The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-15

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on the free list.
The effect on the business of allowing
manufacturers to obtain hides from any
part of the world was marvellous. Bust
ness has been prosperous ever since, and
will continue to be so as long as hides
can be imported free Of duty. This Is
the only form of protection sought by
some of the very largest manufacturers
there. The majority, however. Of the
2o5 firms that compose the Glovemakers'
association favors protective tariff on
gloves, and succeeded in getting the
duty raised from 80 per cent. to an av-
erage of 20 or 80 per cent. in the Nc
Kinley bill. Why they favored more pro-
duction is evident from what one men,
Der said, 1--WE have very firm agree
ments not to cut on prices at wholesale"
That duty Of even so per cent. was not
needed is shown by the fact that all,
Of any ability whatever, who have
begun business since 1873 have sue
ceeded (unless they have manufactured
from imported leather-which is dutia-
blel and that many of the firms have
Tor years been making enormous profits.
The effects Of this increased duty on
the business will be slight. Some of the
very largest manufacturers do not intend
to make any change in the kind Of work
done, and do not anticipate any greater
demand for their goods. A few fir,ns,
however, are beginning to experiment in
making some kinds of fine gloves that have
never been made here. They admit that
they can make this class Of goods here
only by importing cutters from England,
and that the new tariff will not cause an
advance in wages. But they say there
viii be more work for sewing girls, who
are mostly American. Now, it happens
that cutters are the only class Of work
men that get more than an average OF
$1.25 per day. Hence the only labor to
be benefited by the increased duty will
not be American labor. Nearly all Of the
cutters now employed. except appren-
tees, are foreigners.
Wages now paid to sewing girls work
ing in the shops average about thirty
dollars per month. This is fair wages
for girls, and was recognized as such by
the Mckinley tariff committee when
the glove manufacturers, while asking
for more protection for the benefit OF
these girls, submitted statistics showing
the difference in wages between this and
other countries. So eager were they to
make a good showing for the American
girls that they neglected to mention that
out of these wages the girls must pay
one dollar or two dollars 1.-TWO dollars II
most shops) for power to run their ma
chimes; that they may break twenty OF
| twenty-five needles in o month, worth
from fifty cents to one dollar, which they
must supply; that they are liable to dam
age to goods from cuts, grease, etc., and
that the girls must pay for their OWL
machines.
| These machines must be strong and
capable of doing different kinds OF stitch
ing in leather. Hence they are very ex
pensive. 1t is said that in some shops O
per cent Of them are imported. Thes'
cos. the girls about fifty-five dollar
(nearly twenty dollars of which is t
pay the duty Of As per cent?, and ar
nearly worn out at the end Of four years
About 25 per cent. of the gloves mad
are EARNED out" to families Twin,
within q radius of ten or twenty mile
from Gloversville. These families, o
course, provide their own machines
needles, power, etc. They receive tn
same piece price for stitching, sewing O
buttons, decorating, ETC., as the sho
girls, but are taxed 80 much per doze
for the delivery and return Of the goods
|. Another little matter to which thes
manufacturers neglected to call the al
tention of the tariff committees is tn
fact that the duty asked for and obtaine
is often greater than the labor cost {
making the gloves, e. g., the labor cost
making gloves that sell for six dollar
!, per dozen at wholesale will not e,
coed $3.50, while the duty on simila
gloves imported may be $S.25. Eve
ON twelve dollar gloves. where tn
labor cost will average about $4.4O, tn
duty will probably average 1915. tn
manufacturers pretend to ask for onl
enough tariff to equalize the differene
in labor cost between the United Stat'
and other countries. Now. these mans
r facturers nowhere claim that this difte
! ence will be more than % per cent.
/ the cost price Of the gloves. How, thel
, can they, even for the sake of the Anne
ian shop girls, ask for tariff equal
from 80 to 100 per cent. of the cost pric
and which sometimes exceeds the enti
! cost OF making:
In 1850 We imported A,576,o9l Wort