Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-10-19

! goods.
The way the wool is pulled over the
/ eyes Of the buyer is as follows: The re-
tail dealer submits sample TO the man.
ufacturer's agent, saying: Il want 500
or 1000 yards of this pattern. How
much will it costY" After an examna-
ton Of the fiber the manufacturers
agent replies that goods Of that particu-
lar quality are worth, say, $l.50 yard.
Il cannot pay that price" rejoins the
retailer. "My trade will not stand it;
but make II as nearly like the sample as
yon can for 81"
This the manufacturer accordingly
does 10y grading the quality of the goods
! down with greater admixture Of
shoddy 10 meet the market, and thus the
/ workingman who buys a suit of clothes
looking just like the suit he bought
three years ago at the same price is
really paying, without realizing it, for
more cotton and less wool He Is really
| paying for $50 suit from $3 to s. more
| than for the value he received in the
same priced suit three years ago.
John O'Connell, in charge Of the
wholesale underwear department of Hill
| ton, Hughes 81 Denning, large buyer
/ of hosiery and underwear, says: "ln
! cotton goods the American manufacturer
! has the advantage of free raw material,
and therefore the prices Of cotton goods,
which advanced shortly after the enact
ment of the Mckinley tsriff act, have
now settled back TO former prices, but in
woolen goods, which are affected by the
| Mckinley act, the case is different.
| Woolen hosiery. which formerly soti for
| $3.50 to $3.50, now sells for s. to $3.50
| per dozen, which means that the Amer
| lean buyer pays ii for the same value
which formerly cost but 70 cents, and
The same is true of cashmere stockings.
The American buyer now pays for woolen
hosiery and underwear % cents and 80
cents for the same quality Of goods
which three years ago sold for IS cents
and 81 cents respectively"
Under this head are included linens,
handkerchiefs, table, stair and floor
cloths, towels, napkins and white goods
! generally. Before the war there was a
uniform tariff rate Of ID per cent. on all
| linen goods. which was advanced during
the war, owing To the necessities Of the
government, to 35 and 40 per cent, until
1888, when the 40 per cent. rate was
abolished and the uniform rate of 35 per
cent. retained. The Mckinley act re-
tanned the 35 per cent. rate only on such
linen goods AS contained 100 or more
threads 10 the square inch, but increased
the rate upon all other linen goods to 80
per cent al valorem. This discrimina-
ton was made to favor the contributors
TO the Harrison campaign fund of 1888
in Troy, who are largely engaged in the
manufacture of linen collars.
The first result of the Mckinley act"
says Mr.. Potts, of the white goods inn
porting house of J. B. Locke q Potts, in
franklin street, twas to cause the for
eign manufacturers to change all the
goods which We're formerly made of 90
threads to 100 threads to the square inch,
but the most serious result to the Ameri-
can buyer was the change in the quality
of the goods. Linen handkerchiefs which
are offered at retail for 25 and 80 cents
each have been reduced in quality SO
that they can be sold at the same price
as before the Mckinley act went into
| operation. The same is true of house.
keeping linens. table cloths, napkins,
damasks, towels, floor linen, etc. In
each instance the manufacturers have
met the prices of the retail dealers by
grading down the quality Of the goods
to suit their customers. The American
buyer is now paying for handkerchiefs,
towels and other articles in the house
keeping line 25 and 90 cents for the same
| quality of goods which, under the tariff
of 1888, could have been bought for lSa4
and 37l2 cents respectively. The duty
on terry goods and bath towels was in
creased under the Mckinley act about
80 per cent, and the domestic manu-
facturers of these goods have put up
their prices 3 per cent, which means
that "A 81 cent towel is now sold for so
cents"
This article of universal domestic use
is not imported, the entire market be-
ing control. ID by domestic manufac-
turers. The prices, however, are af-
fected by.t tariff on raw wool, which
leads to considerable depression in the
quality Of blankets at popular prices. The
best blankets in the world are made in
California, but they obtain the best
price, being sold as high as $50 II pair.
But blankets are offered in retail shops
at all prices, from $50 pair down TO 60
cents, the wool gradually growing light
er in weight until it finally disappears
in the blankets below So a pair, which
are made entirely of cotton. The lowest
price at which wooden blankets can be
purchased is - pair, and light weight
at that If it were not for the tariff on
wool the American buyer could obtain
for - he quality of blankets now re-
tailed al 81. and the same proportion
holds good on all grades and weights up
TO the highest priced California blan-
kets
In carpets" said a member Of a
! large Broadway firm, "the process OF
adulteration has been simply frightful.
| The American buyer would be surprised
10 learn what cheap carpets are made Of
cattle hair. goats hair, dogs hair and
even cats halr are in constant use. Will
ton (velveD carpets are advertised at 81
per yard lai, which, deducting 10 cents
for the making and laying, would be 90
cents per yard. Now the Mckinley duty
on Wilton carpets is 60 cents per square
yard and 40 per cent. al valorem in ad-
dition. As the duty exceeds the price