The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-08

Goods. They detest. foolishly and ignor-
antly, all domestic woolens and wors-
feds, and tailors humor this caprice by
selling them goods which even m ex-
pert cadnot tell from genuine impor.
led article What these customers call
for are imported goods. They are salts
fed simply to have it stated that they
are imported and get, nine times out OF
ten, domestic goods. But they are
never the wiser for the deception prac.
ticed upon Man. These goods are solo
by the mills from rs cents to 81 90 a
yard cheaper than the English goods,
duty paid. sometimes the jobber sells
the goods strictly on their merits, aud
again he may put London ticket on
them, which, Of course, sells them at
once
The high standard Of goods made
hero in Rockville may be exceptional.
The Globe mills, OF Utica, probably
turn out as fine product. In England
the high grades OF goods made at Hud-
dersfield are more in the same line, but
at present there is but little competi-
ton with them. The competition with
English goods is more confined to Brad
ford than to Huddersfield. In Brad
ford worsted, inferior in quality to the
Rockville make, are even now coming
here in great quantities. shoddy IS
used in them extensively, and even with
a high duty upon them, they are sold at
surprisingly low figures. To maintain
any foothold in the United States it
was necessary for the Bradford manu-
facturers to cheaper the quality OF their
goods and to reduce the wages paid.
Since the Mckinley bill passed wages
have been reduced II per cent. by the
English manufacturers. ] was told by
a Rockville manufacturer that he had
lust received a letter from Bradford say
Ing that there had been four large fail
ures there in the last six months. Not
one OF them was for less than $25O,OOO,
and ono amounted to over 81 100000.
Before General Harrison was elected
the wooden business all over the
country was terribly depressed, and
even in Rockville, where the custom IS
OF superior kind, some OF the mills
for months were running on half-time.
If the Mckinley bill had not been
passed the depression would have
caused as many failures on this side. as
have occurred in England, But that
bill has brought about most wonder
full change. The Rockville mills are
now running on full time, sixty hours
q week. They are filled to overlooking
with orders, and even at this early
stage OF the season, three weeks after
they had began to show their samples
for the trade next summer, the capacity
OF the mills, for year in advance, has
been taxed to the utmost Further
orders are declined, and none but regu-
lar customers can be supplied. Only
last week twenty.six new looms were
put in one of the mills, and improve
ments and additions are constantly
making. The American output has
nearly doubled. More wool is being
used than ever before, and never in the
history OF the manufacture OF woolens
in this country has there been such a
heavy demand for American goods. 1t
is estimated that business to the extent
of S4,0O0,0O0 will be done by the ROCK
vile mills.
ENGLISH COMING OVER.
The prosperity in this country and
the depression in England, If continued,
will probably bring about the settlement
in Rockville OF several OF the largest
English manufacturers OF fine worsteds.
In fact, the firm Of Lodge d Sons, OF
Huddersfield, whose goods are the finest
in England, now have the refusal OF a
mill site in Rockville. Whether they
come or not is contingent upon the
election OF President Harrison. One OF
the members OF the firm has practically
abandoned his business, and has been
employed in one Of the mills here for
some time as designer OF styles. lie
said that the "blamed Mckinley tariff"
had ruined the trade of their firm. The
only thing for them to do was to come
to America. OF course, he understands
as we'll us his partners, that they will
have to nay double the wages here that
they pay In England, and they are will
ing to do so. They will start in Rock
vile on account OF the skilled labor that
can DO found there.
had short talk with weaver. He
said that there was no question about
the increased earnings OF the opera
tiyes. The prices were all made by the
manufacturers. There was no union to
amount to anything, he added, in Rock
vile. The workmen preferred to deal
individually with their employers.
Most OF them own their little homes
and prefer to remain as they are. All
work is paid by the piece or cut, OF
cloth OF sixty yards. In Bradford a
woman weaver gets 81 %, or trile
over cents yard for weaving piece
of cloth sixty picks or threads to the
inch. In Rockville the. same kind OF
work done by n man brings II cents o
yard, ESQ 90 for the piece. The woman
weaver in Rockville is paid the same as
the man. The weekly wages here are
about double what are paid in England.
The following comparison is given:
WAGES OF wEAvERs
England America
Weavers (meu) .."....".."..s6 to 50 W s9tO Gil
Weavers Jwomcnl.,...,,...... 2 to 250 60 Z
Weayen (girlsl ....."...'. ~ DO
In England the working day is ten
hours. In Germany q working day is
twelve hours. 1t Is understood that
this difference in time enables the Ger
man manufacturer to sell wooden yarn
in England more cheaply than it can
be made at Bradford. So free trade
England is learning what it is to COM
pete with cheap labor, and the manu-
facturers as we'll as the operatives do
not take kindly to the competition.
Can the free traders OF this country con-
tinue to argue that the adoption Of
their pet measure cannot effect wages
here? Would not free trade have the
effect Of flooding this country with the
wooden products OF Bradford? As 1t is,
that city finds its principal
market In this country. II it