOuFths Of
 Our Manufacturing EstabIishments
 duced GO the European Standard
 Some Plain Facts 70 the Working.
 men by Ex-Governor BigelOW-What
 Protection Has Done for Them
 Yesterdays monday meeting of the Busi- ness and Workingmen's club was 6 very in- teresting one. Henry E. Peck gave brief comparison between England as it is under free trade and this country as it is under protection. Some of the points he made
 were: The consuming power depends on the wages paid, and the higher wages paid,
 the more is the consumption and the better
 is it for manufacturers. The question is,
 shall we allow foreign products to be brought
 into this country without their manufaetur-
 CTS being obliged to pay anything to liqui-
 date the debt of this nation2 If we have
 free trade three-fourths of our manufacturing
 establishments will either have to be closed
 or wages must be reduced to the European
 standard. The reduction of wages neoessari-
 ly reduces the power of consumption. Free
 traders say that protection does not protect,
 for it protects too much and stimulates an
 over production. The remedy that they
 propose is to take of the tariff SO that the
 surplus of our manufactured articles will be
 increased by all the surplus manufactured
 goods of Europe. Wages would, of course,
 be lower.
 MT. Peck gave figures to show that our
 manufacturers of some articles not only fill
 the home markets but also reach out into the
 markets of the world. In free trade England
 there have been more strikes, and more dis
 astrous effects have resulted from them than this country ever has had under protection. The fact is neither free trade nor protection is guarantee against oVer-production. It is the tendency of the age to over produce. The
 present tariff will show that the raw materials
 we do not have in this country are on the free list. But shall we go further and admit raw materials of which we have an abun- dance heref This is the policy of the free traders. No country is there where there are so many homes owned by workingmen, and 30 nicely furnished as in this country. Free trade means the tenement system as in 1re-
 land.
 After speaking of the wonderful rapidity with which America had rushed ahead of Great Britain, the speaker said that here we have high wages and cheap living, all due to our present protective system.
 Ex-Governor Bigelow then spoke for few minutes. He said that he wanted to speak
 particularly to the workingmen, and he felt he had a right to do so, for he had worked at the bench oncs himself. He referred to the time when he went into business for bimself without dollar of capita, ,snd how the pro- teetive tariff had helped to build his business up. Our Democratic friends say that the protective tariff does not protect the work ingmen, it protects only the manufacturer. The speaker then told of what wages he paid when he first started in business and what he pays now. Then he paid certain young man $1. 50 day. Now that man owns hoe 1 ond hoa money in the savings bank. He gets $3.25 8 day. That is what 8 protective system has done. Another em. ploye at that time got $S a week but now he gets $3 25 day. He owns brick house on James street. Has protection done any thing for that man? Several other cases were cited. and the speaker said if anyone wants to
 know whether or not protection had done any ything for those workingmen he had only to ask them to get an affirmative answer. While travelling in Europe he visited the firm of Pelby Brothers, manufacturers of ot work required the best kind of skilled tabor. One of the firm was asked what he paid his workipgmen. The answer was $10 week. "Why," said the ex-Governor. "I pay my skilled and unskilIed labor twenty two cents an hour. Has protection done any thing for them3"
 While walking in garden at Lake Kilar- ney, while making tour of Europe, he met the gardener and asked him what he was paid. The reply was that he got $6 month with 8 little milk for his tea and some cab- bage. "My friends I pay my gardener $45 month and he has what he wants out ot the garden. Doesn't protection help this man?" Several other cases were mentioned to
 show the low wages paid in Europe, and the speaker hoped that the workingmen had seen enough of the benefits of protection to sustain that system.
 William A. Lincoln was the next speaker. He also compared wages as paid in this country to those paid in Europe.
 Noon day meeting to-day,
 At Center Church Chapel.
 Rev. Luini Angelini of the Free Church of Italy will address the ladies of New Haven
 on the mission work in that country in the Center church chapel this afternoon at three o'clock. Ladies Of all denominations are earnestly invited to attend.