West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-11-10
OUR P0CKETKNIVES.
EXTRA DUTY HAS BEEN OBTAINED
EY MISREPRESENTATION.

The Pride OF rrotectionIats-Both the
manufacturers and the Employees Arc
lorcisners-How tho Trust Has Raised
l'riccs and Robbed the Americans.
Perhaps there is no industry Of much
importance that shows the stimulating
effects of NCKinlcyism more than the
manufacture 81 pocket cutlery. And
there Il no industry to which the pro-
tcchonlst can and does point with more
pride. The act Of 1890 increased the
duty from 90 per cent. 10 from 20 To over
100 per cent. II is now the claim OF
ErOtectioniSts, and it is being heralded
FAR and wide, that this industry. which
was dying under 80 per cent stimulus,
has been SO built up 10y Mckinley that
wages have been advanced 10 per cent.
IN three Of the twenty-four factories in
this country. Prices of knives also have
been advanced; but this is Al secondary
matter with protectionists, the essential
idea being TO start new industries here
or To assist old ones by cutting off for
cign competition. If it ever pays orr
government to propagate artificially any
industry this Is probably such an indus
try, anu yet let us analyze little the
cost to tho nation of such an investment
Ind see who are benefited by it.
The pocket cutlery industry, like many
other industries. was established in this
country during the free trade" pel.iod
from 1910 to 1850. at that time more
than half of she employees We're Alner;
cans. Since il became highly protected
and began torely upon governmental aid
rather than meritorious goods for sue
Tess the industry has been unsteady.
and since about 1870 has had tho blues.
Ike man who II Ill the habit of talsin,
stimulants TO keep up his spirits viii
Fave when he is unable TO obtain the
ever larger doses which his unnatural
appetite Graves Wages have been re-
auced often In this industry. and ONLY
Tour or i've years ago reductions Of
HDOut 20 per cent. were made in most If
the shops. Partly because of the low
wages, and partly because they were
driven out by the English and German
workmen who We're imported 10 keen
wages down, the skilled American work
men have left this business. until today
out Of the AGO or / 800 workers in the
twenty-foUr establishments Gnostly
small ones which make Ioclict cutlery.
T.
mans, and 100 or 100 are Americans
the latter being mostly boys and girls
not DONG skilled work and earning only
from 90 cents to 81 per day. The Ameri-
cans have but little prospect of better
ing their condition, for the foreigners
now have monopoly of this industry
by means Of their DEMONSTRATING Knife
Makers union. subdividcd into For..ers
and Grinders and Finishers' unions.
Ihelr rules practically prohibit any but
English and German from entering auy
except the unSiNlled departments. The
foreigners are mostly from the Sheffield
district IN England aui are undesirable
IS enlSrants; most Of them, il j. said.
can neither read nor write.
As to the manufacturers, they are also
largely English, who advocate plenty of
protection and who have shown thc,n.
selves willing ~ pay for it, In commune.
non with the table cutlery manufacture.
els they kept two men st WASHINGTON
much OF the time for three or four years
previous to the passage Of the MCKINLEY
tirlh act. Their SHARE Of this expeuse
was %IUOO. They row keep man at the
custom house 70 prevent uudervaluations
ana frasA Having secured all they ex.
pccted at Washington they Immediately
ret to work 10 get back the money which
they had invested there. Their associa-
ton held weekly meetings to arrange
prices, and made their first general al.
vance IN October, almost before the Nc
Finley net had taken effect. They hal
paid for their share IF this tariff act and
saw no reason for denying their proprie.
tOrshlp Ia it. Hence some of them bold
Jy announced that because Of the Nc
I-inley bill they had advanced price.
from 10 TO 10 per cent. In January, lsOi
q second general advance was made
] his caused such IL howl from dealers
and the public that the manufacturer
oeasel 60 send cut circulars adyancin
prices all along the line at once. and i.
iee,.d have held monthly meeting. ard
made advances by private lists TO indi.
Nidual dealers. These lists appear regu-
larry, the last being on Aug. 6. 1892
One month they will inform dealer
tiat they ere compelled 10 make the
following changes in priceg." The
changes usually amount 10 from 10 10
j. per cent advance ON about dozen
styles. The next month % dorm other
iiylc5 viii receive The same treatment.
Large dealers say that the advance since
september. 1880, amounts Co fully .Op r
cent uu tine total OF All knives soI
Zero aie ieN samples Of the prices Of
luives sold .E the Ulster knife com
lauyi yf E.lenUT., s.. b.:
-Ire- per d1l.u- Pprcost
I.f I- r.. ~ nd .tIf f