New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-03
MKINLEY PROSPERITY.
WAGES AND PRICES AT FALL RIVER

I SENATOR CARLIsLE's EXAGGERATIoNs TESTED
IN THE COTTON INDUSTRY-wAGES RISING
AND PRICES FALLING-LAEGE INCREASE
OF woRKMEY's sAvINGs-NEw
M'KINI.EY INDUSTRIES.
IRON CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuSEl
Fall River. Aug. 1.-Senator Carlisle, IN MS
reply to Senator Aldrch, declared that in fifteen
"highly protected industries wages had fallen
since the passage of the Mckinley act, an average
of SOL 90 of per cent" Among the protected in
dnstries named by him cotton manufactures
Now, Fall River is the largest cotton manufactur-
ing centre in the United States. If there has
been any reduction of wages in cotton mills the
operatives employed in this town are not aware
of il.
There are in Fall River siXty-seven factories,
nearly all Of them being cotton mills with ,446
looms and 100000 spindles. These mills use
100000 bales Of cotton annually. For INC
operatives there is payroll of 81 54,5O3 weekly
or So, 034,260 annually. About $22,l53,O0O has
been invested in the mills. Fall River produces
in the course of year cotton goods worth 81
900, 600. II manufactures annually 6O2,s3o'ooo
yards Of cloth. The city contains onc-siXth Oh
all the spindcs in the United States, ana manu-
features over twothirds of the domestic prihc
cloths II the chief industry of such city, eni-
-
depreesed and its mill hands suffering from
reduction of wages and an increase III the cost
of living as Senator Carlisle asserts there wouid
naturally be outward signs of the prevailing dls-
trees The most industrious and fanauca H'rli
reformer will fail TO find here any indications OF
that sort All the superficial evidence points Ill
the opposite direction. The mill operatives uio
well paid and prosperous, and instead OF having
had their wages reduced have virtually haa 'hein
advanced within a month. The mills are LII luIi
operation and their owners are enjoying eNcep-
tional prosperity The manufacturing DuslhesS Oh
the CITY is expanding under the influence of the
Mckinley tariff Investors are building new mills
and increasing the number of their spindles. The
only dark cloud in the Fall River sky is the
avowed determination of the Democratic party
n sweep away the American Protective system
and To substitute for il tariff for revenue only,
under which manufacturers and operatives VIII
he exposed to destructive competition OF the cheap
labor Of England, France and Germany
Wages in the cotton mills have not been re-
duced, but substantially have been lncreasec'
The millowners during the past fortnight have
cut down the hours of labor of their hands rom
sixty to ffty-eight hours week, and III order tae
there might be no decrease of earnings from this
rearrangement of the working hours they nave
advanced their wages l-S per cent. Inc hahus
advanced 3 1-3 per cent per hour, while the job
hand GETS 3 Is per cent advance on piece work
The operatives get the full benefit of two hours
q week without having TO pay for il. On the
other hand the manufacturers lose two hours
work from each hand and have 10 pay for IT IN
a reduction of weekly product of each mill. ohe
milLowner has estimated here to-day tnat 'his
increase of the wages of the men and women '|ld
the decreae of their hours of labor Will make "a
difference of $4,000 in the income of the Fan
River manufacturers. That 100000 has been
given away without solicitation from the opera
tives, and by the voluntary action of the mill
owners Business in the mills, moreover, Is so
active that the weavers are confidently expect
ing an additional increase of : per cent IN thelr
wages in the course of a year.
I'VE employ in the King Philip Mill, said MIR.
Chase. the treasurer l. 100 hands, evenly divided
between sexes Our weekly payroll amounts 10
sc 900 Since the fifty-eight-hour schedule went
into effect our weavers get 81 "a wages lor II
piece of goods, instead OF 81, as formerly, anu
10 So cents is paid in print mills Tor piece Oh
forty-fve yards instead of 10 cents for the same
amount The tariff has especially aided us IN the
goods made of the finer yarns and IN selling 'he
fancy woven fabrics. good weaver on low
grade goods in America Will make from - 10
$40 q week, but in England only from 50 to W
n X.
crade goods a weaver earning from $40 to SlA
in America, and only from Sc to s. in England.
Wrong in the facts about labor, Senator Gar
Isle is strangely misinformed respecting the con-
dition of the operatives of cotton mills. These
victims of tariff taxation and robbery keep
their surplus earnings in the four savings banks
Of Fall River. The Mckinley Tariff act went
into effect in the fall of 1890. During the next
year. according 10 Senator Carlisle and his Free
Trade friends. the mill hands ought to har SUI
fered from a cut in wages and from increased
burdens of Mckinley prices, and TO have been
unable to enlarge their deposits in the savings
banka Unfortunately for the tariff reformers"
argument the mill hands have not been over
whelmed with misfortune. They have increased
heavily their savings bank deposits Inc saw
ings banks write up the books so as TO show the
total amount of each deposltors account OH
October 81 Of each year. The following Is a
ccmparjson Of the total deposits in the savings
hanks on October 81, $780, and October 81,
1891:
wAGE-EARNERs' SAVINGS INCREASED.
1891
mo- lH