The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-06-09
THE POTERS ANp TNG TARIRF
How tho English Look ut East Liverpool.
What Free Trade is Doing in Britain.


How the English Look ut East Liverpool.
What Free Trade is Doing in Britain.
Tribune
Last September the following item
about East Liverpool appeared in the
New York Crockery Journal:
"These September days are very busy
ones around the white granite potteries
in the beautiful valley OF the Ohio.
There is not factory in the natural gas
district that is not turning out more and
better goods than ever before, and get
ting away with them to all parts Of the
country in very prompt and satistac-
tory manner. Some ofthe big potteries
that send away great many bulk car
loads to the iobbing trade are Just in the
midst OF an admirable trade. 1t is a
pleasure to go around these potteries
and note the activity displayed. The
workingmen are kept fully employed,
and go home every pay night with good
full pay"
The London Pottery Gazette copied it,
and made the following comments, and
says it is not very agreeable reading to
the English potter who has halthis kilns
stand idle:
"The depression in the chief branches
OF the china and eArthenware manufac-
turers OF this country has now been OF
such long duration, that it is not unna-
tural that those who are the chief SUI
ferers by it should begin to view the
position OF affairs with on amount Of APP
prehcnsion, which is by no means les
sened on receiving the ilattering reports
which reach this country time after time
on the subject Of the ilourishing trade
done by our foreign rivals. Indeed,
whilst the stands OF Continental makers
at the Manchester and other exhibitions
have borne ample testimony to the low
cost and artistic merit OF their produc-
tons, perusal OF the pages Of
the leading CrOckery journal OF
the United States would NJ once give
the reader the impression that so lar
as that country is concerned, it is only
matter OF few brief years when the
manufacturers OF Trenton, with their
go-ahead business habits, and those Of
East Liverpool, with the advantages OF
gas in theii favor, will be able to keep
pace with the demand OF their country
men for cheap, and at the same time
tasteful and serviccable ware, In the
face OF such testimony as this 1t Is only
natural to expect that those who have
done large export trade in the past,
and have seen that trade growing less
and less profitable, as month has fol-
lowed month, will be interested in an
effort to discover the causes OF the de-
preston that has SO affected them, and
the means by which those causes may
best and most speedily be removed.
The field Of discovery in this
direction is, however, OF such dimen-
siOns that one may readily be
pardoned an occasional wandering into
the by-paths Of the question at issue.
At the same time there can he little or
no doubt that the causes OF the depres-
sion in the export trade will be found 10
apply to very large extent to the state
OF the home trade also, while it is abso-
lutely certain that the remedies that
might with advantage be applied to the
one, would be OF excellent service to the
other as well. To the bad state Of trade
generally, and to the stagnation which
prevails at tho present time in our iron
and coal industries is no doubt due
much OF the depression ofwhich we now
write, that is to say, SO far as the manu-
iacturc for home use is concerned. 1t
would be absurd, however, TO believe
that the matter ends here, and that with
revival in the mining world, the pot
terry trade would flourish in this country
us in days OF yore. The fact is that our
manufacturers have to face foreign
competition, which 80 far rs we
are concerned, grows year by year
results. Not only is the for
eigner gradually closing our markets
abroad against US one by one, he is also
invading our shores with his own goods,
and is actually beating us out ofthe field
upon our own battle grounds, upon
which We were once foolish enough to
believe ourselves practically invincible.
Incredible us itmay seem, it is ncverthe-
less fact, that in Hanloy, the most
densely populated OF the StaHordshire
pottery towns, and the acknowledged
centre Of that industry, the few shops in
the town where croCkery goods arc re.
tailed have their windows stocked with
French and German ware, which, in the
majority Of cases, finds reader sale
than would the productions OF our Eng
fish potters. The reaGon for this state OF
things is not far to seek. The foreign
workman, as a rule, works longer hours
than does the Englishman, and for less
wage. The consequence is that hi; employer,
being enabled 10 pour his goods duty free
into this country, can afford 10 salt them at
less rate, cost Of carriage notwithstanding,
liz, nnI,Ll LLr E1nLiaL InLLan