Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-08-24

purpose OF showing that the ACT ItseT In
creased wages In the one case or decreased
them in the other. My purpose In simply
TO show that the tariff does not affect
wages ut all except to diminish their pur-
chasing power, because II II did we could
prove two wholly inconsistent propositions
u be true-frst, that tariffs raise wages,
and secondly that tariffs reduce wages
The man who wants to employ Ssbos does
just what In done by every other man who
wants TO procure anything-he gets 10 at
the very lowest rate at which the law of
supply and demand will enable him To get
IL, tariff or no tariff The employer pur-
sues the same course, whether he IL In Q
free trade country Or In protective cum
try.
The general statement made by the sen
ator from Rhode Island that the wages OF
labor rose T5- i00tbs OF per cent. during the
period OF investigation was true only OF
the fifteen unprotected occupations and
should have been qualified accordingly.
have already said that we asoertained
the rates OF wages In fifteen other indus
tries, and | win now enumerate them In
order that senator's may determine for
themselves whether they are industries
which the tariff Is intended TO protect;
they ART the manufactures u bar iron,
boots and shoes, cotton goods. cotton and
woolen goods. crucible steel, flint glass.
green glass. lumber. machinery, pig iron,
steel ingots, steel blowers, steel rails. win
dow glass and wooden goods Here are
fifteen of the most highly protected indus
tries In the United States and the wages
OF the laborers employed IN them fell 50
lO0ths Of per cent. after the passage OF the
fo[ i,Ia .,tt l,of. h.. -
OF 75i00ths of per cent In the wages ID
laborers engaged Ia the nonprotected In
dust rtes.
One OF the most significant facts dis
closed by the report In relation to thissub-
ject IL that the rates Of wages I'm these pro
tected industries had increased 65-l0Oths of
I per cent. between the beginning Of the
investigation and the approval OF the tariff
act ON Oct. |. 1890, and consequently the
entire decrease Of s9-lO0tbs of per cent 90
CURED after this law was passed. for the
benefit OF the workingman.
Now, Mr. President, on these questions
concerning wholesale and retail prices. cost
Of living and rates Of wages, have pre-
sented the figures made by the statistician
OF the committee, based upon the actual
returns made TO US by the agents who were
sent out, not To take anybody's statement
or any ybody's testimony or hear anybody's
argument, but TO go to the books showing
the actual transactions In the retail stores
in these seventy cities, 10 20 TO the pay
rolls IN the manufacturing establishments,
aud take from them the exact amount Of
wages paid on the first q each month
covered ~ this investigation, and conf
IDENTIFY submit the results to the senate
and the country az complete vindica tion
of the Judgment pronounced by the people
upon the policy OF high protection at the
election In 1890 There was no attempt at
misrepresentation or deception except upon
the part Of those who had become alarmed
at the consequences Of their own favorite
measure OF Legislation. The people were
not deceived then and they will not be de-
ceived now by any false deductions made
from this report, or by any frantic appeals
to save the country from the imaginary
horrors Of free trade
A TIA, on Poor Peoples Clothes.
AS i have already said the articles 80
lected by the COMMITTEES were, with few
insignificant exceptions, the products Of
our own country. and the sums which I
have given To the senate as representing
the increase in prices and In the cost Of
living are based upon them and not upon
any rise which may have taken place in
the prices Of imported articles on account
of the very large increases In the rates Of
duty contained in the tariff act Of 1890.
Why, Mr.. President, the increased price of
the sie,5 $50 worth Of woolen goods which
were imported into this country between
Oct. l, $40, the date Of the passage VI the
Mckinney bill, and the S0th day Of June,
1891, the end Of that fiscal year. amounted
To many millions of dollars.
The report of imports and consumption
for the fiscal year 1891, furnished to US by
the treasury department. embraces and
mingles together all the importations
which were made during that year, for the
purpose of showing the ad valorem rate OF
tax, whether they were made before or
after Oct. l. 1890. and therefore reduces the
average ad valorem rate OF taxation to
much lower figure than It actually vas
under the Mckinley act At the expense
OF great deal of time and labor have se-
lCcted from this report those articles Of
wooden manufacture which were imported
after Oct. |, 1890, and which therefore
paid the increased rates of duty imposed
by the Mckinley tariff act. and ] find the
result to be that the total importations Of
woolen manufactures including yarns,
which cost us abroad Sl9,50l $50, paid an
nj valorem rate of CASA per cent. The
amount Of duty paid on these goods was
sls, ,l92 1873, 40 that ID cost without iDclud-
ing anything for insurance, commissions.
freight or interest or any other charge.
ga, IL. $50 to lay down in Now York goUds
which cost abroad slD.5h $50
An elaborate table was beSe presented.
showing the imports OF wooleo goods from
Oct. !. lS9h to June 81, 1884.
Lot us take for illustration quality 0
dress goods III most common use AMONG
the people. The total value abroad Of that
class Of goods imported after the passage
Of the Mckinley aot was 6 $50, Stl, the tax
ON them was Is, ,a2s. .A22, the ad valorem
rate of taxation upon this q, 2S0, ,6N worth
of goods purchased and consumed by our
people was l02 10 per cent. The cost of
these goods abroad was E26 c0nts per
square yard, the tax was ". ~ pNn square
yard, and, adding the tax, u made the
total cost to lay them down In New York,
without any charge for commissions.
freight or insurance, Is. 70 per yard. NO
that the goods which cost abroad q, SS0, ,84l
cost the importer at New York. without
,ny of the other usual charges, $40, TO4, ,2b@
But we are told by the author u the
Mckinley act that we ought not TO be dis
iurbed about this, because the foreigner
pays the tax. II 40. here is the most re-
markable instance Of disinterested benev-
olence ever witnessed In a commercial
transaction between people OF different