The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-08-31
M'KlNLEY WAGfS S.

4 supporters, for all recognize that under
any conditions likely to be established the
lot Of the laborer will not be q peculiarly
happy one. The employers invariably have
the BEST end OF the bargain. II they didu't,
they wouldn't take either end OF it.
Whether correct or otherwise, the man
who hires Is regarded as getting the better
OF the hired. Naturally the laborer leans
towards the man who proposes to help him
to higher wages, and naturally every dem
agogue In making bids for votes appeals TO
the more Numerous class, the people who
toll. 1t was claimed that the MCKINLEY
law would prevent the American working
man from coming In competition with the
pauper laborers OF Europe. and that it
would 30 increase wages that the toiling
citizen Of the republic would be enabled 10
live and support his family in style equal
to his station in life and to the demands
upon him of an educated, self-respecting
and progressive community. The falsity OF
this claim has been demonstrated many
tmes. but never more thoroughly than by
Hon. JoHN DEWITT WARNER through the
New FORK World in July. He gave q list OF
nearly five hundred cases. each of them
stated in detail, of wage reductions and
lockouts in protected industries since the
MCKINLEY Dill had gone into effect. His
paper was '.paralyzer." SO to speak, and
the protectionists have since been desper-
ate in their efforts to break the force of the
demonstration. The American Economist,
the chief organ of the protectionist advo-
Gates, devoted pages to vain attempt to
disprove MIR. WARMERS showing, and
among other things printed list of twenty.
eight manufacturing firms which it de-
clared had increased wages as result OF
the MCKINLEY law. The publication of
this list seems to have given MIR. WARNER
the opportunity he war ted. for he at once
instituted q special investigation in every
case, and in recent issue of the Woiid
he gives the result of the inquiries by
trusted agents. The demonstration is a
terrible arrangement Of the protectionist
organ, for it proves that the paper, in or
der to make u esgre showing OF defense,
has been guilty Of downright fall
sihcation. In no Instance were the
facts as alleged by the Economist.
Some Of the firms could not be found, for
the reason they had no existence. except in
the Imagination of the protectionist editor.
Others Of the twenty-eight were in no sense
affected by the tariff. In one instance q
mans wages had been raised from 20
cents to 80 cents day, and this was her
aided as 10 per cent. advance. In no case
had wages been raised by reason OF the
tariff. every instance being due to labor
lrp fr,u rf frsr ha
Investigators make separate reports in each
case. some Of which we print as fair sam
pies of the twenty-eight The Economist
says the Sultan Buggy company, White
Pigeon, Mich, has increased wages 10 per
cent The World investigator reports:
I went TO the Sultan Buggy and Carriage COM
pany, and saw Mr. WALTER WATSON, the busi-
ness manager OF the institution. He and his
! father own about three fourths Of the stock.
He smiled when / asked him about the increase
OF wages. He authorized me 10 say in his name
that the MCKINLEY bill was anything but a
blessing to his business. 1t has Increased the
cost OF cloths. etc.. etc. Tnat used in covering
the buggies has advanced from 50 cents to
sIl0 per yard. 1t has seriously handicapped
him There has been no increase in wages,
and there is no prospect Of any. Mr.. WATSON
said his men were doing more work than ever
for the same money. There are twenty-eighi
men employed in this factory when it runs full,
but Mr.. WATSON says it is not running full
now.
The Economist said the Western Knitting
mills had advanced the wages of employees
10 per cent The World agent reports:
have investigated the alleged increase OF Is
per cent. in the Western Knitting mills al
Rochester and Detroit and ind there is no
truth at all in the report Both mills are run
by the same firm. / went to Rochester and
found about 100 employed. seventy Ave of whom
are girls. I interviewed dozen of them at
least, and found there were four out OF the 100
who had received an increase; but they were
apprentices who began at the usual beginners
wages, and then, as they grew proficient. we're
paid more There were also new hands who,
when they became more valuable, had their
wages advanced. Instead OF an advance, there
has been decrease in one department. Some
Of the women are employed putting the thumb
in the mittens which are made here, and doing
what they call trimming They formerly re-
ceived Is cents per dozen for doing this. They
receive only l2ls cents now. One woman who
is conceded to be the most rapid worker in the
place. told me that by working steadily for ten
hours she could turn out four dozen, but very
few of them could do that much.
Mr. w. +. EPpERsoN, of Ladoga, Ind,
was credited with having raised the wages
of his employees 10 per cent, and here is
what the World man reports:
Mr.. EPPERsoN is operating a heading mill at
Ladoga, aud employs about thirty hands He
received a letter from some party connected
with the HARRISON campaign, stating that they
had seen in the Economist that he had raised
the wages Of his employees, and that they
wanted letter from him to that effect, SO they
could use it for HARRISON and REID liz this
election. He has prepared letter in answer
that presume will not be used as HARRISON
and REID document when they receive it. He
has not raised wages OF any hands since the
passage Of the MCKINLEY act. The price OF
the product has not been advanced but on the
contrary the mill has to shut down now for q
month on account of having no demand for
their heading. There is absolutely no truth in
4 the report that this party has increased the
4 wages of his employees. This only shows how
badly of the Republican party is for campaign
literature.
And so run the reports through the entire
list The wages have not only not been in
creased by reason of the high tariff but
have been reduced in consequence Of the
MCKINLEY law. The proiectionists should
coIfine themselves to general statements
and wholesale denunciations. for when they
get down to specific assertions they will
certainly be exposed every TINA.
REDUCE THE TAXES.