The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-05-05

| III 1portion Ia the work that he does, Us much
rs he receives in England.
MIR. Brumm-Did understand the gentle
man to say that the cost of cotton in Eng
laad was less than the cost of cotton in this
| country
Mr.. Mills-You understood me TO say that
! the labor cost OF producing pound OF print
cloth was lower in this country than in Eng
| land. You understood me further to say
| that the total cost, including materials and
everything else, is lower in England than in
! the United States
NJ" Brumm-Thcreforc does not that say
! that cotton, being the raw material out OF
| which the cotton goods are made, must be
lower in England than in this country
Mr.. Mllls-Oh, no, not ut all; OF course
not.
Mr.. Keney-Mr. Chairman
Mr.. MillS-lt means that England procures
| her machinery at less cost than we do ours.
| IL means that England produces the dyes
| which enter into the manufacture OF these
| goods cheaper because untaNed. That is
| what IL means.
Mr.. Kelcy--I protest against these inter
ruptlons Of the gentleman speech.
! Mr.. Mills do not. lApplause on the
| Democratic side
! Mr.. Kciley-The gentleman, as the organ
Of his party, is eXpoundlng its doctrine, ana
these Interruptions are, III my Judgment, I'M
pertlnences. Laughter
! MI. hlllN-.NbW, MT. NldllIlldll, WIN We
| come 10 look at the total cost of this pound
of calico cloth we find that at Fall River 1t is
| II cents Qeavlng of fractions at Lowell, Is
| cents; in Rhode Island, II cents; in Pennsyl-
! yanla, ID cents: in England, II cents Eng
! land produces the goods at a total cost less
| than ours, and that gives her the market;
! but While the goods cost more here, she pays
more III the form of wages.
Now, when this gentleman goes back home
he reports to his people deliberately. refer
| 10 this little book published in England,
| given to me by my friend, the Hon. Carroll
! ID. Wright, the chief of the bureau Of labor
! He says:
The United States while they beat us in labor,
| while they can produce anything in the cotton
business at labor cost cheaper than we can, are,
! like Ephram welded to their idols They
maintain high tariff on raw materials and there
| fore the cost of materials entering into their
| manufactures is higher than with MS. 1t Will
! take great revolution to change their minds on
this subject and rs long they hold TO the policy
! of high tariff on materials which enterinto manu-
! features you may go to sleep in security, Tor
England holds the markets of the worh.
\ few years ago, while he was secretary OF
state, James c. Blaine said in his report, In
speaking of the cotton industry:
! Undoubtedly the inequalities in the wages Of
/ English and American operatives are more than
/ eQuaIlAeu ny tne greater efficiency 81 lne Ellltr
and their longer hours of labor.
Mr. Charles s. Hill, statistcan of the state
department, makes statement that | think
is extravaganza and | would not quote it but
/ he is n pronounced protectionSt | would
| not quote it if he were n revenue reformer,
because think it is too strong
He says:
Here is the positive proof that American
mechanics in the aggregate accomplish exactly
double the result of the same number of British
mechanics; they are therefore very justly paid
double in wages.
Our consul at TunStall, England. makes
/ this report; That in cotton manufactures
our productive capacity iS33 per cent. greater
than England and - per cent. greater than
Germany. In wooden manufactures our
productive capacity is % per cent. greater
than England and 10 per cent greater than
Germany. In silk manufacture our pro
ductive capacity Is IS per cent greater than
/ England and 81 per cent. greater than Ger
many.
Mr. Ford-That is the product per MANI
Mr.. Mills-IeS, that is the product per
man. Taking that as the average, how is it
possible for these countries, where the rate
| of wages is low and the labor cost is high,
how is it possible for those people to bring
| their product into our markets and drive
! ours out:
Twill refer to another instance before
close, and that is to a table which is to be
! found in the first annual report of the bureau
| of statistics, pages 1872 and 1873, which gives
the cost of spinning one pound of cotton
yarn in England and in Germany. Ger
! many has protective duty on cotton yarn,
while England welcomes the whole world to
contest with her
| ENGLAND AND GERMANY COMPARED
Is it the tariff that makes English wages
hny fh.A 70
| if, but England has the trade. If these state
ments are true, what is there to prevent us
from being the greatest manufacturing and
exporting country of the worldt We are the
greatest agricultural people in the world.
We exceed all others in the products of man
ufacture, but we export next to nothing OF
our product There is no reason except that
high tariffs and trusts and combinations are
in our way, and they muster all their forces
to prevent us from taking the place which
our advantages entitle us to take.
We must make departure Instead OF
LAYING on the burdens of taxation upon the
necesSares of life, instead of destroying oul
foreign commerce, we should encourage it as
we would encourage our home commerce.
A gentleman SAID here the other day, on
the other side of the house, that our prosper
ity in this country was due to the tariff
DENY il. Our prosperity in this country il
due to the intelligence of our labor and to the
| unrestricted movements Oh our eScnauBes
among sixty millions of people at home Zap
plausel
Our wealth would have been greater as Q
people if we had none of these restriction:
upon our commerce, We Will lncreas'
wealth if we lower the duties and let impOr
tations come in of those things which can b'
produced cheaper in other countries than II
our own. .
We will increase the value Of all of the
agricultural products by such methods They
will difruse and scatter money among The
laboring people throughout the country. Il
will set the wheels of machinery in motion
Law the foundation of happy homes, and &
clad smile will light up the faces of the PEG
Die in all sections of the country at the re
turning and increased prosperity of the
nation. lApplause.l
This policy which is being pursued now
NAV for awhile satisfy the demands of the
capitalist who has money invested in the
various factories and enterprises of that kline
throughout the country. They may be able
by the aid of these pools and trusts and com
binations which seem to be springing out OF
the earth all around us to secure for Il time
the capital invested; but what, ask you, Il
to become in the meantime of the pool
laborer when they shut off their fires, wher
they turn him into the streets and determln,
that they will limit the product of their es
Establishments in order to keep up prices 81