Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-24
FACTS AS ARGUMENTS.

jamestown is thriving, rapidly-grow-
ing little place in the southwestern corner
of New York State. Its prosperity is
almost entirely and directly due to pro-
tected industries. The latest achievement
of this center of American activity is its
provision of site for large manufactur-
ing firm emigrating from Huddersfield;
Yorkshire, England. This firm has been
employing twelve hundred operatives in
the manufacture of worsteds, woolens,
ladies' mantle cloths, rugs, shawls, silk
warns and silk and mohair plushes. Pre-
vious to the passage Of the Mckinley bill
according to one of the partners-the
concern was doing ga million dollars
worth of business year" with this coun-
try and "making money freely" The
two years Immediately preceding tn g pro-
tective bill were exceptionally good
ones, and ninety per cent of
the firms commerce was with
the United States. Directly after
the bill came into action the whole of
this trade was practically abolished. The
partners saw the necessity of making a
radical change to preserve their business.
after numerous inquiries. made an ar
rangement to migrate from Huddersfeld
to jamestown. A building lie already in
process of erection that will contain en-
ployment for four hundred operatives,
and it is eventually to be added to until
work will be found for more hands than
were engaged at the English establish
ment
Among other facts learned by the inves-
tigator are many that have very practical
bearing on the issue of this campaign.
He emphatically asserts that moth
ing but Protective policy, such
as that now in vogue, could keep
the standard of wages in his business from
fifty to hundred per cent higher here
than it is in England He maintains fur
ther that the cost of living differs very
little for the operatives in the two coun-
tries, while the vastly superior comforts
attainable here do far more than compen-
safe for such very slight excess as is to be
found in the cost of rent in America. He
says: "Free trade in this country, or q
material reduction of the present tariff, is
as sure to lower the rates of wages as the
sun is to rise tomorrow"
An industry of this kind is not carried
across the seas some three thousand miles
Just for the fun of the thing. 1t is
brought here because that is the only
way in which the largest market in
the world can be reached. Home
ties are uprooted and old associa-
tions are disregarded because business
success demands that they shall be. The
transfer has not been undertaken without
serious consideration as to the probabili-
ties of the elections in November, and a
decision that victory for the anti-Protect-
i've policy is practical impossi5ility.
Such testimony as this and the shutting
down and migration Of Welsh tin plate
mills is especially valuable, because it
comes from those who would seek if pos
sible to bear witness for the other side
These are stern incontrovertible facts all
arguing on behalf of the value of Protec-
ton. And it is such arguments as these,
sent up and down the land and under
stood of the people, which must insure
continuance of the patriotic policy of es-
tablishing and maintaining American in
dustrial independence.