The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-15
Tariff Misrepresentation.

1t is the boast of the high tariff advocates
that the workingmen in this country are
paid better wages than the workingmen of
free trade England, an advantage which
they are told they enjoy on account of the
existence of the protective system. This
was the argument used by the re
publicans during the last presidential
campaign when they asked the working
men to vote for Harrison and protection,
ITO save themselves from coming into COM
petition with the pauper labor of Europe"
condition which it was alleged they were
threatened with if the tariff was reduced
From this talk it would appear
that the workingmel of this
country received the pay of
bank presidents compared with the
wages paid to the unprotected workingmen
abroad. Let us see if this is the case.
The report of the bureau of labor and
statistics of Massachusetts, just issued,
gives the number employed In the various
industries and the earnings of wage work
erS in that state. The chief industries
are the manufacture of cotton, worsted
and wooden goods and shoes. The statistics
THE total number of persons employed in
the manufacture of cotton goods in the year
covered by the report, 1885, was As, IFS; of
these %, OBS were males and 26 163 females.
The percentage of both sexes receiving
under s. per week was 1905, while 49,
per cent shows the total males and females
receiving So but under Sc; 1881 per cent.
received So, but under 81, and 10 IA
per cent 81. but under IS weekly.
Only 80 per cent. of the total number
of operatives employed in the cotton mills
receive $50 and over as weekly wages.
Reference TO the returns from the wooden
goods industry shows that S,742 males and
1864 females were employed in the wooden
mills of Massachusetts in 1885. OF these
1885 per cent of males and IS. 10 of females
received under s. as weekly wages. The
sum of 81, but under sS,is paid to an almost
even percentage of males and females in the
wooden mills, while that of $50 and over
is paid to 2.2J per cent. of males and .73 of
females. In the worsted goods industry
6, III persons are employed, of whom ,6S3
are males and 3.434 females. The sum of
S. but under 81 is the one most uniformly
paid to operatives in this branch of manu-
facUure, 1859 per cent of males receiving
this sum and SO. "a per cent. of females
Now, how do these figures compare with
the wages paid in Great Britain to persons
employed in the same industries! The
MORNING News quotes from the report of
the American consul at Glasgow, who fur
nished the state department with the figures
for the whole United Kingdom According
to this report, which is official, the average
rate of wages paid per week to workers
in the textile manufactures is as follows:
Cotton-Men, So 10; boys, 50 81; women,
IS II; girls, 81 cents. Woolens - Men,
SIS IS; boys, 81 06; women, IS %; girls,
81 So Worsted-Mel, So 81; boys, 81 IS /:
women, 50 50; girls. 81 81. The average
States is slightly higher but it must
be taken into consideration that the
English workman enjoys the
advantage of the cooperative store
system. through which he is enabled
to obtain the necessities of life almost at
cost. He is well housed, as a rule, and
statistics show that he is enabled to put
money in bank after paying all expenses.
1t is not the purpose of this arti-
Gle to discuss the economical
and social sides Of the question, however.
The figures presented show that protection
is not the workingman's road to wealth and
prosperity. A tariff on textile goods, like
on most other articles, benefits the manu-
facturer only. The price paid in
this country for imported fabrics
fixes the price upon home manufactured
fabrics. For instance, cloth sold in England
at 81 if brought to this country would
have to be sold by our importers for 81
Home manufacturers of a like quality of
goods fix their prices accordingly. Do the
workingmen get the benefit of this increased
proftl 1t appears not.
The silver question is settled for time