The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1888-08-11

Nftt fttAAt tAA'tA uZAIllt
the American type founder must be
added at least 40 per cent for the ex-
cess Of wages In America.
To overbalance these crushing dis
abilities, the Mills bill allows only Is
per cent. ad valorem.
Write to your Senators at once and
give facts in your letter.
Up and do, or American type found
ing will be Frustrated,
THOMAS MAcKErI.AR.
Pres. I. +. A.
"Look at that!s said Stillman Walk
or, senior member of q largo type max
Ing and printers furnishing house. |
had already copy Of the circular In
MY pocket, and had called on him to
ask questions regarding Il; but he
forestalled me by showing his copy.
1t was intended ostensibly to be a
secret circular from the President of
the Type Founders Association Of the
United States to Its members.
ado you know what that means "
said he. at means that II the Mills
bill passes type founders wages will
fall to the level of wages paid
in Great Britain. That's what you
free traders will bring our American
workmen to II you are allowed to 90
on; and more than that, type win bc
brought into this country to compete
with our American made type, and we
will have to close up and our work
men will be thrown out of employ
ment.r
read the circular more carefully.
! hadn't heard or read anywhere that
the Mills bill had made any radical
cuts in anything excepting wool, lum-
Der and salt but ! judged from the
Importance which Mr.. MacKellar had
attached to the matter that perhaps
the Mills bill had made radical cuts In
tho metals necessary TO the making of
type. ] asked Mr.. Walker II he had a
tariff book. lie hadn't thought
that strange, but didn't say so. ask
ed him what the present tariffs on the
ores were. lie didn't know, nor did
anybody In tho Office know. II appears
there is a firm on Gold street that
sells type metal to most of the found
ries, all ready to melt and work up.
SO ! couldn't argue the matter with
him at all.
but ! had my serious doubts about
type founders paying forty per cent.
moro to their type workers than was
paid In Great Britain. | had heard
that statement before in regard to
other industries, which had found to
be untrue but when expressed my
doubt he looked at me with pitying
astonishment.
determined at the first opportunity
to post myself on the type business, so
that when next we met | could talk
the matter over with him understand
ingly.
casually remarked that | would
like TO take look at his type foundry.
"You want to make some inquriesg'
sand he, suspicuously.
"Perhaps. DO you objectY
"Oh, no." he answered with the air
Of q mercifnl conqucrer. Then turning
to one Of his subordinates, he said:
danny, take Mr.. McCabe up stairs
and introduce him TO the foreman and
Mr.. Milne and ask them to show him
around.r
went up and was introduced.
got a lot Of ammunition, which | at
first intended to save until fired II at
Walker; but on second thought have
concluded that II will do more execu-
tion If fired IL at the readers of the
Standard 1t win hit my friend Just as
hard as If had saved II for HIM.
John Milne Is n matrix maker. lie
Is Scotchman by birth, and has lived
in the United States over twenty years
but goes back every year or so on a
visit. He Is reputed to be an cxcep-
tionally good workman, and receives
much above the standard wages. His
testimony Is interesting;
"As to the weekly wages paid, they
are, as the circular says, on the average
obout 40 per cent higher than in Great
Britain--in dollars. But you must re.
member that is the weekly wages.
Type founders over there don't work
as many hours as they do in this coun.
try. Nine hours day and four hours
on Saturday is the rule, making forty.
nine hours. Here we work sixty--a
difference of eleven hours.
weekly wages arc 40 per cent. high
or here than In England, as a rule as
Mr.. MacKellar claims, but they should
be more than that, for the cost of liv-
ing Is at least 30 per cent. higher.
regard G2 $50 In England as better
than $15 here. A man earning $40 0
week over there would be foolish to
come here for $18, unIes he was assur.
ed promotion In reasonable time.
GAS TO piece work--therc Is very liz.
tie Of that class of work done over
thcre--tbcre is nothing like 40 per cent
difference. For instance, to make this
matrix in England Tpicking up onel
would get is Cd (37I ccntse here
would get 45 cents for it--7icents more
than Is paid in England. Now, that il
not difference Of 40 per cent. by q
good deal, but a difference Of only just
20 per cent.
aThe trade here is in fair condi-
tions much better than for many
years. Has the tariff had anything to
do with IL Certainly mott Why the
largest expense of making type Is la
bor--not matcrial--and labor comes
here free. Here's the way to figure
the thing out. Take, say, 100 pounds
of nonpareil. 1t costs
Labor cost, 1926 13l
For metal, 10 90
SS7 13l
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