West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-10-13
ADVANCES IN WAGES.
INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THEY
ARE REDUCTIONS INSTEAD.

'""' An""stry of the Mckinley
Protective rarinhtc.. which Consists. o,
Manufacturing Cam paIsn Material Out
OF the whole Cloth.
The Tariff Reform club has compiled
a list of about 500 wage reductions which
have occurred in protected industries
since the Mckinley tariff act began 10
boom business and raise wages. Tho
protectionists last spring thought il
time TO begin 20 demonstrate tie good
effect upon wages Of their panacea for
all ills and they published what pur.
ported to be n list OF twenty-seven pro.
tectod firms which have raised wages
since October. 1900. The American
Economist has published this same list
several times and refers TO il nearly
every week with pride. Ii has been
copied and recopied in thousands of Re.
publican papers. After Senator Aldricb
and The American Economist had criti.
cised the list of 500 wage reductions be.
cause there appeared to be several repe.
utions 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.
Ii sent man over into Brooklyn to in.
quire into the general advance of o per
cent. credited TO tho Kings County Knit.
ting company. After long hunt the
firm was located on the ton floor az n
building in remote part OF the city.
The employees consisted OF three men
and from ten TO fifteen girls. The first
person met wns the employer, who failed
TO remember anything about tho sai,
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 time when
their wages had been advanced; they
could, however, easily remember times
when they We're earning more than now.
Tho club has since continued its inves.
tigation. 1t sent another man TO Oris.
kany Falls, \. Y, where Langley & Da-
Wis had advanced wages 25 and so cents
day, so 1t was alleged. 1t was learned
that this firm makes skirts for ladies'
dresses and that they employ fifteen
hands-seven weavers, four carders, two
spinnera, one dyer and one finisher. The
boss viewers wages were advanced last
spring from 81 to S2.25 day to keen
him from going 10 other mills. Tho
others IN his departmental women
and one man-were reduced last June
from Al 10 4 cents per cut for weaving.
They were then earning about 81 Der
day, though their average for last win
ter did not exceed 60 cents.
h.a l...~4 l..
from So TO S@25 Tor the same reason.
One OF the Young men in his department
had his wages raised last May from 81. so
20 s. per week because ho was likely 10
yet the "sprin2 fever" and leave: the
company thought it better to retain "A
man who had bcel with them through
the winter at SJ Father than to break in
new man. The fnishers' wages were
reduced last spring from Ei.50 TO 81. .25
per day. The wages OF the other en-
ployecS have not suffered from "McKin-
ley advance, but remained stationary.
from 30 cents TO 81 or moro per day.
The employees smiled an anti-McKin-
ley smile when they were informed of
the Republican material that was being
supplied at their expense. Some OF
them suggested that it might he n
scheme OF Langley e Davis TO attract
laborers TO Oriskany Falls, so that cheap
labor could be obtained when the firm
starts it's new mill in a few weeks
Other interesting Information was OBJ.
tained in regard TO this firm and tho
materials used by it, but it would bo
out Of place here, even if there were
space for II.
Two other firms visited were those of
wilkins q Close, and Close & Christie.
glove manufacturers at Mayfeld. New
York. Mr.. wilkins said that he had
read the report that wages had been nd.
vanced from IS 10 % per cent. In his
factory, but that he did not know how
such "A statement had got into print.
M there was really no basis for il. He
said that they employed about 100 men
and % girls in their glove ana leather
dressing factories, and that wages were
no higher than for several years prcvi-
ous. They take on 30 or 40 new hands
year from the farms round about
These hands are paid IS cents a day for
the first month. then 81 for some time.
and II thoy become proficient their
wages are advanced 10 81 %. Mr.. VIII
kins said: There has been no more adj
vance this year with us, or anywhere In
the county Fulton county, n. Y, which
produces two-thirds OF our glove proc
uct), than has been customary for
seven or eight years. The Mckinley
bill has had no material effect on bust
ness. Fiye-sixths Of our gloves 20 west,
and tho demand for them depends on
the crops and the weather A warm
winter and short crops will lower wages.
and y cold winter aud good crops viii
raise them slightly"
The situation at the factory Of Close &
Christie just across the street was about
the same. The gloves made by bot
these firms are mostly heavy, cheap, M
lined gloves, sold largely in the west 60
harvesters, drivers. etc. No similar
gloves are made or used to any extent in
any other country, and there is abso-
solutely no competition from abroad and
therefore no protection 90 this industry
from any tariff. Close g. Christie employ
forty OF fifty hands. They both admit
ted that there was no foreign competi-
ton IN their line Of goods, but they were
enjoying the notoriety they were getting
through the report Of the alleged wage