New-York tribune., 1892-10-19

could say to you would be May God have mercy m NM
America and not England or Germany. We we"S So,ss =
propose to have women htched up with donkeys ,ai
little children made to work in our factories at stsr
ton wages to eke out the slender Income Of tSs
receive wages which will enable them 30 su snal
themselves, their wives and their children decent,rs
give them change to acquire little homes. fiji then
them and theirs chance to step up little hieh.s
n the social scale This Is what protection mssas ssst
and free trade mean rctrogresson hopelessness IN,
wages and despair" NV
GROWTH OF The LACE CURTAIN INDUSTRY
WHAT THE MKrNLEY ACT HAS DONE FOR rFv
FACTORY. THE EMpLoYE AND THE
CONSUMER
Democrats cannot say that the protective nnn h,,
not built up the lace and lace curtain industry H.
country, from two small factories to an exteu
sivs and thriving industry. And what Is mora fha
outlook for the industry, II the tariff fixed in ths
Mckinley act is let alone for WHILE dealers and thoss
who are In a position to know say is bright th,a
within two years from there will not be anybody
on the other side Of the water who will be able a
send the finest grades here for sale At the present
time the lower and medium grades OF lace curtains
used here are, to a great extent, manufactured 1,
America. and dealers say that 1t will only require
little time. with the present amount Of proeo
ton, for them to be able to make and sell lace snA
lace curtains Of all grades
Democrats have also argued that the Mckinley duty
placed on lace and lace curtains would increase In
price Of lace articles, but manufacturers and deae
declare that 1t has acted just the other way, and
that prices from IS 25 per cent cheaper today
than they were before the Mckinley law passed
Consequently, 1t Is not the few manufacturers who
were making lace before the Mckinley law pesss
who are particularly pleased With the tariff increase
because their profits have been decreased by compe
tltlon, which has been the Of the decrease IN
prices But they all admit that the tariff has built
up the industry from a small to great one, anl
that II is furnishing employment to thousands moN
OF people.
The Wlkesbarre Lace Manufacturing Company Is
corporation has thrived under Protection. Sncs
the passage OF the Mckinley law IL has grown from
factory where two machines were used to Z
great concern where over 500 people employed.
1t Is at present engaged In increasing its plant hs
board OF directors having recently voted to build
spinning mill to cost $250OOO When this building
completed there will be employment for fully 100
more people.
The existence OF the Wilkesbarre Lace Manufactur
ing Company has been rather remarkable. The h.
tory Of the companys increase, as told by j. S. Whit
man. the New York manager of the concern, is as fol.
| lows The company was Incorporated April 1, 1855,
with an authorized capital stock Of 100000 Two
machines were brought from Nottingham, England and
| got into working order They run under grea,
difficulties but the company had competitors and
on February @ 1887 the directors increased the capital
| stock to 100000, when two machines were
added. April IL, 1857 Clarence Whitman, Of New.
York. the present treasurer took the factory In hand
and the firm In Leonardst., Of which he is the head
became the selling agents OF the company. This gave
a new stimulus to the enterprise and soon afterwaN
| the factory enlarged and six new machines
| added Aprfl o3. 1901 there another increase
machines ten new being put In, and the com.
pany found itself In possession OF complete plant st
| Wikesbarre for weaving, bleaching and finishing Lace
| curtains.
"The difficulties which the Wilkesbarre Lace Manu-.
featuring Company have had to contend against eau
be little understood by those unfamiliar with
| the peculiar conditions OF this industry
| said J. 5. Whitman. In the first
place the making Of lace curtains has hitherto been
confined almost entirely to Nottingham, and there
has accordingly centred around that seat Of the IN
dustry innumerable other industries having special
| and mpo tant barring the manufacture OF lace
curtains; and further, Nottingham has reserved, or
has tried TO to herself, all the skilled and
trained help necessary for carrying this industry
In the second place. experiment alone had TO be de-
pended upon to give the knowledge Of the utility
or adaptability OF this that material entering ins
the make OF lace curtains. considering that In ort9
to prose cute this industry with any show OF prch
| domestic raw materials had to b. used We have
had to look to Nottin CHAM. or rather We had TO- "
TO a year ago. for supply Of skilled veavers sN
| the fact that no curtain machines made hers
and that there no one here with any knowlass
Of the construction OF these machines. necesSiaM
| our having TO depend also upon nottingham for eI'
pert mechanics, who had had long and especial ex
perience in the fitting of lace curtain machines
While H. many cases, before the passage Of the NO
Kiney law, were able TO get good hands,
has proved here. in Nottingham that they are IN
stable and In many instances see better opportunies
opening after they come out to this country, 50
we're never able TO rely upon the workmen who have
| come to us from England But the Mckinley law
has made room for many factories that skilled
workmen can now be found in this country. Tas
Industry has been injured in Nottingham BY the Nc.
Klney tariff. and many Nottingham workmen "a"
come here 10 seek employment. :.
nottingham manufacturers thought We wotne
never be able to educate our help. but We have sue
ceeded and today the snpsrin'endsnt OF our MIL -.
American. AS time goes on the American mechanic
make Improvements on the maehneTy and bsS ns /,
Englishmen have In the way of appliances and In
In Nottingham there are great many smss
holders of machines and 1t Is these small manufactu
| rers whom We cannot compete with They make tss
finest kind Of curtains. and rather than have tna,
| machines idle, they willing to run them at ~
absurdly small margin OF profit These are the peopss
particularly sought out by most Of our large ioresa
buyers In this way they able to se; confnS e:
patterns and prices which 1t Is not possible er
| 10 meet under the present condition OF thins,.
we are learning all the hmei ana .,,,s.i si
therefore essening expenses by all the economcn
arrangements We can think Of. Prices. OF course ~
down in consequence. Instead Of the tariff increasing
the price 1t builds up industries here compe lion E t
| suits and prices go down. However II Is our sas I'm
SO to organize mill that We shall be able. WIN "
| special advantages coming from our new spinning
| plant TO undertake the manufacture Of the hhss
| grades and shall make just as line curtains "
lime as are made in Nottingham. II the demand jstna
| IT, our biggest development has been since tns
Mckinley Tariff law passed. and when we get ou
own spinning plant up shall be- In better posluVo
| 10 compete with the small holders OF machines u
| Nottingham . .,. 4,
| "The lace curtain machine as yet Is not made u
| this country The machine Is very compncavN
niece of construction. and while In the mere runnus
OF 1t any one who had worked at cotton, loom mlsa
attend To the process OF weaving the breaks ana coz
slant casualties. the getting out OF gear. ana ss M
| delcacy OF the machine. make II important that ns
! weaver should not simply understand the process y
weaving but thoroughly comprehend the makeup
a machine and be able TO trace ana remedy Lss Mss
1 when n occurs, And until the macnlns
or parts Of the machines are made nss
| we cannot hope to run lace-curfain machine
soisfaciorily in this country II the machines VeN