New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-15
M'KINLEY WAGES.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOVE TRADE.

MAKERS-A GREAT EXPANSION
OF TRADE-PRcEs REDUCED
FOR THE CONSUMER.
(rRoM A s1Avy CORRESPONDENT ov THE rRrpuSKl
Gloversville, N. Y, Aug. IS-This city Of l6.oos
inhabitants is we'll named Gloversville, for 1t IL
the home of great community Of glove-makers
the largest in the United Staces. Here and
in the neighborng village of Johnstown, con-
tanning 5000 inhabitants, and only three miles
distant, made two-thirds of the gloves yearly
used in the United States. This year Glovers-
vile and Johnstown will manufacture gloves
worth 81 Q, 900 900; and there will be imported!
If one can judge by the custom house records OF
recent years. gloves worth $5,000,000
1t is surprising even to the inhabitants Of the
two glove-malsing places that so great an in
dustry as they possess should have been estab-
lished in such an out-of- the-way neighborhood.
Travellers by the New-York Central, who glance
at the village of Fonda, in the Mohawk Valley,
as they pass through it, have no hint that the
little railroad which they sec winding out OF
town and then up into the hills north OF the
village, will come, after four miles Of ascent, TO
On upland plain covered with factories ana
dwellings, where 5000 workingmen and work.
ingwomen labor and $4,000 persons live In ths
twin cities" of Gloversvile and Johnstown.
Long before railroads existed, in 1903, resi-
dent of this place, having been disabled by some
accident, killed time during the long winter
months in making gloves from the skins OF deer
that he had shot in the Adirondacks. That was
the ginning Of glove-making in Gloversvile.
The mans neighbors soon discovered that lie was
coming money in his new business and they also
went into the trade Of glove-making. Year after
year passed and glOve-making continued to be the
chief occupation OF the inhabitants of the place.
Glovenville has become the leading city Of the
United States In tile manufacture OF gloves. Yet
Gloversville and JOhnstown are not alone In their
attachment 70 this line Of work 1t Is trade
which is shared by large proportion Of the
inhabitants Of the surrounding counties OF fui'
ton, Hamilton, Saratoga and Montgomery. The
farmers wives and daughters sew gloves, and the
farmer himself at times aids them in this work.
The territory for twenty-five miles in every direc-
tion. from Gloversville and JOhnstOwn. is filled
with a working population! which should be clas-
sified rather as glOvemakers than as farmerA
The soil of much OF this territory is poor so that
tie farmers income comes much more largely from
9Ioye-makinq than from agriculture. The addi-
tional earnings from glove-making range from
81 90 20 5000 family yearly. This glove-making
region is now enjoying The greatest prosperity.
Every ore of the III glove manufacturers OF
Gloversyille ami Johnstown is running sN Gays
In the week at full time, and has more orders Ior
gloves than it can fill. Hands are needed oy
many of the factories, and placards are hanging
upon their doors announcing that fact. Severas
OF the companies have recently enlarged Iieir
buildings, and all OF them are employing mora
hands than they ever hired before. This prosperity
aso il shared By the glove-block manufacturers
by a glove-fastcner company, by giove-nnsninR
company. by the glove iobbers, by the dealers In
glove ra.erial.. by the glove tool WORKS. py the
l,atler finishing frrs, bv the leather manuiac-
turlng fr,ns. AMI by TIE bon ar"'acturihs anu
other connected trades. The farmers iaiiiiie"
have all the work they can do, since tley arc
constantly receiving hundreds Of dozens OF glove
to be finished by them
What il the cause of this unwonted anu
markable prosperity? The manufacturers al"
their workmen believe that it is due 10 the operI
tion of the Mckinley tariff That tarin imposed
bioher duties upon the finer trades of gloves, ana
as a consequence the American market has oeen
widened and secured for American glove manu-
facturers. Formerly confined in large degree
70 the manufacture OF low grade goods they can
now compete with the foreign glove manufacturer
unon nearly all lines of gloves. As consequence
NJ this expausion Of the limits Of their trade the
manufacturers are now making more goods tnan
ever before. they have lowered the price OF their
goods and they have increased the wages vi 'heir
workngmen and workingwomen.
In speaking of this subject to-day NJ S. North
rup of Johnstown, Secretary of the Glove Manu-
facturers' Association, said 1t WAS Ireeiy
predicted by the advocates Of low tarih upon
gloves when the Mckinley act was passed thas
we glove manufacturers would create trust anu
then raise the price of gloves. Despite TIE sate'
mcnt of Senator Vest to the contrary there is no
trust in the glove trade. There is competition
all along the line We have reduced the price
OF our goods and our men receive larger wages
for they are employed all the time Before the
Mckinley act was passed we rsei to nave SLACK
times. when many factories would be closed Iss
weeks Now we shall not be able to close our
factories during Christmas week. lhe whoie
line OF laborers has been advanced 70 nlgher
wages through promotions To illustrate: the
80 e5 day men have been put up to $3.50; the
S?O0 day men to S2.25: the Sl'o men 10
81 90 day: .he 81 so men to Sl.75; the Si26
men to 81 80: and the SI.00 day men to Sl.25
Tie result of these promotions has been that 1t
has left vacant hundreds of places for unskilled
laborers, and 80 has given employment to young
men from the farms at more remuncratve rates
Of wages that they have been receiving. This
will apply to the piece work TO greater or less
extent The laborers q whole receive better
pay and twelve months work"
"IIas there been any reduction in the amouns
Of goods mportedp' l asked Mr.. Northrup
YES he replied, the large number OF 2oo''
900 dozen. A large proportion of them were nned
kid gloves with broad hands for American work.
incmen They were made in Germany, where the
labor was so low-prced that the German importers
could even afford to pay the so per cent duty.
There wasn't q line of these goods that came into
our country last year II the increased duty had
not becn in the way believe that 100000 dozen
would have been imported, and thus the bread
vould have been taken out Of the mouths Of Amer