New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-11
fyRosA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE


IN 1885,
,vnosA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF rHE TRIBUNE
Amsterdam, Aug. l0-There is a little creek
which wanders down from the highlands over
lacking the valley Of the Mohawk at this place,
and after running athwart the lower part OF the
city. flows into the river. Thronging the sides
Of this small stream in its descent from the MIL
ton, are scores of factories Chief among them,
high in the air and commanding view OF inc
city, are the large carpet mills OF ). SANFORD
a. Sons
These carpet mills are Amsterdam's pride. They
were first started here In 1s40 by John SANFORD
father Of Stephen Sanford the present head or the
firm. with fourteen machines and twenty-five
hands. The payroll WAS Insignificant. Cnaer
the benefccnt operations OF the PrOtecuve s9e-
TEN, mill after mill has been added until 'hcr
are now employed about 1850 PERSONS, who re-
oeive In wages S750,0oo yearly, and manufacture
carpets worth several millions Of dollars
There Was suffering among the operatives OF
the Garnet mills at the time Of Mr.. Cleveland
former attack upon the tariff. In 1897 and 1885,
business fell of and the mills were only running
Ave days in tho week. and then only on nan.
time. But General Harrison was elected ana
business again became brisk in the carpet trade
Now, every day. except Sunday, the mills are ~
one ration, and every and woman employed IN
them works ali day. Moreover, Mr.. Sanford lce's
30 much encouraged by the operation oil 'he VI"
Kinley tariff that he ia now erecting mill TOT ohe
manufacture Of Moqucttc carpets. In which he
will employ 1000 PERSONS ana In 1879 lie ~
tends to erect an additional carpet mill for INC
employment of / 900 persons. The people OF Am
sterdam, and especially the tradesnen. are hlshiy
pleasea that 25O0 persons arc thus TO be adden
10 the population OF the place, for II Will prlhs
greater prosperity to all who live within tho
borders of the town.
Has this business success Of the carpet mnhu-
facturcr and this prosperity of the WORKING poo
ple been gained at the expense OF the purchasers
of CARPETS No: for prices have been Dwerc1
Mr. Sanford makes in his mill velvet and tapestry
velvet carpets, upon which the duty was raiSea
by the Mckinley tariff act respectively from
twenty-five cents TO forty cents yard, ana from
thirty per cent to forty per cent yard ana
tapestry Brussels, figured and PLAIN from twenty
cents 10 twenty-eight cents. and from 80 per cent
% An nor cont ward Mr.. Sanford said
I'VE are selling tapestries from 40 to ~ Il
cents a ward: and velvets from - cents to 81 ID
a ward. Upon all these grades of goods there mas
been a reduction of az least L per cent since 'he
year when tie Mckinley act was passed Ill
fact there has been reduction OF the same
percentage upon all grades OF carpets. lhee Is
one grade of carpets that We sold Tor ~ cents
q ward in 1890 which we are now selling TOT
62 l-2 cents a yard, a reduction or IL cents
yard, and in many lines of carpets the re-
duction is greater. In my fifty years oil eA-
perience as o manufacturer of carpets, ha'e
never known carpets to be as low as thcy are
now yet on account Of the great demand loI
American goods and the volume OF SALES our
business is satisfactory. What is best Of all we
have been enabled to maintain the wages OF our
men. DESPITE this reduction 10 the price OF our
GOODS Those wages are no lower than when
TIE Mckinley act was passed. What Is very
pleasing is the absence of English carpets from
our markets and indeed, nearly all foreign car
nets The manufacturers In this country are
able to make all the goods consumed here. ID
deed they are able 10 make more than we
need and il is their competition this year which
has reduced the price of carpets to the lowest
point ever reached in the history OF the carpet
trale. II the tariff on carpets be reduced English
carpets would come. In, and whatever amount
that may be- whether one million or five million
dollars worth, it will take just that volume OF
production away from this class Of working
pcople in this COUNTRY, and force them into
other occupations or else deprive them of en-
ployment' e'V % -eios1
You do not: then ] asked favor reduo-
ton OF the duty upon carpets?' Il do not and
/ have had an experience which Is worth telling
as TO the effect Of threat TO reduce the tariff
After Mr.. Cleveland sent his message to Con-
press in 4 5st.i advocating reduction OF the
duties upon manufactured goods suffered from
stagnation In our business. Merchants who
formerly would give an order for forty or nifty
pieccs of carpets, RETAINED from doing 80, not
knowing what might happen. They would give
orders for five OF ten pieces only. Ihey thus
worked along from hand 10 mouth and We were
forced 20 run our works on half time. When
the news OF General Harrison's cclction came.
Immediately started our mills on full time, and
have run them in that way ever since. Tho
average reduction In the price Of carpets since the
Mckinley act was passed has been 10 per cent.
What reduction in the price Of carpets there
has been! Ny father sold carpets at "
yard for which I DOW can obtain only 81 LIZ
cents yard"
Mr. Sanford's workingmen and workingwomen
look happy and conoentcd. They receive good
wages and many of them have saved coinpe-
tency. Hundreds OF them own the houses IN
which they live. Amsterdam prides itself upon
having q larger proportion Of her population llv-
ing in homes owned by their occupants than any
ether city in the State. The operatives ., the
II the increased duty upon carpets is tax,
the consumers Of carpets in Amsterdam are not
Cleveland in the city acknowledge that in this
instance, at least. he was mistaken. Nor can
they see that the Mckinley act. so far as carpets
are concerned has done any harm Before their
ewes se hundreds of American workingmcn and
workisgwomcn employed at good wages the year
round They know that Mr.. sanford INTENDS
within a year 20 give employment to $500 more
Americans and they are aware that the prices OF
all grades Of carpets manufactured in this city
have been reduced 10 per cent Under these
circumstances q great many protection Democratic
declare that they intend TO sustain the American
tariff oplcy which has wonderfully benefited
their town, by voting for Benjamin Harrison Tor
President.
CoLOyTsTs IN A PITIABLE CONDITION.