The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-06-04
MAKING KNIT FABRICS /
AN INDUSTRY BUILT UP BY THE
M'klNLEY BILL.

Its Condition n Year Ago-The Change
That Has Already Taken Place--Under-
valuations No Longer Exist-How the
Poor Man Is BENEFITED.
Free-trade and Free-trade journals arc
persistent in their utterances that tha
Mckinley tariff will destroy American
textile industries. Ii they can furnish
no better evidence than that furnished
by the knit underwear mills, then let Us
hear no more about the disastrous effects
of measure the benefcent effects Of
which are so clearly apparent Contrast
the present condition of the knit goods
interest with that Of o year ago. The
enactment of the Mckinley tariff was
then in sight, yet its influence upon the
future of this industry was already yisi-
ble. Manufacturers saw that the ad-
ministrative act would correct many Of
the worst abuses from which they had
suffered SO long, and that with the tariff
bill passed. immediate relief from under
valuations would follow. Il year ago not
more than 60 per cent. of the present ca
pacity for turning out underwear was in
operation. At Cohoes, Amsterdam, Lit
tie Falls, Hudson City, and at various
| other places in this and other states,
much machinery had been idle for three
or more years, especially those mills that
were equipped to make ribbed cotton
underwear. This was due solely to the
competition of great quantities of inn
ported goods that were uudervalued.
And from the same cause the knitters of
fancy cotton hosiery in Philadelphia be-
came insolvent.
| With the Mckinley tariff in operation
the first reappraisements by the board OF
appraisers demonstrated that the ilppor-
tations of knit fabrics of every descrip-
tion would be decreased, for though i'm
porters had advanced their foreign cost
the increase was not enough 1t is I'M
necessary to go into details rs it is sufi
cient to know that through the operation
of the Mckinley tariff an unparalleled
degree of activity has been infused into
the knit goods industry.
The cry Of the Free-traders has been
and is that the poor mans wages have
been decreased and the cost of his
clothing has been increased. What are
the facts? The poor mans cotton shirts
and drawers, not costing in excess of
one dollar and fifty cents per dozen, pay
80 per cent. ad valoresn. +ke same as be-
fore the Mckinley bill. Oh! the solici-
tude for the poor man and how it has
been used to put eagles in tho pockets Of
these importers that have expressed so
much sympathy for the wage earnar!
No one doubts, and in fact it has been
demonstrated by the operations Of the
Mckinley tariff, that former importa-
tions were invoiced and classified as
costing poor mems prices, the duties paid
proportionately, but out of the customs,
such goods were invariably sold at rich
mems profits, though at less prices than
similar goods made in this country were
sold at. That's how the interests of the
poor man have been protected by i'm
porters.
Under the old tariff wool and merino
underwear paid ten cents, twelve cents.
eighteen cents, twenty-four cents and
thirty-fve cents per pound, and 80 and
40 per cent. ad valorem, and so general
were the undervaluations that it is not
} straining the truth to make the state
ment that not more than, if as muck as,
so per cent. of the duties We're collected
that such i1nportations should have paid.
| This method of doing business was be-
cause of the solicitude for the poor man.
With the merchandise released from the
customs department, for spelling poor
mems goods the Volapuk orthography
was employed, and it invariably pro-
duced importers interest,"" and the
goods were sold at rich mems profits
The Mckinley tariff and the admins
trative act have rectified these under.
l valuations; yet if there has been any
. difference in prices for American good
they arc not recognizable by consumers
+ if at the prices now current better good:
, are not now obtainable than ever before
This feature is due to the operation o.
. the Mckinley tariff and the increased
Q production that that measure has stimu
, lated.
y; The daily and weekly reports of tn
r improved trade in underwear and hosier,
n are the best evidence of the beneficial in
/ fiuence Of the Mckinley tariff on this in
@ dustry. Besides the records of the mill
n that were running full and have bee
- culdTS0u, tlEtt WcIc lAfl11 Vi leH
$ of the machinery and are now runnin
t full; that had been idle for three to 81
9 years and are now in full operation, ne'
u mills that have been built and put int
: operation and larger number are j
II course of erection in different states
y In short, the Mckinley tariff has stot
. ped to very large extent the underyOla
+ tions of foreign manufactures, and tia
It has decreased importations; there la
been an increased demand for America
g made goods that has quickened the star
u ing up of all idle machinery and th
q building of many new mills. This III
given employment to q very large nun
Der of operatives; raw materials hav
been required in greatly increased quaa
10 titles, and in the finishing, ticketins
TO making up and other details an equal d.
Ia gree of life has been infused into man