The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-21

The American Protective Tariff League
has within the last few days sent letters
to persons controlling new industries
which have been established since the
Mckinley bill went into operation, ask
ing for a statement as to the actual pro-
gress made and also asking if the estab-
lIshment of these various industries
was due to the new tariff. Alarge num-
Der of these letters will be printed in
next weeks Economist, and as an illustra-
ton of what may be expected we give
complete the following letter from Mr..
r. c. Kerr, vice president and treasurer
of the Kerr Thread Company, Fall
River, Mass. This letter seems to cover
the entire field and is q fair example of
those which will be produced next week.
In many instances we have been able to
secure photographs of tho different
works, which will also appear in con
ncctiOn with the letters.
The letter referred to above is as fol-
lows:
II N IN 4IlhEhb SOMNA ~
M'F'Rs EXTRA SIx-CoRD SPOOL CoTToS
FALL RIVER, MASS, Oct. 10, 1892.
The Amerioda Protective Targ League 1856 West
1ireniykhird Sired, Nee York:
DEAR SRs:-We have your favor OF
October 6, and snail as soon as possible.
send you photographs Of u mills.
We built the first part Of the same in
1880, and we would inform you that our
building was entirely due to the pro-
tective policy of the American govern
ment. ~ that time, from a personal
standpoint, it would have suited US
much better to have enlarged our fac
tories in Paisley, Scotland, and done
our selling in America through q house
in New York or Boston. We came over
here, however, so that we might be-
come Americans and share in the rem
eral prosperity of this great country.
Under the protective tariff we have
been able to make a success OF our bus
mess. and within two years are adding
largely to the size Of our plant We can
assert that the Mckinley bill has had
everything to do with u extending,
and we have looked upon the long-con-
tinued protective policy OF the United
States as a guarantee to US that If we
invested our money over here in manu-
featuring we ourselves would be pro-
tected. We employ in this country now
over 800 hands, and when our new mills
are in full operation we shall employ
from 500 to 1000 hands.
1t may be interesting for you to know
how the wages we pay here compare
NTH tho uyouaa NO nav in vniir faNtnPin6
in Paisley, Scotland.
To begin with, our spinners here re-
ceive weekly from Sl5 to SIS. We do
not do any spinning in Paisley, but
there are very few men employed in
our works over there who make more
than thirty shillings Isl S0) a week,
which is considerably less than half the
wages earned by men here.
The girls employed in our Paisley
mills are making an extra large wage
when they earn fifteen shillings per
week, which is So 65 American money.
In our mills here they receive from So 90
to 81 30 and some Of them as much as
S. per week.
In one department-namely that OF
twisting-the Paisley operatives get 10
shillings ($2 49, per week standing
wages. Here in Fall River we pay
girls for attending to a less number OF
spindles 81 so per week, and in some
instances w employ young men, who
attend to a greater number OF spindles
than the women do. and they receive
$40 per week.
1t is the tariff, and the tariff only,
that enables US to pay the wages We do
in Fall River, and should the same be
taken off thread and cotton yarns we
would have to do one of two things
we would either have to arrange with
our operatives here to pay them at
the same rate OF wages a we pay in
Paisley, or we would be compelled to
close our mills in Fall River till such a
time as the American operatives could
see their way to accept the truly-named
pGuper wages OF Europe.
Had the Mills bill ever become Amer
lean law, and had the Same been in
dorsed by the great American people at
the polls, the Kerr Thread Company
would have remained as they at that
time were-an American corporation in
name only, with their factories and
headquarters at Paisley, Scotland, in
stead of the same being at Fall River,
Mass, U. S. A.
The photographs we shall send you OF
our mills show the present part which
is IN operation, and also the extensions,
which arc not yet quite completed.
(signed) h, 9; Kerr,
Treasurer.