The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-08-01
THE EFFECT OF IT.

How the Mckinley Tariff Affects Afperi-
can Industries, from the Point Of View
Of the british ConsuI-Gen-ral at New
York and as Reported to the English
Board of Trade journal.
WASHINGTON, July 2,-The Board of
Trade Journal, printed for her mai
esty's stationery offices, London, July,
1891, contains report from W. l..
Booker, the British eonsnl-general at
New York, concerning the effect Of the
Mckinley tariff upon American indus
tries. The same report is published as
No. Oil of the foreign Office annual
series Mr.. Booker writes as follows:
Influenced by the new and higher duties
afforded for the benefit of American manu-
faeturins Interests, new life has been i'm
parted to the cotton, vOf>ted, WOODEN and
knit underwear Industries. Everywhere,
especially in the southern states, new tet'
tile mills have been going up with surprising
activity, and all the old corporations arc
being operated oil full time There have
been very few strikes among mill operatives
during the year. with one or two exceptions.
and those were not caused by reduced rates
of wages or hours of labor, but merely
through discipline of the workers. As
rule, all the cotton mills have had a year
VI Inc
been Of larger volume than in
any previous year. and the goods
have found ready sale generally. but
at comparatively low prices, considering
the high pric-s which prevailed during the
first six months Of the year for cotton.
Market Pfices; except in a few cases, did not
vary with the price Of cotton. Opening gen.
orally at low rates, cottor goods have been
steady, the home and export demand being
ffinis tn nh NIL
standard and staple makes of brown,
bleaelicd and colored goods, il We except
printing clcths AMI cllcoes The request
for both the latter has been somewhat limit
ed. and the mills ut Fall River engaged in
the production Of print cloths will find it
difficult to declare any dividends this year
unless they draw from their sinking funds.
The price of printing cloths was never so
low, viz: 1921 (l2s 2dD net for s. picks
square, yarls to the pound. and. some
makes of Is by GO picks have been closed out
as low as 3i3c net, the lowest price ever re-
corded The depression in calieoes In a
measure owing to fashion changes, the trade
having turned largely to ginghIms in Scotch
sty!es, for which the demand has been un-
precedentcl, and at fairly profitable cures.
As a whole. however. the outlook for the
cotton industry is exceedingly favorable.
There are no large supplies Of any
make of goods in stock. and prices gen.
orally are established on a paying
basis. The worstcd goods industry has
been marked By fresh life, since the new
tariff has to a great extent cut on the i'm
portation of the lowest grades OF such goods.
All the factories have started up. and are
making goods on safe orders. and new mills
are being erected by European and British
capitalists with a view to manufacturing
finer class of dress goods, etc, than ever be-
fore has been produced in this country. The
wooden goods industry, apart from ladies'
cloths, does not show any perceptible signs
of Improvement, but keeps on a slow, steady
gait, apart from carpctin2s AMI woolen un
derwenr. Both of the latter industries have
been unusually busy during the last SIX
months at fairly profitable prices.