West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-09-22
WAGES Low, PRICES HIGH.
Senator Cariisis Discusses tho Report q
Retail Prices and Wages.


Senator CariIsis Discusses tho Report on
Retail Prices and Wages.
Tho senate committee on finance has
just published Al part OF its report on
prices and wages to show the offect OF
the Mckinley tariff net upoa industry.
Senator Carlisle was on this committee
and took occasion during his speech of
July % to draw some conclusions from
the statistics obtained. Heshowed that
the tariff act of 1890 had interfered with
the natural tendency TO decline in the
prices of commodities and to rise I'm
the rates OF wages. and that il made IL
harder and more expensive for the
MASSES of tho people Of tho United
States To live. He showed that the prices
of commodities in the United States
(whether 10y Wholesale or retail) had
been enormously increased 10y the pas
sage of the Mckinley act, and 10y the
agitation which bad preceded it. and
that the cost of living in the United
States Ind increased during the period
covered 10y the investigation more than
$2S5, ,0O0,O00 He showed in the second
place that the rates Of wages in fifteen
unprotected industries in the United
States had increased during the period
covered 10y tho investigation. while the
rates of wages in fifteen Of the hi shly
protected industries in the United States
had fallen since the passage of the Nc
Kinlcy act. The fifteen general occu-
pations in the unprotected industries
were bakers, blacksmitlss. bricklayers.
cabinet makers. carpenters, common
laborers, farm laborers. machinists. ma
sons, iron molders. painters. plumbers.
stonecuttcrs, tailors and tinsmiths.
The average increase of wages i'm these
occupations had been 75-l00 Of per
cent. The fifteen highly protected oc-
cupations were bar iron. boots and shoes.
cotton goods. cotton aud woolcn goods.
cruCible steel, flint glass. green glass.
lumber, machinery, pig iron, steel ingots,
steel blooms, steel rails. window glass
and wooden goods. In these occupations
the rates Of wages had fallen (sincc the
Mckinley act) an average Of S0-IO0 of
per cent, as against rise Of 15-I0O OF
per cent. in the fifteen unprotected i'm
dustries.
Mr. Carlisle then went into n detailed
statement as To the cost Of imported
goods and as to tin plate. On the latter
point he quoted Mr.. Aldrich as saying
that the people Of the United States had
paid tn the Welsh tin plate manufactur-
ers in 1891 IS cents per box more than
they had been paying before that time.
That was undoubtedly too true. The
Mckinley act had been bonanza to tho
Welsh tin plate manufacturers. 1t had
enabled them to take from the people OF
the United States many millious over
and above their normal profits. The
Mckinley act had paid, not to the inn
Il, porter, not to the government, not TO the
dealers, but directly to the Welsh tin
plate manufacturers $i.6a9. 80. or more
than half the value Of the plant of the
sos tin plate works Of Wales. The Nc
Kinley act as to tin plate had proved TO
be, not for the benefit of the American
! consumer, Lut of the Welsh manufac-
turcrs.
In his closing remarks he exhibited
| two samples Of woolen goods exactly
| alike, except ~ TO color, manufactured
IN Canada. Canada, he said, was "A pro-
! tccted country. but admitted wool free
| of duty. These specimens sold i'm Can
ada for 22i cents II pound. but could not
be made in the United States for less
than 40 cents. This showed what our
manufacturers could do il they were
! given free wool to work with.