Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-11-04
ANNAPOLIS Md FRIDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER 4, 1899.
DOCTORING FIGURES.
HOW "BOSS" PLATT fixes UP"
TARIFF STATISTICS.

Industries Selected which Have shown
Temporary Improvement. While Those
I'm a Depressed Condition Have Been To-
tally Ignored-The Republican Way.
A Manufacturers National league,
having Mr.. Thomas c. Platt for its guild
ing spirit, has undertaken to REINFORCE
the statistics of Commissioner Peck. In
answer to a circular inquiry of the club,
about 100 manufacturers in New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut have made
statements concerning their business and
payments for wages since the enactment
of the Mckinley tariff. While most of
the correspondents declare that they have
paid ont more money for wages in the
nine months ended Sept. 80, 1892, than
in the corresponding period of 1890 and
1891, there is no pretense of an increase
in the rate of wages. The answers of
one or two of them will indicate the
character of these manufactured statis-
tics: The Ludlow Valve works at Troy.
n. Y, report that there had been no in
crease in the rate of wages, but that
there had been an increase of 8 per cent.
in the payments for labor, because
there is more demand for labor The
Rome Steam Knitting mills report that
the Mckinley tariff has made differ
ence of 10 per cent. in the amount of
money paid cut for wages. In explana-
tion it is stated that the company is
making styles now which it could not
compete with formerly" and, in conse-
quence, it employs more hands. No pre-
tense is made of an advance in the rate
of wages under the Mckinley tariff.
On the other hand, s. Fitch & Sons, of
Rockville, Conn, manufacturers of knit
goods, state that the Mckinley tariff has
not increased their business. George a.
Shepard, of Westport, Conn, in the hat
manufacture, says he pays II 1S per cent.
more for labor than he did, because "as
the importation of hats has decreased
our business has increased" There is no
mention of an increase in the rate of
wages in consequence of this increase of
business. Most of the replies are con-
fined to simple statement of an increase
in the amounts paid for labor in 1892 as
compared with 1890 and 1891.
In the majority of cases the increase
in the payment of wages has been in in
dustries which were not affected in>the
least by the Mckinley tariff Among
these are manufacturers of waterworks
supplies, mining iron ore, shoes, leather.
harness, castings, window shades,
plumbers iron goods, silks, tissue pa
per, wooden boxes, horse cars, agricul-
tural implements, etc.
l,ar - i,i OIL .A1 %
labor statistics is easily explained. AS
no increase in the rates of wages could
be shown, it was necessary to select some
industries in which there had been more
employment of labor by its diversion
from other pursuits. What some indus
tries have lost in the changes in the
methods of production and in the tastes
of consumers others have gained. But
it suited the purpose of the tariff mon
gers to carefully select few branches
of industry that have profited by such
changes or have received a momentary
flip of prosperity through the obstruct-
i've operation of the Mckinley tariff
The numerous industries that can show
no increase of payments for labor have
been kept in the background in this pro-
cess of manufacturing tariff statistics.
Had there been any pretense of an in
crease in the rates of weekly wages in
industries enjoying the especial favor of
McKinleyism the workingmen and wom-
en- would have risen up to give it a
prompt contradiction. All the profit has
gone into the pockets of the protected
manufacturers.
So far from corroborating Commits
sioner Peck's alleged statistics, this Platt
report contradicts it fatty in an import
ant detail. In the summary to Peck s
report the manufacturers of agricultural
implements in New York show de-
crease in the payments of wages. In the
Platt statistics the Washington mills,
manufacturers of agricultural imple-
ments in New York, report an increase
of 33115 per cent. in payments for labor.
There is no doubt that by reason of the
abundant harvests in 1891 and 1892 other
manufacturers of agricultural imple-
ments have also increased their business.
This industry, however, owes nothing
to protection. Many manufacturers of
agricultural implements, notably NJ. d..
Harter, of Mansfield, o., and A. B. Far
quhar, of York, Pa, are ardent advo-
Gates of tariff reform. Philadelphia
Record.