Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-09-09

Third-There has been an advance
in the price of all farm products OF
1861 per cent and all cereals 33.9 per
cent.
The ninth annual report OF the
Chief Of the Bureau OF Labor Statistics
of the State of New York, a Demo-
cratic officer, recently issued, strongly
corrohorates as to- that State the facts
found by the Senate committee. His
extended inquiry showed in the year
Immediately following the passage OF
the tariff act of 1890 the aggregate
sum paid in wages in that State was
$6,377,97j in excess and the aggregate
production $3l ,3l5, 100 in excess OF the
preceding year. In view of this show
ing of increase in wages, OF reduction
in cost of articles of common neces-
sity, and OF marked advance in prices
Of agricultural products, it is plain
that the tariff law has not imposed
burdens, but conferred benefits, upon
the farmer and workingman.
TIN PLATE.
Some special effects of the act should
he noticed. 1t was a courageous at
tempt to rid our people of long-main-
tanned foreign monopoly on the pro-
duction of tin-plate, pearl buttons, silk
plush, linens, etc. Once or twice in
our history the production OF tin.plate
was attempted, and the prices obtained
by Welsh makers would have enabled
our makers to produce it at profit.
But the Welsh makers at once cut
prices to point that drove the Ameri.
can beginners out OF business, and
when this was accomplished, again
made their own prices. A correspond
ent of the Industrial World, the official
orgon of the Welsh tin-plate workers,
published at Swansea, in the issue OF
June 10, 1892, advises a new trial of
these methods. He says: "Do not
be deceived. The victory of the Re-
publicans at the polls means the re-
tention of the Mckinley hill. and
means the rapidly accruing loss of 81
per cent. of the export American trade.
Had there been no Democratic victory
in 1890, the spread of tin-plate manu-
facture in the United States would
have been both rapid and bona-fide.
1t is not yet too late to do something
to reduce the price of plates. Put
them down to lis per box of 100, IA
by 90, full weight basis. Let the
workmen take half pay for a few
months and turn out more, then let
the masters forego profits for the same
-" Clearly it is to the interest of both
employer and workmen to produce tin
plates, tariff or no tariff. at price that
will drive all competition from the
field"
But in spite Of the doubts raised by
the elections of 1890, and of the mach
nations of foreign producers to main
tain their monopoly, the tin-plate in
dustry has been established in the
United States, and the alliance be-
tween the Welsh producers and the
Democratic party for its destruction
will not succeed. Official returns to
the Treasury Department of the pro-
duction of tin and terne plates in the
United States during the last fiscal
year show total production of 49,
240 $50 pounds, and the comparison of
the first quarter, S26,922 pounds, with
the lost, 5000, 900 pounds, shows the
rapid development of the industry
Over 10000 pounds during the last
quarter were made from American
black plates, the remainder from for
eign plates. Mr.. Aver, the treasury
agent in charge, estimates as result
of careful inquiry, that the production
of the current year will be 100, OOO, 900
pounds, and by the end of the year
our production will be at the rate of
5000, OOO, 900 pounds per annum.
Another industry that has been prac-
tically created by the Mckinley bill is
the making of pearl buttons. Few ar.
ticles are coming to the United States
from abroad so distinctly the product
OF starvation wages.
WOOL GROWERS AND MINERS.
But, without unduly extending this
letter, cannot follow in detail the in
huences of the tariff law of 1890. 1t
transplanted several important indus.
tries and established them here and re.
vived or enlarged all others. The act
gives to miners protection against for
eign silver-bearing lead ores, the free
introduction of which threatened the
great mining industries of the Rocky
Mountain States, and to the wool
growers protection for their heeces and
flocks, which saved them from fur
Their and disastrous decline. The
House of Representatives, at its last
session, passed bills placing these ores
and wool upon the free list. The peo-
ople of the West well know how de-
structive to their prosperity these
measures would be.
Concluded next weekl