Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-09-15
TRUSTS VS.. LABOR.
HOW LABOR Is CRUSHED THAT
PRICES MAY BE ADVANCED.

sure rroHts TO owners OF Idle Mills.
The following from the speech of SEN
ator Vest of July 20, and printed in The
Congressional Record of July 81, is good
evidence Of the effects of trusts, COM
bines, etc., upon labor. In previous
speech the senator had printed the list
OF 100 tariff trusts" rs prepared by Hon.
John De Witt Warner for the New York
World. As written there the main OBJ
ject was to show that tariffs foster trusts
and that trusts invariably advance prices
or at least retRtd their natural decline.
The object of the new matter introduced
by Senator Vest is to show that trusts by
keeping mills idle throw men out of en-
ployment and by increasing the number
Of competitors for each job of work tend
to lower wages:
"Cordage Trust Gncluding binding
Irvine, cables, rope, Irvine, etc. Tariff:
Binding Irvine, Z cent per pound; other
Irvine, 21s cents per pound; hemp cables
and cordage, ~ cents per pound; other
cables and cordage, ~ cents.
"The Cordage trust, which was formed
in October, 1857, furnishes good illus
tration of the way in which trusts affect
labor. AS the trust gained control of
more factories it not only was enabled
to limit production and advance prices,
but had power to dictate terms to its
employees. It was not until 1890, when
the trust was reorganized and when it
secured control Of eleven cordage fac
tories in Canada, that its power over pro-
| DIM In1N
Aside from the maintaining of high
prices, which Of itself limits the use of
cordage and therefore the demand for
labor, the present condition of the mills
owned and controlled by the trusts is
sufficient evidence Of the devastating ef-
fects upon production and labor Of this
trust, which has the following record Of
lockouts and wage reductions in order
to insure sufficient profit at the mills,
kept running to pay dividends to the
owners of the rest thus hired to stay idle.
On an average it takes about 100 en-
ployees to attend to 100 spindles; these,
in the binder Irvine mills, are mostly
girls, and in cordage and Irvine mills
mostly boys and men:
Tucker & Carter Cordage company, Brook
lyn, 600 spindles. Not running full, but little
of time; averages perhaps 900 spindles.
L. Waterbury g. Co., Brooklyn, 700 or 800
spindles. Running most of time.
| William Wallis Sons, Brooklyn, 400 or 800
spindles. Entirely shut down in May, 1892, and
| part Of all the time.
Elizabeth Cordage company, New Jersey,
600 spindles. Burned out in 1891 and not since
rebuilt.
George G. Pooley g. Sons, Buffalo, 80 SPIN
dies. Closed part of the time.
| Xenia Irvine and COrdage company, Ohio,
$50 spindles. Probably running most of the
| time.
1. Rinek's Sons, Easton, Pa, rs spindles.
Probably running regularly.
Akron Irvine and Cordage company, Akron,
O., 80 spindles. Recently resold to former
owner; not now in the trust
| Victoria Cordage company, Dayton, KY, 100
spindles. Probably running regularly.
| H. r. Lewis & Co., Philadelphia, 90 or 80 spin
dies. Has been shut down some time.
Baumgardner, Woodward & Co., Philadel-
phia, 30 spindles. Was dismantled by trust.
New York Cordage company, New York, IS
spindles. Was dismantled by trust.
! Atlas Cordage company, New Oorleans, 90
| spindles. Was dismantled by trust.
Randall, Goodale q Co.. Boston, so spindles
| Has been shut down for some time.
| Sweall g. Day Cordage company, Boston, 500
spindles. Probably running regularly.
Boston Cordage company, Boston, 700 spin
dies Not running; closed more than one
month AGO.
Standard Cordage company. Boston. roo
spindIes. Not running; closed more than one
month ago.
Day Cordage company. Cambridge Mass W
sp William Dsering e g e. 'f1 Cbicsoo ao snin-
dies. Probably running regularly.
Field Cordage company, xenia, O.. 100 spin
DIES es;. Ulo s re D,e, acoua.o
nanv' Ohio. 20 spindles. Closed three weeks a
ago.
Galveston Rope and Irvine company, Texas,
s spfns Cordsne comuanu BOSTON an sn;n-
dies. Running regularly.
Peru mills. Indiana, 40 spindles. Dismantled
by trust p,,
TX snindles Closed Indefinitely three weeks week.,
ago.
Middletown Twine company, onio' LOU spin
ui nhio rordage cor3nanv xen,a q I'm amin.
dies. Closed July e.
New Bedford Cordage company, Massachu-
sets, Soo splna,es' no. iuHnnns since S"ne !.
a, a"I Pmun; h,op' "As' ~" ppm
Peoria Cordage company, Indiana, 100 spin
dies. Running
American Ma am a soagging, compa-