The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-10-01
ADVANCES IN WAGES,
INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THEY
ARE REDUCTIONS INSTEAD.


ARE REDUCTIONS INSTEAD.
An Infant Industry of the Mckinley
Protective Tarifites, Which Consists of
Manufacturing Campaign Material Out
of the Whole Cloth.
The Tariff Reform club has compiled
list of about 500 wage reductions which
have occurred in protected industries
since the Mckinley tariff act began to
boom business and raise wages. The
protectionists last spring thought it
time to begin to demonstrate the good
effect upon wages of their panacea for
all ills and they published what pur-
ported to be list Of twenty-seven pro-
tected firms which have raised wages
since October, 1890. The American
Economist has published this same list
several times and refers to it nearly
every week with pride. 1t has been
copied and recopied in thousands of Re-
publican papers. After Senator Aldrich
and The American Economist had criti-
cised the list of 500 wage reductions be-
cause there appeared to be several repe-
titions of items and because some of the
reductions had occurred in industries
and states where statistics indicated that
on the whole average wages had not de-
clined since 1890, the Reform club con-
cluded to see if the protectionist list was
all genuine.
1t sent man over into Brooklyn to in
quire into the general advance of per
cent. credited to the Kings County Knit
ting company. After long hunt the
firm was located on the top floor of
building in remote part of the city
The employees consisted of three men
and from ten to fifteen girls. The first
person met was the employer, who failed
to remember anything about the said
general advance" until reminded of
The American Economist article. But
even this stimulus to the memory could
not make the three factory girls who
were interviewed recall a time when
their wages had been advanced; they
could, however, easily remember times
when they were earning more than now
The club has since continued its inves-
tigation. 1t sent another man to Oris-
kany Falls, N. Y, where Langley & Da-
Wis had advanced wages 25 and 80 cents
day, SO it was alleged. 1t was learned
that this firm makes skirts for ladies'
dresses and that they employ fifteen
hands-seven weavers, four carders, two
spinheif' one uyei anu one Hiilsher. Inc
poss Weaver > wages we" o advanced last
spring iion % W go oay 10 keep
nl,u rom eoine W o.her .nliis' Inc
o'iioie al hie uopaieiieht-nNe women
anu oi.e iial-were ieouceo iast June
IRON ~ W Genus pc, CUT ior weaving.
,hey were 'nen earning ABOUT u per
uay: .,ioush mel. average lor last WIN
VOL uio loo eAoeeu w ceh's.
Ahe JOSS caruer was also advanced
g. - e. AZ, go ~ .aie 10 SOM iet''on.
- =: VIZ yoon? .u9n ~ us uepai 'llenS
~ AZ 80 80 $50 ."'. 1"ey iium S4oo
~ Pei 80 oeoeuso nc was iiheiy 10
soS wv pms iaVei anu ieayei Tue
sopy .no"Sn0 ~ ue''ei W retain
.L To- - ~ .ae a. 49, WIN 'nen 1nroasn
sno "An'ei "' IN tatnel 'uaii 70 break III
ao LEV 1d H.. -. -; nni s wages were
80 49, M. spne -ieA -, si'oo W @i'so
~ p, uas. 40 Mases VI sne oYael gu
Ply Ply ees nase NV u' .'.neleu rom Mohlh'
~" ~ 49, ou -, ioilaliieu s.asioiary'
I'M M " een.o w .. VI ilioie per oay,
Nv vAnp.1y eos 9iniio' an aiiei-"ichlll-
.1y I,nno ~nen ohey were informed Oh
VIC ~ o..ean il''ei iai .ii'' was oeing
.,'a!ls ~ 10. eApouse' 1ohie Vi
s. ~ euse So Vnao ~ niisn1 oe
soronlo u HenSisy x laws W aterace
,apo " VI - .sAany ans 80 that cheap
s sa oU ~. 20 oo ; =. wnen 'he urn
S O.sS 70 ~. nc. NJ u Jew weeks
t 49, .n'0.es.ns iniol!ia.ioh was Cd
sa.aeI - esa'u " enis Urn ana 'he
.na0o. s'.e usou py ~ pu. ~ would Do
ou' =. piaoe mere even II thefe We're
'p~10 Aoi Az
Two otner nrins Vlsited We're those OF
WILKINS q oiose' ana close @ Chrlstle,
giove inan"tacturers at Mayneid, New
forK. Mr. wilkins SAID that he had
reao tne report tnat wages had been ad-
vanceu iroln 10 10 20 per cent. IN MS
iactory' put that ne did nos know how
sacn q seaoemene haa got into PRINT,
as mere was really no basis for 1t. He
saio tnae they employed ABOUT loo men
anu 10 girls III thelr glove and leather
dressing iactorles' ana that wages were
no hlgner tnan Ior several years prevl-
ous' Iney take on oo or Az new hands
year from the farms round about.
dnese nands are Paad 10 cents a day for
tne nrst month, then u Tor some time,
ana II tney become prohclent their
wages are advanced TO $l.So' MI. vii
kins saia' ihere mas oeen no more ad-
vance TINS year WIN u.s. or anywhere In
tne county tfuiton county, N. T., which
produces two-tnlras OF our glove prod
uct), tnan mas been customary for
seven or eight years. The Mckinley
Dill mas nad no material eifect on bust
ness, r1ye-sixtns Oh our gloves go west,
ana tne demand Tor them depends on