New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-17
THE MILLS BILL CREATOR OF TRUSTS
ITS EFFECT ON COTTON BAGGING AND BURLAPs
POINTED OUT BY PRACTICAL MANUFAcT'


URER.
Theodore Pomcroy, OF Utica, a well known manu-
facturer of that city, talked yesterday in an in
terestlng way about the effect of the Mills bill upon
certain industries and as creator OF trusts Mr..
Pomeroy is practical man and has studied the tariff
question from a business, as well as theoretical,
point Of view. He said:
Z" ! note already of the practical results OF
the tendency of tho Democratic party toward free
trade as expressed In the Mills BILL there is an ad-
vance Of about 20 per cent within few weeks on
burlaps, which Is specified in that bill as 'ocloth
foundation and under co inches in width is proposed
TO be admitted duty free. We manufacture fair oil
cloth, the question is Of importance to us in
practical way Burap is made from jutc, fax and
hemp grown almost entirely in foreign countries and
manufactured chiefly in Dundee, Scotland.
ain this State there recently started or two
really infant industries, making burlap and canvas
olcloh foundations. These new enterprises would,
n time, with fair and adequate protection grow and
become important that the many millions of yards
of burlap now imported would be produced by our
own people and the necessary fax, iute and hemp
could also be raised al home. The Mills bill, I
think, will close both these promis.n sources Of
progress and wealth The defenders Of the Mills
bill, in order to make favorable statement in its
BEHALF have grossly m.srepresented the positive cost
of labor. Take as an illustration Of this the manu-
facture of woolen carpets. From a recent report,
We ma IL bJdttu toth Gust VI idOoi III hO
manufacturing of carpets IN the United States is
s2-1OO cents per yard This statement is rciued
by Of the largest carpet manufacturers IN Amer
lea who says that the actual cost is II e11O0 cents
per yard; whereas, in England the total cost is only
IL cents per yard.
"Now, think every fair intelligent and reasonable
see that the Northern manufacturer who has
to pay the wages of the weaver must have more In
innate and practical knowledge of these questions than
free trade southerner like Mills Breckenridge, who
represent industrial communities, and whose knovl-
edge Is that of books The appeal Of the Democratic
party those who work for wages Is that the passage
of the NILS bill would produce an increase of their
wages So far l see, its operation would result
in either shutting up all factories, and deprv
ing worldngmen Of all wages or, II the factories
not closed they would be compelled to upon far
lower scale of wages.
II appears strange to me, and to many other man.
ufacturors whom have heard express themselves,
that must look to the South, through Mr. MILL, Of
Texas for reliable figures in tho matter 0. tariff
vision. Statesmen who assume TO the finances of
this great country apparently spring up as numerous
and as nimDy as grasshoppers in the tan gra SOS OF
Texas and Arkansas MY notion Is that the Repu6-
lican party, which inauguraed the policy Of protec-
ton to home Industries, which policy, whom upheld by
the Republican party has enabled the country to pay
large part of the cost of a great Southern Demo
cratic rebellion, ought 10 have the right to revise the
tariff. In short, think tariff revision should be done
by the friends Of the protective system"
Are not the Democratic free-trade agltators en-,
deavoring to make the worhinsmen discontentod"
Yes ono manifest desire of the Democratic party
in THIS discussion IS 10 excite ana
among the aborng classes, and hostility against cap
ital and employers. l know of no Kind OF general
busipe thai is not paying much, II not more,
in wages 10 labor than the profits OF the business
fairly warrant Home competition IS already so close
In every branch of bushes, that If il should be
HANGED by foreign competition also, the whole struc
Of American industry would be In danger OF re-
ceivDg fatal blow"
"Vhat effect do you think the passage OF the Mills
bill would have upon the formation OF trusts?"
The passage of the Mills bin viii prove veritabc
mother OF trusts the threat OF its passage has
already produced coton-baggng trust which has Just
been Investigated by committees of Congress. aud this
invcs CATION has proved that, but for the Mills bill
no such trust would have been thought OF Effected"