Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-09-14

ENlucnco ~ multiplying tiiL tollhul
soner Peck's report Is failing Of effect
In precisely the quarter where the Re-
publicans had hoped that 10 would
strengthen their cause most. Republic
IN editoB hailed the publication OF
Pecks fguros with headlines suitable
eDr Announcing the arrival Of the mil
lennium and framed 10 catch the eye Of
the workingnen. bat the workingInen
are far too well Informed ~ 10 their own
condition 10 DO imposoi upon by fgures
given under pledge Of socrscy by pro
tected rnanufacturenA Workingmen DO
not need 70 wade throngh pages of sta
tistice 90 find cot whether their WAGE
have been increased.
We a<e beginning % hear frosn work
tngmen IN many trades, and thsy utterly
reject Pocks fgurcs ood pestioularly
his CONCLUSIONS in fsvo< ID the hoKin-
ley psrfR Thos Mstshew Barr, q TN
and sheet iTua wvrk6r of New York,
saysi What strilsss mo M way peculiar
Is tho figures on ehe buildins trades
They seem 30 incongruous thae I must
pause bofOru / 20 any further ThSro Is
scarcely strike IN shh hne bat has
bettorod its condition since 1884 And
yet with all this the resprns show o do
crease In wsgee of go, 800.
This industry is Ooside the rsach ~
the tariff, aud whatever hgnrfs may 10
put down there ie only one thing that
has gained II any advsntasea, and that
Is its organizations. Every concession
has been fought inch by inch. Where
the tariff does affect any branch Of the
trade, such as mine, we have certainly
suffered. No tin and sheet iron worker
In the city, 20 my knowledge, and /
know them nearly oil. he's yet used a
sheet OF native tin. Before the McKin-
10y bill was psesed we had cousidera~
bic work on tin roofs. IL many casas
gravel roofs had an equal composition
with rs, bat hnoe the higher duty on
tin was imposed IN every case where
q gravel roof con be utilized IL takos the
place Of tin. and there II h,ss work for
us. We have been injured by the tanf
and our wages may have decreased, but
tho other trades are not 40 affected, ond
l believe they have been individual
gamers"
George Warner, Of tho Housesmiths
union and the Central Labor union.
says; "YU can make figures prove
anything you like, am hooking for the
men Of some trade who viii show lne
that their wages hove been raised by
the tariff. III any trade has increased
It's pay you can rely upon ite being on
account of organization. Look ut our
trade We work on tho buildings and
ap no. affected 10y the tariff, bat tho
men who manufacture the iron end
steel arc highly protected During the
past four years tho men who have been
protected have been reduced IN wages
and we have been obtaining an increase
MIR. Pock's returns scarcely seem CON
sistent lie gives decreases In wages
and production IN building brick, Tie
and sewer pipe, but IN cement, lime and
plaster there rs vast increase. As the
business Of ono is totally dependent on
the other, and one could not be brisk
without the other, bis figures certainly
need some explanation"
james p Archibald, prominent
leader IN the Central Labor union, says:
His statistics Of the trade am most
interested in-the paper hanging trade
-have been 10 me ludicrous. There Is
not q thinking man In the labor circles
In THE city today. particularly In the
building construction line, who cannot
refute, 20 far ~ his own particular trade
IL concerned, tho statements of Mr.
Peck. ! know If my own knowledge
that IN the moSb gkilled branch ~ tho
trade of manufacture Of wall paper,
which IL BLOCK cutting. and which 81
very highly protected, the men who
formerly earned tVventy-one 10 twenty
four dollars per week ara now, and
since 1850 have been, working at CON
sdderably hess than twenty dollars. The
Mckinley bill has had a deleterious
rather than beneficial effect on the
waGes IN this branch Of the trade"