The Portland daily press., 1891-08-26
Paving Tribute TO mains

One Of the most excellent papers in New
England is the Boston Transcript, which is
published for select body Of readers who
like to buy their clothes In London and
Paris. Both the Transcript and many of Its
readers dislike the tariff because they want
to buy their foreign goods cheaper lire
spective of American laborers and manu-
facturers. The Transcript condemns the
policy under which 1t is possibleto sustain
the practice of making Massachusetts pay
tribute to Maine for every bushel Of potatoes
every barrel Of lime and every quart of
blueberries it gets from that state" Now
does not this come with little grace from
Massachusetts paper? For years the farmers
and laborers Of Maine have been buying
Massachusetts manufactured goods. paying
whatever tribute was necessary to help those
industries to the proud and independent
position they now occupy. 1t is true now
that those industries are established and are
selling us goods so low that for long time
we have In no sense paid them tribute. But
the Maine customers Of Massachusetts un.
doubtedly paid Tribute 10 the beginning to
the Massachusetts industries, and assisted
In giving sthem the prosperity which they
have acquired under the tariff. II we re-
member rightly there was not such COM
plant from Massachusetts in those days
about the tariff being tribute. The prosper
ity of the manufacturing industries of Massa-
chusetts is.the pride Of all New England. The
report Of the chief of her bureau of statistics
show the last year to have been marked by
an important increase In their general pros
perity. The capital invested in production
was 5.62 per cent. more in 1890 than in 1889.
The gain in goods maze was 4.37 per cent,
and In value of stock used was 7.19 per cent
The average number Of persons employed in
all the establishments represented rose from
263,083 in 1889, to 270, 1876 in 1890, or gain of
81 per cent. The number employed at the
time of employment Of the greatest number
was 293,321 In 1889 and 300 227 in 1890, or
gain Of 2.35 per cent. At the time of employ
ment OF the smallest number In 1889 the re-
were 224,SS7, and in 1890, 1884, 1924, or a gain
OF 2 per cent Unemployment" as the
Bureau uses the term, was 81 per cent. less
In 1890 than In 1889. the number being g.
434 for 1888, against 65,9O3 in 1890. The aver
age yearly earnings per individual employed
were $426 50 in 1889, and $433 Sc in 1890, an
AnNASooN VA A'cO pCl ICuts nc lduRH IRON
highest to lowest average yearly earnings
was from $691. SO to $259.22 In 1889, and from
S69S.74 to $274,67 in 1890. The average pro-
portion of business done compared with the
full capacity reached 1881 per cent. in 1889,
and 72.65 per cent. 1890. The estimated total
value of goods made and work done in man
ufacturing and mechanical industries In 1890
is SSH 061, 253, against S674, 634, 269 In 1885,
an increase Of $196. 426, 1884, or 1912 per cent.
Is 1t quite generous or reasonable for the
Boston Transcript to complain that Maine
gets few advantages out of the system that
has helped build up this splendid prosperity
OF Massachusetts? Is 1t quite right for
leading paper Of Massachusetts to say, I'VE
nave got all we want out Of the tariff; and
we 40 not care whether the Rockland lime
burners are driven out of business or not by
Ineap canadian labor in the st. John kilns."
nne tariff was meant for Maine quite as
Lo .en as ior Massachusetts; and in the great
Ga"-c over protection, from the DAYS of
SoV.se Evans to the present time, Maine
statesman have done their share, certainIv
IN retaining the system that has given Mas.
SacnusettS her great Industrial nrosnar,tU
IL mas Deen left to papers like the Bos,on
Transcript to discover that the otro ,.s