Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-09-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
For Member of Congress, 10th district,
THOMAS A. Il. WEADOCK.
Where the Protective Profits 60.


eleven leading manufacturing in
dustries-cottons, woolens, chemicals
paper, agricultural implements, -four
lumber, glass, iron and steel, and ship
building-are SO complete and &C.
curate, says Trade and Traffic, that
they anticipate the census reports, and
furnish an instructive indication OF
the progress our entire industrial
system has made in the last decade.
These eleven industries 1879 had
81, 165,000,000 capital invested in
them, and S44,776 hands employed.
They paid out in wages 1886, 795, 900,
consumed 81 1877 100000 worth of raw
materials, and showed gross product
of manufactures Of the value of
81, 100000. In 1889 they had
81, 784,840,000 worth invested, and
1874, 900 hands employed, they laid
out in wages $500, $780, 900, consumed
81 ,585, 100000 worth of materials,
and gave product of manufactures
of the value of $685. 76,0OO. The
increase has been in capital invested
$619, 100000, in the number of hands
employed 429, 1924, in the amount of
wages paid out $93,9S4 900, in the
materials consumed 1897 100000, and
in the value of the product turned
out of $519,799,000. There is over
90 per cent more capital INVESTED in
specified manufactures than there was
ten years ago, 80 per cent. more
hands employed, over 36 per cent.
more wages paid out, over 80 per
cent. more material, and nearly 80
per cent. greater product.
The attention of farmers and labor
ers is called to the above. The manu-
featuring industries referred to are
protected ones. From it we learn
that 1874 900 men were employed in
1889, and the wages they received
were S320,6S9,000. This gives each
man employed the average wages for
a years work of only $251.71. We
also learn that the profits of the
capitalists, whose money was invested
in the industries, came to 1887, 090,-
900, being many millions more than
the entire wages paid to all the en-
ployes. The profits of the capitalists
to near % per cent on their
money invested.
The great claim of the protection.
lists is that they need a protected tar
if in order that they may pay their
employees big wages.
1t is very evident to the farmers
that the protective taxes they have
been forced to pay did not 60 into the
pockets of laboring men. The farm
'rs have been unjustly taxed for the
benefit of the capitalist. The farm
ng industry has been forced to pay
large bonus to the protected manu-
acturers, who, in return, have not
'aid living wages to their employees,
which they agreed to do when the pro-
ective tariff tax was imposed on the
The law which robs one industry
o make another profitable is an I'm
lst one. The farmers have been de-
rauded out of over one-third of their !
Incomes to enrich the speculations of
Their men, and while the farmers {
ave been running behind and mort
aging their homesteads, the protect i
d industries, whose expenses were so ,
irgely paid by the farmers, have I
'ade nearly 20 per cent profit.
The farmers have supported and {
,ade prosperous the protected manu-. $
acturers by giving to them large
ortion of their incomes, and which
hey needed for themselves and fami- !
es. How can the agricultural bust
ess be prosperous when it is so heavi- |
burdened? The farmers should !
'ork for their own interests, and
hey should do so by voting for tariff a
eform. I