Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-12
CARPETS In AMERICA.
4 Plain Illustration of the Success
of McKinley's Tariff
THE PRICES REDUCED SINCE 1890.
New Mills in Operation as Result Of the
Republican Policy.
HOW CLEVELAND INJURED THE TRADE

O little creek wnlcn WanQere down from tne
highlands overlooking the valley of the
Mohawk at this place, and after running
sthwsrt the lower part of the city, flows
into the river. Tbronging the sides of this
small stream in its descent from the hilltop,
are scores of factories Chief among them,
high in the air and commanding view OF
the city, are the large carpet mills of S.
Sanford & Sons
The carpet mills are Amsterdam's pride.
They were first started here in 1910 by
John Sanford, father of Stephen Sanford,
the present head of the firm, with IA ma
chimes and % hands The pay roll was in
significant Under the benefcent opera
tions of the protective system, mill after
mill has been added until there are now en-
ployed about $500 persons, who receive in
wages $3.50, yearly, and manufacture
carpets worth several millions of dollars.
There was suffering among the operatives
of the carpet mills at the time of MI. Cleve-
lands former attack upon the tariff In
1887 and 1888, business fell off and the mills
were only running five days in the week,
and then only on half time. But General
Harrison was elected, and business again
became brisk in the carpet trade.
Work Is Constant Now.
Now, every day, the mills are in opera
tion, and every man and woman employed
in them works all day. Moreover. Mr..
Sanford feels SO much encouraged by the
operation of the Mckinley tariff that he is
now erecting mill for the manufacture of
moquette carpets in which he will employ
1000 persons; and in 1898, he intends to
erect an additional carpet mill for the en-
ployment of 1000 persons The people of
Amsterdam, and especially the tradesmen,
are highly pleased that 2, 500 persons are
thus to be added to the population of the
place, for it will bring greater prosperity to
all who live within the borders OF the
town.
Has this business success of the carpet
manufacturer and this prosperity of the
working people been gained at the expense
of the purchasers OF carpets? No; for
prices have been lowered. Mr.. Sanford
makes in his mill velvet and tapestry vel
vet carpets, upon which the duty was
raised by the Nick inley tariff act respect
lively from 25 cents to 40 cents yard, and
from 80 per cent to 40 per cent yard; and
tapestry brussels, figured and plain, from 20
cents to % cents and from 80 per cent to 40
per cent a yard Mr. Sanford said: "We
are selling tapestries from 40 to 6215 cents
ward, and velvets from rs cents to 81 Is q
ldIu- SpOu dll tucsc SThuce VI SoOus tucIc
has been a reduction of at least 10 per cent
since the year when the Mckinley act was
passed.
General Reduction in Prices.
'Tn fact, there has been a reduction of
the came percentage upon all grades of
carpets that we sold at 20 cents a yard in
1890. which we are now selling at 621k cents
a yard, a reduction of u cents yard, and
in lima of he ra6n
greater. In nv so years of experience as a
manufacturer of carpets, I have never
known carpets to be as low as they are now;
vet on account of the great demand for
American goods and the volume of sales
our business is satisfactory. What is best
of all we have been enabled to maintain the
wages of our men, despite this reduction in
the price of our goods. Those wages are
no lower than when the Mckinley act
was passed. What is very pleasing is
the absence of English carpets from
our markets; and, indeed, nearly all foreign
carpets. The manufacturers in this coun-
try are able to make all the goods consumed
here. Indeed, they are able to make more
than we need, and it is their competition
this year which has reduced the price of
carpets to the lowest point ever reached In
the history of the carpet trade If the tariff
on carpets be reduced, English carpets
may be, whether 1000, 900 or $5,000,000
worth, it will take just that volume of pro-
duction away from this class of working
people in this country, and force them into
other occupations or else deprive them Of
employment"
''You do not, then," I asked, "favor a
reduction of the duty upon carpets?"
81 do not, and have had an experience
which is worth telling as to the effect of
threat to reduce the tariff. After Mr..
Cleveland sent his message to Congress in
1887, advocating a reduction of the duties
upon manufactured goods, We suffered from
stagnation in our business Merchants who
formerly would give an order for 40 or so
pieces of carpets refrained from doing so,
not knowing what might happen. They
would give orders for five or ten pieces
only. They thus worked along from hand
to mouth, and we were forced TO run our
works on half time.
Result of the Election of 1888.
"When the news of General Harrison's
election came 1 Immediately started our
mills on full time, and have run them in
that way ever since. The average reduction
in the price of carpets since the Mckinley |
act was passed has been 10 per cent What |
a reduction in the price of carpets there has |
been! Ny father sold carpets at So yard |
for which 1 now can obtain only 6215 cents
a yard" /
Mr.. Sanford's workingmen and orking-
women look happy and contented. They |
receive good wages, and many of them have |
saved q competency. Hundreds of them |
own the houses in which they live. Am |
sterdam prides itself upon having q larger |
proportion of herpopulation living in homes |
owned by their occupants than any other |
city in the State. The operatives of the |
mills own large proportion of these build |
ings.
If the increased duty upon carpets is
'ttax, the consumers of carpets in Amster- |
dam are not aware of the fact; and the fol- |
lowers of Mr.. Cleveland in the city ac |
knowledge that in this instance at least, he |
was mistaken. Nor can they see that the |
Mckinley act, so far as carpets are con- /
cerned, has done any harm. Before their |
eyes are hundreds of American workingmen |
and workingwomen employed at good wages
the year round. They know that MI. San
ford intends within a year to give employ
ment to 2, 500 more Americans, and thev are |
aware that the prices of all grades of car
pets manufactured in this city have been
reduced 10 per cent Under these circum-
stances q great many protection Democrats
declare that they intend to sustain the
American tariff policy, which has wonder
fully benefited their town, by voting for
BENJAMIN Harrison for President
HORSFORD'S ACID PHOSPHATE
Relieves the Feeling of Lassitude
So common in midsummer, and imparts vi