The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-05
AMONG THE WHOLESALERS
They Are Unanimous in Their Opinion
of the Mckinley Laws Effect.
What 1t Has Done for Millinery, Ribbons. Thu
ware, Stoves and Hardware-Talks
with Merchants

purpose of making a comparison between
the prices of 1890 and 1892. There was per-
feet unanimity on the part of the proprie-
tors in the statement that there had been
ga general reduction in prices in all goods
in their line of trade" Take, for instance,
China silks such as we use." said the elder
Mr.. Griffith, two years ago they were not
made in this country. but now we can get
all we need right here, of better quality and
cheaper than We could ever get them be-
fore. The quality of the imported silk has
improved greatly, because formerly they
had no com petition 10 fear and could send
US what they chose"
"What has been the effect of the in
creased duty which was put on velvets.
velveteens and pushes by the Mckinley
lawp
There is no one feature of that law
which has had so instantaneous and favor
able an effect upon the manufacture. Pre-
vious to 1890 we imported all of our lower
grade velyets and velveteens: now we
make practically all of them in this cOun-
try, and are selling the best grades for the
lowest price that ever was known. The
duty was placed on the weight, and it is
evident. therefore, that the foreigners
would make their velvets as light as pos
sible in order to lessen the duty, while
American manufacturers would have no
such object. The Trainer of that tariff bill
showed the keenest and shrewdest kn0wl-
edge in this as we'll as the other provisions
of the bill"
"Will you specify some other articles
that are cheaper
oh bov hafn in
dustry especially needs protection. Most
of our fine laces are made abroad. and only
the wealthy can wear them. When they
are made here they will come within the
reach OF the masses. This bill very proper
ly increased the duty on them. Straw hats
are 20 per cent. cheaper than two years ago.
Felt and fur hats are cheaper. Feathers
are much cheaper; the same Is true OF arti-
tclal flowers and trimmings OF all kinds"
what about ribbonsf
Ribbons have steadily grown cheaper.
twenty-five years ago less than per cent.
of the ribbons used here were made In this
country now s. or 90 per cent. are manu-
featured here. Not % per cent. of the arti-
ticial flowers were made here, now we make
90 per cent. Now the feathers are brought
here as raw material and all the work on
them is done in this country. Ribbons are
sold at very small profit, but our manu-
facturers can afford it because they have
almost the entire market of the United
States. But remove the duty and allow
Europe to come in with her cheap labor
and divide our market with us. and there
could be but one result-either our ribbon
manufacturers would close down or they
would reduce wages to the European level.
This fact cannot be cOntradIcted."
How does your business compare with
two years ago."
Never better. Prosperity makes our
business and the whole country is prosper
Gus. People must have money to buy with
and they must have work to have money.
those of Europe we might as well go out of
the business. Over there the women OF
the laboring classes go bareheaded in the
warm weather and in cold weather tie q
shawl over their heads. In this country
they all wear bonnets and hats and good
ones at that"
Here is the point on this tariff question
that would like to see emphasized above
ell Others" said Mr.. Griffith. the
duty which Is placed imported
articles affords more protection to labor
than to any other element or class This
is especially true In regard to cheap goods,
as their value depends almost entirely
upon the labor that is consumed in making
them. We can compete with Europe much
more easily in hlgh-priced goods. as their
value Is IN the material employed, which
we can furnish, perhaps. as cheaply as
other countries, but In the low-priced
goods the value is determined by the work
necessary to produce them and the price
paid for that work; so that the whole ques-
ton resolves itself into one of
wages. Our business furnishes an apt
illustration of this. Take trimmings. for
instance. The material employed In fancy
passementerie, etc.. is not great item, but
it's value depends upon the work put on 1T.
In Europe this is done at q cost of few
cents day. Artificial flowers are made
mostly by women and girls In Europe. who
work almost for nothing. Remove the duty
on such things and we could import them
cheaper than they possibly could be made
] here. and IL would close our factories and
| throw thousands of people out of employ
ment. do not see how the w0rklngmen
| can fail to understand this"
You think, then, that any interference
with the present tariff law would be mis-
| take7"
"A very grave mistake. If there were q
| prospect of this neither Wholesale nor re-
| tail dealers would have anything upon
| which to base their calculations. But do
| not anticipate any such danger. / believe
| the manufacturers and business men of the
country will be almost solid in their, sup
! port of the Republican ticket, and the
| workingmen will not vote against their
| own interests. All of the travelling men
| ion. even including those who formerly
| voted the Democratic ticket Even the
draymeh and day-laborers in our employ
/ express themselves as willing to let well
enough alone. The logic of the conditions
demands Republican success"
| The Indiana Stove Company. through
| Mr.. Bennett, made the following broad
| statement: "If there is an article In this
| store that has advanced in price during the
past two years We do not know what it is. v
Both members of the firm of Tanner 81
| Sullivan stated that they are selling both
| imported ana American tin or the same
average quality and at the same price. and
| they believe that the United States car
and will make all the tin her people con-
| sumo.
Mr. James T. Laymap, proprietor of one
of the largest Wholesale hardware firms in
Indiana. was asked for comparison o.
| prices between now and two years ago.
There has been general reduction o.
prices in all the lines OF goods we handle,
he said, land no advance In any thing
| Perhaps | might say that there has been q
slight advance in American guns. but II
| has been more than compensated for by
the great improvement In their manufact
ure. We manufacture about as good now
| as are made in the world"
"You sell large quantities OF tin goods
do you mott"
YES; aud while have been in the, bust
ness twenty-seven years never knew tin
ware to be so cheap. In the early days o
| time in New York, as we imported almos
everything we used. Take files. for in
stance: they were not manu- featured in thi
country. A duty was placed on them, anC
now we not only make all that are uset
| here but they are better and cheaper, ant
we export large quantities TO Europe"
"What can you say of cutleryW
| "In cutlery we sell. almost altogether
! American goods. A few of the smalle
knives of fine quality we import. The,
are made abroad. by piece-meal at verl