New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-23
IRON A srArr CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBrNE.l
ROCHESTER


Rochester, Aug. 22.-Whcn the Mckinley IarlH
act in 1890 increased the duties ON the higher
Grades of worsted goods for mems clothing and in
a less degree on lower grades of the some KIND OF
goods. predictions made by Democratic ora
TORS and Democratic newspapers that the American
consumer would Ike compelled TO pay Ear higher
mice The prophecy was also made that tue man
ufscturers of ready made clothing would find II nee
essary to advance the price Of their goods ana re-
duce the wages of their hands As the re;soN-
clothing industry is the greatest rochester pos
scsscs this question has been closely studied mere
Can't Of the population of l44,534 credited to the
ATTY by the State census of the present year, 5000
uersons are employed in the king OF clothing
New-YOrk aud Philadelphia alene surpass Rochester
in the number of persons employed In the ready
made clothing industry but, OF course larger pro-
norton of the residents here engaged in the
business than in the two larger cities The predlc'
ton therefore, In 500, that the price Of ready
made clothing might be advanced through the OPP
peratOn of the Mckinley act excited much talk IN
fochetrr. because it was believed that II 1t were
fulfilled the business of the city might diminish.
Two years have passed and now 1t is p'Ssinl"
n learn what has been the effect of the larlH
oct upon the clothing industry. The results
were explained today by Max Bric<ner president
of the Chamber Of Commerce. of Rochester, ana
q member of the Vile d Brickner Company
one of the largest clothing Manufacturing CUT
porations in the cily. We are selling ready
made clothing, both that made from ioreigh
Goods and that made from domestic GOODS, AT 'lc
came price as before the Mckinley act was passed.
The same statement would also be made py
every other manufacturer of clothing iii Koch
ester The consumer, therefore, docs not pay
a cent more for the clothing which ne wears
OF course am speaking of ready made cio'iiihs
that worn by millions Of Americans. sina'i
percentage of Americans who buy costly foreign
goods TO whom it is a matter of indifference
whether they pay $15 or 500 for snit maze 10
or6er. may pay more for their clothing. But
they form only small proportion Oh VI" Pop
ticn."
Mr.. Brickner, in proof of his statement, eX-
bibited to me q price list of the clothing made
by his firm in $780, and another just issued.
This list contained the prices OF fifty articles OF
clothing of various grades. In every case the
price of the article of clothing, whether coat
waistcoat or pantalooDs was the same d, III
1890 The price Of some foreign goods whlch
we use in making our clothing continued MI
Rriclzner. us higher in market, but the increass'
desnite the tariff. is so slight tnat we bear the
oss and our customers do not know of IT.. his
nroves of course that the foreigners have re-
duced the price of their goods 10 importers lot
the purpose of jumping over the tarlf ana get
ting into market. As an instance Vi our
dsrccard Of the increased price of some foreign
goods take Italian cloth, which we use for hnlns
cIotbinr In making $40 suits we only use hve
cents worth more of the cloth, and OF course we
do NOT increase the price of our goods to $40 10
hocausc Of TINT increase We buy worscd goods
in Fa,rope at a cost to us now, when landed IN
Rochester Of 81 a yard, for which we used 10
nav 81 90 But il only takes a yard ana uree-
quarters Of that cloth TO make 4 cat ana wadSt
coat That makes the additional cost OF inc
cloth seventeen and one-haf cents. We pay tiat
seventeen and onc-half cents and do not increase
the price of the clothing TO the consumer. Tie
gets his coat and waistcoat at the sane Price as
before. We thus sell ifty-fve styles OF clothihs
made up of foreign worsted goods al pr'cise"
tho same prices as before the Mckinley act was
passed"
Some Democratic partisans are declaring that
LARGO amount Of shoddy has been put In the
,,,.,st.ds. ia that trnc?" 1t l. not true, re-
nHod Mr. Rrickncr. for these foreign manuiac'-
rrors understand that we would detect the trick,
II they were thus attempting TO sw1ndle us. No.
7 think they have maintained the quality OF theIr
goods bv cutting down the waee> OF ther WORKING
mon weaver in England can only make ABOUT
SIS a month, while in this country weaver
earns from $40 to $45 month mat IL WHY ueS
49,, r,o,o worsted goods 80 cheapy; and why IT
l. necessary to maintain the present tariff dntN II
,,o GRO n have protection for the American manu-
facturer of worsted goods and offer inducemeh's
for our manufacturers TO engage IN that KIM U.
manufacture We enormous QUANTITIES Va
Amerjcan-madc cloth II the tariff Is maintained
we shall eventually manufacture in TINS country
all the cloth we need
what was the total amount OF wages you
Maid IN YOUR hands in 1901 ?" we pald ollo'-
700 in wages to our hands; and 40 not P'e III
that amount what we paid TO our men IN THIS
counting-room nor to our statesmen we SOU
Goods in the course of the year which Drough' ns
in 500 600. 1t is thus obvious that 80 Is per
conf of tbe cost of clothing " the cost OF Tue Idooi
used in making it, Cutters MAKE Oh ,lic Iii
$50 week, and our other haiue aie vd",S ,r;ii
Maid II YOU will 90 about Rochester MI Nou VII, VIZ
RnT +bot The hands are well housed. There are
h hmt fe,~ tenement houses here. large proper,
ton Of our hands own their OWL OWL r"">''' ""'
they have large savings bank deposits ..o
About ,0 wGst r Is iHe "'" About oooooo
And what is the wa value sea Of n yHs about S 81
600 900 worth the present year. mat - -,
100000 more than we made IN Nv WA" dnos ~,
Mckinley act passed so thar the acS rt tbe
seem 10 have harmed our ""'i"'' ~
consumers of our clothing ,o.;on oood.
What about the price Of the America, aoo ors
which Won use in making clothing = w: az
not paying any more ior .;n,cres than we did
cassimeIcs and union ca''i'''''
in 1890" A.. .oos of vour hands
ance the Mckinley act was passed We NV.
S ~, bn,, ON the contrary have increased wages
~ chr hands in individual cases M1reover, 9 t1,a
hands have constant employment 1X c T clothing
manufactory in Rochester, believe, az .ne p'''-
emit time H. in prosperous condition.