The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-01-09

An .importcd Industry with High pro-
lection Turns 5000 Operatives out Of
Employ mcnt.
When Mckinley took hold Of the tar
iff-malSing business he found that there
was already high protective dirty on
linen sewing thread This fact did not
deter him. however. from making the
duties still higher Linen thread was
40 per cent. al vaTcrcm, but Mckinley
raised the duty considerably. Linen
thread up 70 IL cents a pound now pays
Q cents per pound equivalent to AZ per
cent. on thread worth Is cents and cor
respondingly higher on cheaper quail
ticsl, and on thread valued above Is
cents the duty Is fixed at As per cent I'd
valorem.
Last January J. r. Lesson 4 Co,
claiming to be '.the largest impoi tiers
Of linen thread in the United States, /"
and representing themselves Is the
'selling agents Of the fax mills Of
North Grafton, Mass, manufacturing
linen thread" sent communication TO
Major Mckinley on the subject Of the
duty on linen thread. They said they
were consistent advocates Of the pol
icy Of projections" but they admitted
'as the agent Of American producers
that the existing rate is satisfactory to
u.s. They also said that II the duty on
dressed fax were removed. "a rate 81
Is per cent. nd valorcm would sufficient
" protect the mills we represent"
But there were other men who wanted
still higher duty on dressed fax. The
old duty was $40 ton. and these men
asked TO have il doubled. Mckinley
fixed II at 3 cents pound. equal 70 $50
ton. Then he raised the duty on linen
thread. As above shown. although the
domestic thread men had said that they
had enough protection.
The duty oncotton spool thread being
already equivalent 70 only 50 per cent,
was not increased; but the duty on some
grades Of cotton thread not on spools
was considerably increased.
One defense that the McKinleyitcs
make Of their high duties is that they
will cause the I" importation Of indus
tries rather than products" Mckinley
said enthusiastically in his speech last
May in opening the tariff debate: Let
them bring their factories right over
here. Bring ST.. 100000 over here and
sit down among us and employ our
labor and consume the products Of our
farmers 70 which sentiment there was
applause"
Now, il happens that our high duties
on thread had already done something
in the way Of importing industries" t.
this country before the Mckinley law
was passed. The Clark Thread Compa-
ny's mills at Newark and at kearncy.
n. j., are examples Of such import
ed Industries" These mills were
set up here by great Scotch
firm in order 70 get into the American
market. and to enjoy the high protection
which we tax ourselves to give 70 our
thread manufacturers. But notwith.
standing the high protection which they
receive the Clark Company does not
employ our labor" in such a way as 70
make the laborcrs happy. The COM
pany has just had difficulty with it,
spinncrs and has locked up its mills.
The lockout throws 5000 operatives
out OF employment. About half 81
these were girls and some Of them
sxhowcd their disappointment in their
tears" High protection can not guar.
antcc that labor shall not be locked out,
nor that wages shall not be cut down