The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1890-08-23
John w. Bennett,
CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT.
u. S Comm'r, Land Filings, and
Final Proofs made before
him at his Office.
COURT HOUSE. BOT1INEAU
The sHoDDY MEN WANT III.

The sHoDpY MEN WANT III.
They .CIamor for the Passage Of the MO.
Kinley Bill Owing to High Wool Duties.
While the manufacturers Of wooler
goods look upon the wool schedules Of the
McKinleybillas threatening their already
oppressed industry with still heavier
burdens, the makers Of shoddy cloth and
clothing are supreme1y happy in antici-
patton Of its passage. The shoddy men
know that the effect Of the bill win be
to increase the demand for their hum
bug stuff, and therefore they clamor for
its passage like all ether good patriots
whose pockets will DO replenished BY it.
The attitude Of tho regular Legitimate
manufacturers and Of the shoddy men
is thus pointed ont by The Dry Goods
Economist: "The tariff measure now be-
fore congress, or such portion Of it as ap-
plies to wool and its manufactures, has
been opposed by a greater number OF
wool manufacturers and more practical
logic than has ever been submitted
against any previous customs revenue
measure. The wool manufacturing in
dustry has been waiting for eighteen
months for congressional relief which at
this moment appears further off than
ever. Manufacturers Of goods from wool
substitutes applaud the measure before
congress and are championing its pro-
ponents and abettors. The manufact-
urers are suffering, inasmuch as their
mills are partly or wholly idle, and their
output barely reimburses the cost of
manufacture. Free wool is wanted to
employ the wooden goods machinery Of
the country, for until that can be started
up both the manufacturing and the wool
growing interest must languish. When
will representatives be placed In con-
gress who will execute the wishes Of the
masses? From this summary It will be
seen how the wooden goods interest is
handicapped"
The most curious part of the whole
matter, however, is that while the tariff
bill largely increases the duties on pure
wool it actually makes a slight reduction
on wool adulterants. This Is another
reason why the shoddy men are in favor
of the bill. The past few years have
witnessed a very great advance in the
use Of shoddy in this country. Accord
ing to the census Of 1870 our shoddy
mills used 1900, 900 pounds Of raw
shoddy. In 1880 they used 50, OOO, 600
pounds, and the census just taken viii
show an amazing increase for the past
ten years. There are now more than 100
shoddy mills in the United States, and
about $50, 000, 900 is invested in handling
and manufacturing shoddy.
The use Of shoddy in clothing has In
creased enormously Of late. The census
Of 1880 shows that 1903 pounds of shoddy
are mixed with 118 pounds Of pure wool
to make u SO called wooden goods. But
it is In carpets that shoddy has made the
greatest strides in d~isplacing wool. In
1870 carpets were made Of 80 parts Of
wool to 90 Of shoddy; in 1880 there were
88 parts of wool to SO parts Of shoddy.
A later estimate is made by the Dobsons,
a large firm Of carpet makers in Philar
delphia. According to this firm, in 55,-
00O, 900 pounds of carpet materials there
are 10000, 900 pounds of clean wool, co.
DOC, geo pounds of shoddy and 25, 1000, 900
pounds of other mixtures.
Those are alarming figures, but the in
vasion Of shoddy is still advancing. The
manufacturers have recently scored a
point by introducing what is called an
improved" style Of machinery, which
makes it possible to spin a wretched kind
of stuff which heretofore could not be
used.
The attitude of the shoddy mon with
reference to the Mckinley bill offers q
sharp contrast to their attitude on the
Mills bill, which proposed to make wool
free. Two years ago they submitted q
report to the senate committee attacking
the Mills bill with all possible vigor.
During the last presidential campaign
the Republican national committee sent
out q circular signed by seventeen shod-
dy firms attacking the free wool clause
of the Mills bill.
s'This bill" they said, 'sas far as it
affects the industry in which we are en-
gagged, is 4 free trade measure, and as
such we r decidedly opposed to it.
We have determined in the coming cleo
ton to support the candidates 81 the
protection party, Harrison and Morton.
Their election we consider to be indis-
pensable to the maintenance Of our bus
iness."
Evidently the shcddy men know who
their friends are and who are their ene-
mics.
Their Reasons.