Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-07-10
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BURLEIGH & FLYNT,
Augusta, Maine.
The Effect OF the Cleveland Free Trade
Agitation on the Iron Trade

Agitation on the Iron Trade
The Democratic newspapers aud poit-
clans are trying to turn the present poor
condition of the iron trade in this country
against Protection as advocated by Repuh-
licans. They allude to the large number
of men who are out of work today resist
ing Il reduction of wages, and argue that
this Is the result of the tariff policy which
has been of such incalculable advantage to
the American people since 1861. But these
bold assertions and absurd arguments de-
ceiye no one who makes use of his reason
ing faculties. The present trouble with
the iron manufacturers is caused by the
persistent partisan efforts of the Cleve-
landites to break down the tariff of Pro-
lection, and to substitute the hcresies of
John G. Calhoun and Jefferson Davis for
the national ideas of Henry Clay and
Abraham Lincoln. Other causes may have
their influence, but the chief trouble has
its origin in the attempts of Cleveland,
Mills, the Democrats in Congress, and the
Golden Club agitators to force n Free
Trade policy on this country. Go to the
iron manufacturers and to those who deal
in their products, as you may also goto the
owners of the wooden mills and they will
all tell you that the Mills bill and the
tariff uncertainty are seriously damaging
their business. These men thoroughly
understand by experience the advantages
Of Protection and the injurious influence
which the passage of the Mills bill would
have on their business and on the general
business of the country. At the last
annual meeting of the great trade organ
izatiou concerned in this contest, the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers, the following resolution
was adopted:
Resolved. That We are most emphaticaly
opposed TO any reduction of the present tariff,
and we hereby express our unqualified con
demnation of the provisions of the Mills bill
believing as we do, that its adoption as
law would be detrimental to the interests of
the American workingmen. and we respect
fully call upon our representatives in Com
gress TO vote against it.
At the same time the association took
the unprecedented action of joining, as a
body, the American Tariff League. The
reason for their feeling is obvious. The
removal of the tariff would bring the pro-
duct of their labor into direct competition
with English and Belgian iron. Com
petition with the former would be bad
enough, but the free admission of Belgian
iron would be still more to be dreaded,
because of the low cost of Belgian labor,
which has operated to force down the
compensation of English labor. At an
arbitration meeting of the Midland Iron
and Steel Wages Board at Birmingham,
June 4, il was shown that during the last
twelve or thirteen years the wages of
pudders have been reduced 30 per cent,
millmen 60 per cent, and that since
January, 1856, the price for pudding Il
ton of iron has been 81 ,63. and in the
North of England the price is sl.5I. 1t
is largely the competition with Belgian
labor, the average daily wages of which
in the iron trade is 55 cents, that has pro-
duced this result in England. The Pitts
burg iron puddler receives $500 per ton,
or more than three and half times as
much as his fellow in the North of Eng
land. That eminent apostle of free trade, |
Mr.. Mills, in his New York Speech. said |
s'In order to reach the greatest number of |
people you must produce at the lowest pos
sible cost, because the man who produces |
lower than you will drive you out of the |
market. If you can produce any article at
lower cost than any other person in the |
world, then you dominate the market"
Here is excellent free trade authority |
for the statement that ''The man who pro-
duces lower than you will drive you out |
of the market" Applied to the iron
trade, this means that except for the
tariff English and Belgian iron would /
drive American iron out of the market. |
unless American wages were reduced to
the English and Belgian standard.
1t is very likely that many of the sup
porters of the Mills bill do not realize the
immense harm which their Free Trade