Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-06
M'KINLEY BILL.
Its Probable Effects on British Com
merce-Iniury TO Many Industries.
The British Manufacturer Gust sieet Amerl
cas- Protection by Increased Efficiency
and New styles.
Manchester Eng Guardian.


man of the Land Mortgage bank of
Texas, limited, with principal office at
Fort Worth. distributed the prizes of the
Leek school of art last evening, and de-
the probable effects of the Mckinley
tariff bill on British commerce. After
eulogising the work being done in
the local school of art and urging its i'm
portance, he said it was remarkable
fact that in spite of all the efforts of
other countries to kill our trade by their
high protective duties, their long hours,
low wages aud bounties, and even i'll
spite of their improved education we held
our own, still taking the lead. And SO
we should continue to do if only we
looked to the efficiency of our men as
we'll as of our machines. At the present
time all Europe was in alarm about the
Mckinley tariff bill of America. He ives
afraid that the bill would cause more
suffering In England than some of US
dreamed of, for II would dislocate many
i'm portant industries, and until new out
lets could be found it would probably
cause the stoppage of much ma
chinery and entail great loss on
many employers and their workpeople.
The object of the bill was in effect TO
shut out British and other manufactures
from the states by doubling their cost.
But the expected would not necessarily
happen. In illustration of this, he
would give them an interesting page of
history. America bad been protecting
its manufacturers for 100 years, and
prior to the rebellion they prospered
steadily under 90 per cent. duty. But
after the war Sponey was wanted for the
payment of a1debt, and the duties were
EFaised to ,s3mt 60 per cent. on silk
goods, saeesAs those of Leek, and to so
to 50 2SF Aht. on cotton and worsted
gass9 With such protection many
A43&kaercaR manufacturers prospered
frlike de green bay tree,'' and they
liked Ntao well that they had never
cease@ agitate for more of it. English
manu- Gturers of all kinds, especially
the MI ers of cheap staple products that
coulaEb easily initiated, lost their
American trade and suffered in pro-
porti&, bur the unskilled workers in this
count& were hardest hit, while the in
creaseS protection gave no particular
stimulik to higher efficiency in America
Manufa eEurers were everywhere much
terms SO lotIg as the old ones would sell.
The present tariff, he was told, practi-
cally shut out Leek silk goods, and it
played havoc with the wOrsted goods of
Bradford. In 1872 Bradford exported to
the United States, goods, etc., to the
value of f3, 700 900. In 1873 the Brad
ford exports fell off to FL 600, 900, and
some other districts went through
similar experience. The years of 1873
$50 were distressing years throughout
England, and the American consul re-
ported from Bradford to his government
that American enterprises would hence
forth supply its own needs, and the eX-
ports from Bradford would soon cease.
But in its days of adversely Bradford be-
gan 10 consider heroic remedies, such
as retaliatlOns, ETC.. OF which we
should hear good deal again, were ad-
vocated, but all classes combined
operative spinners and weaYers, machine
makers, employees, dyers, merchants,
and the general publo-to bring the
local industries within the range of
popular favor, and, as bearing upon the
present meeting, the Bradford technical
college was built at cost of f40, 600,
and organized as an institution for the
development of the artistic, chemical,
semitic, and technical knowledge of the
Young men of Bra iford. BY
combination of agencies, ali tend
ing to greater efficiency, in which
improved technical instruction was
perhaps the most important, Bradford
produced novelties and designs which at
tracted the public; they found favor in
America, and were bought in spite of
the high duties, and gradually the trade
v 18th that country, which was in dying
condition in 1873. rose from Gl 200, 900
in that year to over "a 900, 900 last year.
The last American tariff taught English
manufacturers & lesson which in this
second time OF trial they would
not forget-namely, that when
changes came they must be on the
alert to meet them, and although much
remained to be done yet the industrial
equipment of our people was much better
as compared with our rivals than 1t had
ever been before. He had come TO the
conclusion, after recently visiting the
leading factories of America, that,
although we must never again expect to
send large shipments of common staple
goods, still in superior fabrics protection
in that country is only protective when
the domestic goods are as attractive as
the imported goods. American ladies
were surpassed by none in taste and
judgment of quality, and they could not
be tempted by cheapness to buy home
made fabrics if the foreign, even at
much higher price, pleased them better.
There had. of course, been an enormous
improvement in American manufactures,
but he had been repeatedly told In the
leading stores in different parts of the
country that the buyers could rely on the
imported goods. but not on their own.
The Americans had imDextsd from Eng
land in 1860, under Q per cent.
duty, commodities HeueS at e33,-
900. 200. In 1883. undA a per cent :,
amounted to e71 From agr-
many the iqx6rts hounfeT e. 500, 900
in 1860. aaaFnst 1 900, 900 in 1883.
Thus, under a tariff bhat was intended 10
shut ous foreign ID Es. the imports from
Englandsba dout pa, while those from
Germap5t had more than Quadrupled. 4
Nor mg& $hey suppose that those imports
repreknfe& what the Americans were
nevsftirSdaf calling "pauper labor. F."
Hefimp&t IN these days were tAe-ksess'
80 most ISEly of Europssavssssdsan and
Nesented the labQxssebfch in payment
rbNpearly spppcSfmated to her own
Mafae prapSffion of the goods now en-
tk4pf yse { nited States under so per