The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-10
SOME FREE TRADE LYING
Manufacturing Firms Den0unceas False
the Statements ola Democratic Organ.
In None of the Cases II Cited Has q Reduction
in Wages Been Caused by the Mckinley
Bill-Letters from Manufacturers.

On the 2Sth day of December the Even Z
ing News, of this city. contained an edi.
toriaI three-fourshs of column in length
bearing the headline. More Tariff Ter
giversstion." In this article the News
quotes from the Journal that they 1.-THE Re-
publcans
Did promise that the then existing high rate OF
wages, at least 75 per cent. higher in all the in
dustries than in England, would be maintained
under protection. and that 1t could not be done
under policy which put the American wage
Garner on the same plane as the wage-earner OF
Europe. The prediction has been fulfilled.
The News. continuing. says Here are
some specimens of the way 1t has heen full
filled. This is in 1901. since the Mckinley
law went into effect" and gives o list of
I various manufactures in which wages
have been reduced or men thrown out of
work because they would not accept re-
duction of wages.
Il have taken the trouble" remarked
member of large foundry firm of this city.
ito write to q number of the firms named
in the News. aud here are the answers" =.
The reporter looked them over, and was
permitted to make such extracts as be
chose.
From the Potts Bros. Iron Conn any, Potts
town Pa, Jan. I've this d ay reduce wages
of puddlers per cent. being the first change
made since March /. 1891. The Mckinley
bill has nothing to do with it. If natural
gas had not petered out in so many dis
| tricts there would now doubtless BIO fair
| demand for wrought pipe. AS demand is
| not great, and competition very active. If
| Wa wish to continue making sheared skelp.
our sole product, we must quote low
price. Our men are aware of the situation,
| and accept the situation without q muir.
muir. knowing 1t will be- restored to them
| when business revives. We have not lost
! orders. Under Democratic rule quite the
! reverse of this might have been the result.
From the K. IL u. Brooke Iron Company,
| Birdsboro. Pa, Jan. /, ls92.-We are sur
prised to learn that SO small q matter as
our strike of February last. and one we had
forgotten. has been revived by a free-trade'
| organ for the purpose of making a little
| capital ont of it. Our stop was of short
duration and adjusted satisfactorily to both
/ parties. We. as well as O very large ma
| jority of our employees, are warm friends of
| the Mckinley BILL and the era of prosperity
| upon which we are about entering is largely
due to the bountiful crops with which we
| are blessed and the protection thrown
| around our Industries by the Mckinley bill
We hope to continue running
steadily, unless the Democratic majority in
Congress live mp to the record of their
party by tinkering with the business of
| the country.
Of the Buckeye mower and reaper works.
| Akron, o., the News more ancient history
reports 2 reduction of from 80 TO 60 per
cent. OF Feb. g. 1891 The answer to this,
dated Jan. Q. 1892. says: We have made no
| such heavy reductions. and what little
| changes we have made in the wages have
disturbed our men bnt little. Our factory
1 is run entirely on piece-work. Owing to
| this little inequalities may arise from time
| TO time. 1t was only 20 adjust these in
| capabilities that we made q few changes in
/ our prices when We started our factory last
| fall The Mckinley lay cut no figure ut all
| as a cause for these changes.
| From the Harrisburg Rolling Mill Com
| pany. Jan. 1. 1S92.-We are much surprised
at the statement, as We have no labor
| trouble at all.
| 1t was of this establishment that the
| News told the fairy tale that IL had shut
| down indefinitely.
From the Reading Iron Company, Jan. 2.
| 1s92.-We know nothing of the publication
| of statement that We had reduced wages
during the past year at our works, owing
| to the Mckinley law.
| LOf this mill the News published the
statement that two thousand employ s
were told that reduction would be made
April l, 1891. Not only ancient history, but
| incorrect it seems.
Of the Sturtevant blower-works, ia
maica Plain Station, Boston. the News
| cent" The b. 4. Sturtevant company re-
plies, Jan. 9, 1892: 1--WE have never made
| any general reduction in wages. A year
ago we readjusted some of the prices with
| nine of our piece-works This Is
| the only circumstance that could have
called forth any such report. In relation
to the Mckinley bill We heartily indorse
| every provision
OF the Lebigh Iron Company, Allentown,
| Pa. the News notes: "A reduction of 10 per
| cent. was made on March 10 (lS9l.p The
Lehigh Iron Company says for itself, en-
der date of Jan. 2. 1892: THE state
ment 10 wholly without foundation.
| The wages we are now paying are
| 20 to 80 per cent. higher than we PAID in
| 1886. under the operations of the former
| tariff act Had the Mills bill. become law
| We would have been obliged In our opinion.
| TO have either closed our works or reduc ed
| wages. not so much from its immediate of
feet upon us as upon those who use our
| product"
The product of this company is pig-iron
| and the effect of low tariff or no tariff
upon that product would be most dis
astrous and far-reaching in its conse-
| quences
OF course, anything with the name of
Carnegie attached is highly inflammatory to
the News 1t goes for the Homestead iroI.-
works. Carnegie. Phipps x Co.. Pittsburg.
with the statement that they have red uced
| 10 per cent" That company replies on
Jan. ]. 1892: THE wages of labor in the
| Homestead steel works are regulated By q
aiding scale. which went into operation
\ fwo and n half yaara aOo And w,ll ax M -