New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-01
ATTACKING CEMENT WORKS
DEMOCRATS HOSTILE TO AN IMPORTANT
INDUSTRY
ALWAYS READY TO MAKE AN UNFRIENDLY
TARIFF ACT-ULSTER CoUNTY's POSITION.

ALWAYS READY TO MAKE AN UNFRlENDLY
TARIFF ACT-U1STER CoUNTYs POSITION.
IFRoN A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSel
Rondout, Ulster County, Sept. oo.-lt makes little
difference what kind Of tariff bill is introduced in
Congress by Democrats, whether 1t be big small
In Its scope the article OF cement Is always among the
first 10 be attacked 1t was so In the Heard bill, In
the Morrison horizontal bill and In the Mills bill
There seems to be q constant desire the part Of
Free Traders to ruin the industry. 1t Is true II is
not infant industry" In this country alone It
has given work to hundreds and thousands OF men
since 1913. At first 1t was small, and then 1t de-
veloped until now onethird Of all the cement MADE
In this State is produced In Ulster County. and as
New-York produces at least half Of all that Is mace
In the United States the cemeBt Industry od TINS
county is large In the last four years II has grown
at least 20 per cent in volume About s3,GOO,Ooo is
invested In works, and nearly 1000 men are EN-
ployed. &c. whenever these attempts are made 10
put cement on the free list or even to reduce the
duty upon It. there is always uneasness among the
people here the outcome. Most OF the WORK
men their homes and have savings In the BANKS
When tho run was made on one OF the hihgsUh
banks, year or so ago. II practically caused ue-
eertion Of the works in and around this place ana
Kingston.
There Is good reason for uDeasness among the
workingmen when these attempts are made to tamper
With the tariff In the production of cement az least
81 per cent Of the cost goes for labor represented by
quarrying, burning grinding, moving. pacing aho
for coal, coke, slaves and heading-al produc's vi
labor. This leaves only q small margin for ma
chinery repairs, etc The stone which is USED docs
not enter into the computation Of the cost OF cement
In any way and yet the whole Industry depends en-
tirely upon the supply Should quarry pecouio
exhausted. the plant becomes at once useless anu u
productive. This contingency Is not unusual anu
IL depends upon the amount Of capital OF the company
fhn
enough capital another quarry is purchased ont II
there is not enough money the entire business mas I"
be abandoned. AZ
number OF qunrries abandoned III ohe
Cleveland administration not so much because 'ne
stone exhausted. as because OF an unjust runne
Of the Treasury Department. The secretary neiu
that under a certain clause in the tar'h oct Oh ioe
he had discretionary power about giving rebate
OH the coverings of all packages containing cement
This ruling resulted In an increase IN impor'uuo"'
Of this article from 6oO'o3o barrels IN iooo "
l,O7O4OO In 1887. The foreign Manufacture.
undervalued the price OF the cement ana ihore"''
the price of the coverings upon which they got
rebate. BY deducting the large rebate from 'ne
outv raid on the UNDERMINED cement these MANU-
fact,rers gained a margin Of at least % per eei'
profit They coud afford to sell their cement,
duty paid, for eleven cents barrel less ''aA "
cost to produce 1t In this country. hhasmu'u a.
the cost OF cement was almost all labor, American
workmen who were thrown out OF employment.
The massage Of the Nc Kiney BIZ corrected 'hs
system OF differentiation. and In measure eq'anNsu
the difference In wages paid In THIS country anu "a.
Europe II may be said here mat the WAGES P"
in this country at least twice as large as 'o,
paid in Germany England and France report
based upon authentic information, gives 'he ua'iS
nav.rou of German Portland cement factory III
siIes,a OF 1870 men and women at $'312 In u"H
country the daily payroll OF the same n""oe'' III
Guiding men alone. Is S22O.3o.
rh. American Cons,General In London. In
rsnort ON the cement industry says unoer 'he ua'c
~ Jnne. 1890: employment In the cement manu-
factories is generally by gangs the men Deips
,o,d IN accordance with the amount OF product Ahu
not by the day. The average wages propaoiy WIN
not exceed IS 80 week, and In many cases Will iaii
below this" 49,. A.,
ON careful Investigation 1t Is learned that Tue
average weekly wages paid here Is about Sli AZ
This xrest disparity In labor that makes the I'LL
rortation of cement profitable TO foreign mauu
facturcrs At least one-third OF ther Prouuol -
now sold here and II II were not 1or 'ne 'aoNi'y
Act they would monopolize the whole America"
market As 1t is they have the entire trace on 'ne
pacific coast along Gulf, up as far as savannah
and can even Law their product down In Philadelphia
outv maid cheaper than American manufacturers
can do so. Including freightaee. THIS Is most
.n-nrslnp fact, ana can only be accounted Tor by
reason Of low wages and cheap rates OF transport
~ ave cents a barrel simply for ballast
The trade In Clster County, or as II Is NOR t
Familiarity known Rosendale cement Is connneu u ~,
mnst entirely To local demands. The cement Is
Carried in barrels from different points in tn: county
tn Eosendalc, or Leevre Falls on the Delaware anu
Hudson Canal or to Eddyvile. on the ESopus .Teeh
and saspped BY water The Rosenda'e cement ana
;n fact all the cement made in this country Is as
cod in onaly as the Portland cemeut imported from
ssprHod THE latter brand OF cement was not known
here extensively until 1873: In that year 800.
Ssrrr,s were imported, and 10 show what marRet
there is for now in the year ending gnne ~ INN nn
her large as It IS is smaller thnn II was the year
bef,re American manufacturers hope to make , tn,s
Quantity sma Ter with each year. They can only 40
So Il Is maintained here. by putting more money
;to their works and In f1is way largely increasing
ne product. AS 1t is they have reduced prices , IL
,,er cent because they can run THEN mis- on iuIi
Time ly making this investment they can ,,, anorG G
40 scl large am ounts ut small profits and sun pay
wages twice high as those Rad in Europe shon1
cain c,Stroi Of Congress and elect Cleveland, the
manufacturers win abandon ther WORKS. ior 1 rhey
know that Free Trade will ruin the industry. Ihcy
can ony compete now IN a small market with Foreign
marrfact,rc;s. This outcome is certain 10 come,
should such a catastrophe happen that IL Is r,aIHu
not only by the manufacturers, bnt also by The IN.
felligent workmen-,hoSc who own their homes ana
have money in the banks.