The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-09-08
A FALSE CLAIM.

UTTER FAILURE OF THE ATTEMPT TO DIS
COVER A SINGLE MAN WHOSE WAGES
HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THE M'KIN-
LEY BILL.
Congressman Warner has been making
most persistent search for the man
whose wages have been increased by the
operation of the Mckinley Tariff law.
In speech in the House just prior to
adjournment he declared that the
museum men were looking for just this
individual as a most rare and precious
curiosity, whereupon the American
Economist, the official organ of the Pro-
tective Tariff League, produced a list of
twenty eight instances in which it was
claimed that wages had been raised in
consequence of the operation of the
Mckinley law. Each individual case
cited has been carefully investigated,
and the result affords but little hope or
comfort for the museum men. The man
whose wages have been raised is still I'M
discovered.
The first claim is that work men in the
Haskell s. Barker Car Company works
in Michigan City, Ind, had obtained an
advance of five per cent. Now these are
the facts: In October, 1888, the wages
of iron -moulders were reduced twenty
five cents day. The following spring
the wages of all others were reduced
twelve and one-half cents day. IN
May, 1890, more than a year later, all
employees, iron -moulders included,
secured an advance of twelve and one
half cents day, making the wages just
what they were before the reduction,
except those of the moulders, whose
wages were twelve and one-half cents
less. All this happened, both the re-
ductlon and the restoration, before the
Mckinley Tariff act went into effect.
1t is manifest that the restoration of
wages was not produced by the operation
of the law, for when the restoration was
granted the law had not begun to
operate.
1t was claimed that Wooster and Stod.
dard, manufacturers of jackets and over.
alls at Walden, N. Y, employing thre-
or four men and about twenty girls, had
increased wages five per cent. About two
months ago the girls went on strike, and
as result wages were readjusted. If
there was an increase, which does not
fully appear, it was forced from the firm
bv the strike and was not in any way
due to the operation of the Mckinley
Tariff act. The girls now earn about So
week. Very few earn 81.
The Camden Woolen Company, Of
Camden, Me-, was said to have raised
wages ten per cent. The company had
four looms which had more heavy work
than the others, and more picks to the
inch. There was slight raise for work
done on these looms. All the other
hands are working for the same wages
they have been receiving ever since the
mill started. Wages average from 70
cents to 81. day.
The report that the Rider Engine
Company, of Walden, N. Y, has raised
wages ten per cent, seems to be wholly
false. There has been no increase what
ever for ten years. On the contrary
wages have been going down steadily
since 1875.
The story that the Hawthorne Mills,
of Glenville, Conn, had advanced wages
fifteen per cent. is equally false. One
man had his pay raised in July last from
S1.15 to S1.25 day to keep him in the
factory. In the woolen department
about eighty men, all Hungarlans,
Poles, Swedes, Danes, and Russians, ex-
cept six or eight Germans, had their
wages reduced in June last from Sl and
$1.50 to 80 cents and 81 day. There
is hardly a mill in the State where "pro-
lection to the American workman" is
more of farce than it is In the Haw-
thorne Mills. Hardly five per cent. OF the
employees are American born.
Wages are claimed to have advanced
twenty per cent. in Alfred Dolge's FAC
tory in Dolgeville, N. Y. This IS not
true, but it has a slight basis OF truth,
and this is that basis:
The firm pays exceptionally low
wages, S1.37t to $3.50 a day for hard
labor, much of which is skilled, and
this makes it essential for the firm to
hold out some inducement to persuade
the men 10 remain in the mill. This 1t
does by promising to increase annually
the wages of such of its employees as
have been conspicuously faithful during
the year. Between forty and fifty have
received this advance in 1891. No one
has received any advance this year. This
system of raising wages was adopted by
this firm long before the Mckinley bill
was thought of. 1t is abso utely untrue
that any advance in this mill is the result
of that law.
There is little planning and sorting
mill IN Sault Ste. Marie, Mich, which Is
owned by the ''Lake Superior Lumber
Company" and which employs from fit-
teen to twenty hands three or four days IN
the week. There was claim set up that
this mill had increased wages fifteen pes
cent. This is simply false. There has
been no advance of wages in the estab-
lishment.
Equally false is the report that there
has been an advance of twenty-five per