Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-22
WHOLE NO. 1850

two shops each employ something over
800 hands. In the Oldham shop they
have improved machinery largely of
American design. In the Oldham shop
the operatives, like our own, work yery
largely by the piece. The employees are
mostly men, with some boys of from IA
to Is years The weekly payroll of the
Oldham shop is little less than
$500, averaging little less than S4 S5
per week per man. In our Hope
dale factory the weekly average per
employe is SIC 20 Theovercrowded con-
dition Of England keeps wages down there.
Under protective tariff at least, if not
because OF 1t, we pay greater wages to our
employees IN America. Without sufficient
protection by tariff to make up this diff
iiesence IN wages, or without 4 correspond
ing reduction in wages here, it would be
absolutely impossible to carry on here
such a business as my own. | give you
this instance, this comparison of wages in
my own business, not as an argument for
the maintenance of a duty for my personal
benefit, but as a good illustration of the
comparative condition OF things in the
manufacturing industries here and abroad.
Now suppose the tariff is reduced.
with the reduction must come an accom-
panying reduction Of wages. think that
after year or two, when things become
readjusted on new level, we would be
able to meet the foreign manufacturers
and substantially hold our markets. paving
lower wages for labor. But many of our
English cousins do not believe that we
could hold Our markets against them un-
der the changed conditions. They think
that we manufacturers would have TO
change our business, that our operatives
would not work at materially reduced
wages; in other words, that we should be-
come, as they say we properly ought to be,
an agricultural nation. Bnt how would
New England fare as an agricultural sec
tion, and what kind of farmer would the
average skilled factory operative made?
1hls is the way many English manu-
facturers talk. They believe that if they
once get our trade they will hold it.
Others, though, say that they would
supply US for two OR three years, at least,
until we got on our feet again under
a new order of things Many English
manufacturers fairly admitted what
our free trade papers do not, that with a
low tariff, we must either diminish cur
manufacturing industries or else lower the
rate Of wages One English hosiery man
ufacturer said to me that If we elected
Cleveland and carried out the policy
which his election foreshadows to them.
they would surely close our manufacturers,
influenced doubtless by the class feeling
which IS SO strong in England, said to me:
Your operatives get TOO much. anyway.
The American rate OF wages is too high
for workingmen, and ought to be cut
down.
"Two or three manufacturers said to me,
as member of their own class, that if we
only reduced the tariff and then The wages
paid the men, we wouldn't have so much
trouble about strikes. The operatives.
could be more easily controlled, for with
less wages they would have less money il.
the savings banks to fail back upon. The
nearer the poor-house the workingman is,
1t was said, the less likely he is 10 strike.
" Ii IS my belief that it is not the manu-
tactUer SO much as the empioye who needs
10 dread the lowering of duties. The
manufacturer can take care Of himself.
provided he is solvent and able 10 20
through the period of financial depression
which must inevitably ensue after any
substantial reduction of the tariff is made.
Some manufacturers would fail others
would shut up shop until such time as
they could go on again at such price for
labor as would enable them to compete.
But the laboring man would find himself
lower down in the scale. Just 80 far as
the readjustment of the tariff had gone,
just so far would the readjustmeut of wages
follow. 1t wonld simply be the letting of
so much blood out of us. 1t is rot the
manufacturer who would suffer. I met
many English manufacturers. So far as
my observation went their profits were as
great as we realize here They have better
houses, as q rule, than American manufact-
urers; twice or thrice the number Of serv-
ants, more equipages, and maintain gener-
ally a freer style Of living"