The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-12-27
OUR WOODEN MILLS.
Under System Of Protection That Pro-
tects We Can Lead the World.


| tects We Can Lead the World.
We find in the Omaha World-Herald
| OF recent date most interest
| ing interview with Mr.. John F.
Plummer. Of this city, who was at the
time in Omaha attending to his duties
| as one of the Government directors OF
the Union Pacific railway. When asked
by reporter as to his views on the re.
cent failure of one large wooden manu-
featuring establishment, Mr.. Plummer
| replied that it was undoubtedly due to
the action of tn e Treasury Department
during Mr.. Cleveland's administration,
which changed the classification of
woods, and admitted at lower rate than
had heretofore been exacted many
fabrics which were at the time in fash
ion, and so enabled the British manu-
facturers to compete on terms of advan-
tage with the American producers of
similar goods. He added:
The plant of the wooden mills means very
large investment Of money and 1t must be kept
continually occupied in order to have good re-
suits both for its machinery and large and
varied force. I take pleasure in making the
statement from an experience Of over thirty
years In connection with this particular branch
Of American industry, that this country pro
duces, and is prepared to produce on being
given o chance with the American people as
good goods, IL not better than are made in any
country on the face Of the globe, and especially
England which has been and Is our greatest
competition. We have the best machinery,
largely American inventions, which is indorsed
by being used to o great extent abroad and in
making this statement refer particularly to
American looms Our help is the very best in
point Of talent, taste and skill What we want
In this country Is q chance and In order to have
that at the American basis Of wages we must
have q protection that protects, and beyond
this we do not need nor want one penny. The
American working man can get q better suit of
clothes made in this country for as small II not
smaller amount Of money than he can buy
them in England, and this same proficiency
reaches up into the highest grades Of Foods
made. We must either have protection or the
wages Of our workmen must be reduced.
This is the situation in a nutshell.
With the Republican party in power, no
further disturbance of the kind referred
to is to be feared. The party stands, as
Mr.. Plummer we'll says, '.for tariff reform
in its fullest and fairest meaning. but it
means the tariff reform in the interest
of America and her industries, and not
in favor Of England and her industries.
have every confidence to believe that
the next Congress will take the matter
up on its merits and act in a business
like and intelligent way. This done, the
American people will not suffer in any
degree, the American manufacturer of
woolens will have the American market,
and then the industry can be increased
to a far greater extent than at present
exists and give reasonable profit for the
labor and investment of capital The
wooden manufacturers ask no more and
they should be accorded no less
This summing up of the present situa-
ton and future prospects of an i'm
portant industry is highly reassuring,
and is Of particular interest as having
been published in an independent news
paper, whose constituency is in the great |
and growing West-N. Y. Mail and Ex- |
press.