Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-01-03
A THREAD MILL LOCKOUT.

An "Imported Industry" With High Pro-
lection Turns 5000 Operatives Out of
Employment.
When Mckinley took hold of the tar
iff-making business he found that there
was already high protective duty on
linen sewing thread. This fact did not
deter him, however, from making the
duties still higher. Linen thread was
40 per cent. ad valorem, but Mckinley
raised the duty considerably. Linen
thread up to 10 cents pound now pays
8 cents per pound equivalent to 40 per
cent. on thread worth 13 cents and cor
respondingly higher on cheaper quail
ties), and on thread valued above 13
cents the duty is fixed at As per cent. ad
valorem.
Last January j. R. Leeson & Co.,
claiming to be "the largest importers
of linen thread in the United States"
and representing themselves as the
''selling agents of the flax 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 poll
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 If the duty on
dressed fax were removed, "a rate Of
25 per cent ad valorem would sufficient
ly 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 it doubled. Mckinley
fixed it at cents pound, equal to $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 on cotton spool thread being
already equivalent to 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 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 $4,000, 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 that 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-y
ny's mills at Newark and at Kearney,
n. j., are examples of such 'import-
ed industries" These mills were
set up here by 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 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 We're 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.