New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-23

Etyty- hist,
in 500 and 1891 In conjunction with inc enpi'Se
~ this firm gives table of He states uH' "h@.
the Mckinley bill before Congress 'he HI" VIZ
a petition among the employees for signature ~ "
presesnted to Congress praying for an lhcfc"s " s
- ~ .nS Goods In the anne Of protection 10 American
,,k workers Three after the bill oeeaFne Jaw le
wages Of tho weavers twistes and spinpers were e"
These are the wages for 1890 ana 1881 900,
E FS,s% SssSs .Ssss pr
EoIs%sn winters w,sSsr: and nd spnners Average
vorsr ns,nc,s average per week iS 60 90
FinishsIs peeewosk a'erage.''''''''''''' AV00
w..vsr. Maid according to width goods and number
, ends IN warp and number Of picks to inch In all goods
~ " ssSS . .S?l
The employees state that this company is empoylns
chean foreign labor such Armenans and Polish jews
in the weaving departments and so reducing "4s0'
six hundred and eighty weavers in this department
s 1879 a ssS'
In 1890 they had two girl helpers at 50 % per Ween
In 1891 they had only one helper AZ - oV per "
Number employed in department:
1890. IS Wrappers, 90 helpers
1891, As warperS> As helpers , ooo
Twisers, uectwork in 1890. at IS cents per i'ooo
ell., average per week, s2o -
In 1891 day work. average per week. sia, 500,
s@sEs sye SS;s IRs ss TssT time
Spinner. per week. '........ $50 $50
EMPLOYEES state that trade is good TINS year, O"Hs
silk becoming fashionable. but reductions h"'e " =.
, Tribune reporter called at the factory " o. Az
stearns Co., in Forty -secondst'' near i'A'u'a..
to-day and learned that nearly every statement
made in the foregoing Is absolutely false. me ~
norter was permitted to look OYER the oooks io' u"
firm and the list OF payrOlls for the last three years
and the records proved concusvey that the nsues
circulated were bogus, and that the s'a1eme''e avn"
the decrease In wages were fabrcatlons ihsleSo VI
their being decrease in wages among the factory
hands during the last two years, the RECORDS s,o"
that there has been . general increase OF mole tha
10 per cent The reporter also talked 70 'he eur
poyes and they all expressed the grcatest s"'''
faction With their positions, and II WAS iea'"'N
S,recty from them that their wages had ma'eriy az"
vanced. The same privilege OF seeing the books Oh
tho firm n, silk manufacturers and OF talking 10 'he
oun,oves would have been extended to the author OF
~. distorted facts and will today for that matter
hut evidently the Democrats the members OF tine nr'h
saw were not at all anxious to learn Tue true 'o"'
dition Of things. -.
Not onlv do the figures put IN circulation ie'
but the fictitious arguments which are printed WIN
them are untrue. The members OF The nrm declare
that the statement about the company employing
"cheap foreign labor such rs Armenlans ana fohsh
Jews In the weaving department. Is false ana 10
their way Of looking at f. dshonorable and mahcon.
The distorted factso give the reader the impression
oil III,
,b ro,lers arc women There are 900 people
.mnoved in the factory and nearly 900 OF the plumber
.r girls whose ages range from sixteen to twenty
6ve There are also few boys and younger eTlS'
and not one Of the employees In The place s'er"etS
less than 81 day. while hundreds OF the rehae
employes make from 81 so TO 81 80 day some OF
tho forewomen and men employees make more than
IA n day. And ninetenths OF the people VINO re-
ceiva these wages are American born, ipstead oil
Euronean paupers and contented, healthier
looking better dressed number Of working girls ana
workngmen cann0 be found In any factory IN New
York. The company invites the Democratic Cahi-
naign Committee, anybody else VITO is interested
in Peck's distorted facts to call at the SIX factory
and look al and talk to the employees
Jobn n. Stearas, IT., member OF the nrm Oh D.
n stearns q Co., when seen yesterday SAD
that the silk industry had thrived under the Repubh
can policy of Protection, and that wages among Tue
wormen had increased with the increase Of the profits
of the company. And instead Of there being 800
100000 worth Of silk imported every year. and only
$4,000 900 worth manufactured in this country, AS
was the state OF affairs before tariff was placed on
tho manufactured article, the figures are reversed
ard 100000 900 worth made here by thousands
and thousands of American wokmen, and the import;
lion of silks only amounts to *lOoOooOo
But IL the so per cent duty on manufactured SILKS
were removed all the manufacturers say that they
would be compelled to cut down wages TO compete
with foreign labor and In many cases factories womb
be compelled TO close their DOORS and thousands OF
working girls and workingmcn would be thrown out
OF employ meDt.
Tie raw material in the silk line is imported free
because such importaons do not interfere with the
prosperity of American industries or lower the rate
Of wages among American workmen But 10 admit
the manufactured article Free the manufacturers say
would prove disastrous 70 one Of Americas great In
dustries and would naturally injure the prosperous
condition OF the ageearners in the silk factories.
The table of wages furnished for Democratic
campaign arguments by Samuel Hastings was neor-
&c end n said ' Mr. steais yesterday is,inss did
work for Us for short time, but he WIS doing
at which he was employed. The woman who is now
filing his place is making from sl4 to sIo week
poyss A %se aOQ the Mckinley act before cone
such petition was ever circulated In factory, and
stated 1t was not presented to Congress praying iOr
and the American slk.workers. And the statement
that sn the Ts sHsas asE
reduced is also false Our Pay rolls show ana our
employees win testify that there fs as Set during Sf h
last two Years The Mckinley law made no change
law was passed and under that rate Of protection the
Industry has thrived. ,..s. .,o,, ,,.co. do.
eresse% in our factory as the alleged statements made
BY Hastings would ndicas been snTe
s MAKING ns'fs so@ 81 ,h,n they did
" ..Regardine the statement that We are employing
cheap European psuper lab, wish TO say tnat su.a
a fafsehood Is a greater injustice to our employees
than IL is to u.s. and the circulation OF such report
tends to inure them to greater extent among .nt
about their condition and position In life and they
DO not feel particularly pleased when they are a,sa
as cheap foreign laborers, who are barely getune
enough for their work to enable them TO i've de-
Gently. Our employees with only few exceptions
are American born and they live In comfortable
homes and enjoy the comforts Of this life. The
work is clean and not lab6rous and any caller at
Tho
employees are dressed. / do not mean to say that
the work for hands is chld's play; but II Is not
Is overworked.
sin instance the figures quoted were greater
than we paw or ever have paid. We are reported
as having paid IS cents per 1000 ends for twisters'
piece-wOrk. That Is not We never paid more
khaH Is the paid NJ