Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-08-23
Protected and Unprotected Industries.
American Economist,


| American Ec0n0mist.
Writing Of the new steel works,
which are just beiag commenced ut
Tredegar Alabama, the Manuiac-
turer's Record states that they are de-
signed 10 turn out 300 tons Of finished
rails, angles, bars and cotton ties daily,
and will give steady employment 10
over 5000 men. These, with their fam
lilies, aud the doctors, lawyers, store
keepers, with those in such trades rs
are required where any population Is
gathered Observation-Disclosures, tail
ors, blacksnliths, &o.-will give u pop
ulation OF at least $1,000, and all OF
these, so far as their support is, either
directly or indirectly, dependent OH
those employed In the steel mill, will
derive their support from protection.
There can be no doubt on this point.
1t is mentioned that about 100000
bricks will be used in building the
mill. In addition to this the inhabi-
tants will require some 1900 buildings,
residences, stores, sc. AS has been
pointed out, the stone and brick ma
sons, the carpenters and plumbers.
who construct and tit up these build
ings are entirely without protection,
and they receive more wages than
many employed in protected indus
tries. But the palace of the million
aire and the shack of the brute who is
too lazy to work are alike devoid of
protection; and the twenty miles or
more of streets and roads are also,
with the laborcrs, who grade, regulate
sewer and pave them, unprotected.
There is no line or word in the Nc
kinley bill imposing duty of even q
single cent Oh either the paved and
severed street Of the rich nor OH the
blazed trail Of the rugged pioneer; yet
Il report Oh immigration Of some 200
pages was issued by the last admins
Iration TO prove that this country was
more attractive to unskilled labor than
10 expert workmen.
We are urged by such cOnsidera-
ions AS the above 10 believe that the
of great mills and the houses
IF those dependent on them for en-
Dloyment and incidental support, the
opening of streets and roads and the
of railroads, have no influ-
nee on the wages and employment of
hose whose business it is to construct
hCm.
Work, as at Tredegar, both the con-
truction Of the mill and town and the
u,put of manufactured goods, is in
he center OF the country where those
ngaged in it will be more apt to draw
heir supplies from American sources .
han if situated on the sea coast, and
Iil also furnish the manufactured
rodncts to the largest number of con-
nmers with che least expense for
Free-traders, like
eIator Vance, who wished to reduce
ne duty OH pig iron and make cotton
cs free, would transfer the industry
, he inaugurated at Tredegar to Eng
md, where the food supplies originat-
~ in America would amount TO less
ran $3.50 per capita. Others, like
enator German, would concentrate
ur iron making east Of the ALLIE
llanies by reducing the duty on iron
res. The concentration OF industries,
) well as OF wealth, is al English idea
ut it does not work here. Though
eel ships have been built but little
YER five years OH the northwestern
kes, five or eight states fronting OH
rem have steel 'shiphuildng yards,
nd it is probable that within five
ears after our two shipping bills have
assed there will be steel shipbuilding
ards oil fourteen or fifteen of the
venty-two states which front on the
vO oceans and the Gulf. When our
gislature puts an industry on its
et The advantages are widely distrib-
ted, aud bv no means limited to that
dustry only.