Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-01
A THREAD MILL LOCKOUT.

an Imported Industry" With High Pro-
lection Turns 5000 Operatives Out of
Employment.
When Mckinley took hold of the tar
ff-making business he found that there
was already a high protective duty on
linen sewing thread. This fact did not
deter him, however, from making the
duties still higher. Linen thread was
20 per cent ad valorem, but Mckinley
raised the duty considerably. Linen
thread up to Is cents a pound now pays
cents per pound equivalent to 40 per
cent. on thread worth IS cents and cor
respondingly higher on cheaper quail
ties), and on thread valued above Is
cents the duty is fixed at As per cent ad
valorem.
Last January J. R. Lesson & Co.,
claiming to be ''the largest importers
of linen thread in the United States,''
and representing themselves as 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 protection" but they admitted
stas the agent of American producers
that the existing rate is satisfactory to
u.s." They also said that If the duty on
dressed fax were removed, "a rate of
% per cent ad valorem would sufficient
~ protect the mills we represent"
But there were other men who wanted
d still higher duty on dressed fax. The
old duty was $40 a ton, and these men
asked 90 have it doubled Mckinley
fixed il at cents pound, equal to 500
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 on cotton spool thread being
already equivalent to only Sd per cent,
was not increased; but the duty on some
grades of cotton thread not ON spools
was considerably increased
One defense that the McKinleyites
make of their high duties is that they
will cause the 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 S25, O00, 900 over here and
sit down among us and employ our
labor and consume the products of our
farmers''-to which sentiment there was
applause"
Now, it happens thas our high duties
on thread had already done something
in the way of importing industries" to
this country before the Mckinley law
was passed The Clark Thread Compa-
ny's mills at Newark and at Kearney,
Y. J., are examples of such import
ed industries" These mills were
set up here by a great Scotch
firm in order to get into the American
market, and to enjoy the high protection
which we tax ourselves to give to 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 to
make the laborers happy The COM
pany has just had difficulty with its
spinners and has locked up its mills
The lockout throws 5000 operatives
out OF employment About half of
these were girls and some of them
showed their disappointment in their
tears" High protection can not guar
antee that labor shall not be locked out,
nor that wages shall not be cut down
He VIII Never Believe i'm Protection.