The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-10-28

CudIRGS
in this country for less than 81 AS per
yard With the present duty on raw
materials the same quality of domestic
goods cannot be made and sold for less
than s so to $780,"
This represents the tax which the
workingman is obliged to pay the pro-
tected manufacturer. But he is made
to believe that he can buy suit Of
clothes of the same pattern he pur-
chased three years ago for the same
price, in spite of the incontestable fac
that under the operation of the McKin-
ley tax upon raw wool the price cf
wooden goods could only remain the
same by reducing the quality of the
goods.
The way the wool is pulled over the
eyes of the buyer is as follows: The re-
tail dealer submits sample 10 the man.
ufacturer's agent, saying: 81 want 500
or 1000 yards of this pattern. How
much will it COST" After an examina-
ton of the fiber the manufacturers
agent replies that goods of that particu-
lar quality are worth, say, $3.50 yard
Il cannot pay that price," rejoins the
retailer. MY trade will not stand it;
but make it as nearly like the sample as
you can for ST."
This the manufacturer accordingly
does by grading the quality of the goods
down with greater admixture of
shoddy to meet the market, and thus the
workingman who buys 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 SEQ suit from So to IS 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 & Denning, large buyer
of hosiery and underwear, says: sin
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 tariff act, have
now settled back to former prices, but in
wooden goods, which are affected by the
Mckinley act, the case is different.
Wooden hosiery, which formerly sold for
$6.5 to $3.50, now sells for s. to $3.50
per dozen, which means that the Amer
lean buyer pays 81 for the same value
which formerly cost but rs cents, and
the same is true of cashmere stockings.
The American buyer now pays for wooden
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 Is per cent. on all
linen goods, which was advanced during
the war, owing to the necessities Of the
government. to 80 and 40 per cent, until
1888, when the 40 per cent. rate was
abolished and the uniform rate of IS per
cent. retained. The Mckinley act re-
tanned the 30 per cent. rate only on such
linen goods rs contained 100 or more
threads to the square inch, but increased
the rate upon all other linen goods to 50
per cent. ad 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 i'm
porting house of J. B. Locke Sc Potts, in
Franklin street, Twas to cause the for
eign manufacturers to change all the
goods which were formerly made Of 9S
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 so 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 % and so cents for the same
quality of goods which, under the tariff
of 1888. could have been bought for 1872
and 3715 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 % per cent, which means
that 3715 cent towel is now sold for 90
cents"
This article Of universal domestic use
is not imported, the entire market BE-
ing controlled by domestic manufac-
turers. The prices, however, are af-
fected by the tariff on raw wool, which
leads to considerable depression i'll the
quality of blankets ut popular prices. The
best blankets in the world are made in
California, but they obtain the best
price, being sold as high as $50 pair.
But blankets are offered In retail shops
at all prices. from $50 pair down to 65
cents, the wool gradually growing light
er in weight until it finally disappears
in the blankets below SO pair. which
are made entirely of cotton. The lowest
price at wach wooden blankets can be
purchased is 50 pair, and light weight
at that. If it were not for the tariff ON
wool the American buyer could obtain
for So the quality of blankets now re-
tailed at So, and the same proportion
holds good on all grades and weights up
to the highest priced California blan-
kets.
"In carpets" said member Of a
large Broadway firm, "the process Of
adulteration has been simply frightful.
The American buyer would be surprised
to learn what cheap carpets are made of
cattle hair, goats hair, dogs hair and
even cats hair are in constant use. Will
ton (velvet) carpets are advertised at IL
per yard laid, which, deducting 10 cents
for the making and laying, would be so
cents per yard. Now the Mckinley duty
on Wilton carpets is 60 cents per square
yard and 40 per cent. ad valorem in adj
dition. As the duty exceeds the price
of the article, it affords the most con-
elusive evidence that the Wiltons offered
at 81 are adulterated to meet the prices
of the retail dealers.
"tThe same is true of Brussels carpets
sold at 90 to 70 cents per yard, although
the Mckinley duty is % cents per square
yard and in addition thereto 40 per cent.
ad valorem, which simply means that
American buyers at such prices are pay
ing for something even worse than shod-
dy, when they could get pure wool car
pets at the same prices if the Mckinley
tax were repealed. New York~Times.
The Repeal Of the State Bank Tax.