The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-09-10
NUR PO~CKETKNIVES.
EXTRA DUTY HAS BEEN OBTAINED
BY MISREPRESENTATION.

The Pride of ProtectiOnists-Both the
Manufacturer and the Employees Are
Foreigners-How the Trust Has Raised
Prices and Robbed the Americans.
Perhaps there is no industry of much
importance that shows the stimulating
effects of McKinleyism more than the
manufacture of pocket cutlery. And
there is no industry to which the pro-
t%ectionist can and does point with more
pride. The act of 1890 increased the
duty from 80 per cent. to from 20 to over
100 per cent 1t is now the claim of
prOtectionists, and it is being heralded
far and wide, that this industry. which
was dying under a 80 per cent. stimulus,
has been so built up by Mckinley that
wages have been advanced 10 per cent.
in three of the twenty-four factories in
this country. Prices of knives also have
been advanced; but this is a secondary
matter with p~rotcctionists, the essential
idea being to start new industries here
or TO assist old ones by cutting off for
eign competition. Ii it ever pays our
government to propagate artificially n
industry this is probably such an indus
try, and yet let us analyze a little the
cost to the nation of such an investment
and see who are benefited by it.
The pocket cutlery industry, like many
other industries, was established in this
country during the free trade" period
from lS40 to 1860. At that time more
than half of the employees were Ameri-
cans. Since ii became highly protected
and began TO rely upon governmental aid
rather than meritorious goods for sue
cess the industry has been unsteady,
and since about 1870 has had the blues.
like a man who is in the habit of taking
stimulants TO keep up his spirits will
have when he is unable to obtain the
ever larger doses which his unnatural
appetite raves. Wages have been re-
duced often i'll this industry. and only
four or five years ago reductions of
about 20 per cent. We're made in most of
the shops. Partly because of the low
wages, and partly because they were
driven out by the English and German
workmen who were imported to keep
wages down. the skilled American work
men have left this business, until today,
out of the 400 or I 800 workers in the
twenty-four establishments (mostly
small ones which make pocket cutlery,
about LOO are English. 200 are Ger
mans, and 100 or $50 are Americans,
the latter being mostly boys and girls
not doing skilled work and earning only
from 80 cents to 81 per day. The Ameri-
cans have but little prospect Of better
ing their condition. for the foreigners
now have IA monopoly Of this industry
by means of their unions-Spring Knife
Makers union, subdiyided into Forgers
and Grinders and Finishers' unions.
Their rules practically prohibit any but
English and German from entering anv
except the unskilled departments. The
foreigners are mostly from the Sheffield
district in England and are undesirable
as emigrants; most of them. it is said.
can neither read nor write.
As to the manufacturers, they are also
largely English, who advocate plenty Of
protection and who have shown Them
selves willing to pay for it. In conjunc,
ton with the table cutlery manufactur.
ers they kept two men at Washington
much of the time for three or four wears
previous to the passage Of the McKinle Y
tariff act. Their share OF this expense
was s. 600. They o keep a man at the
custom house to prevent undcrvaluatiOnS
and fraud. Having secured all thev OK.
pected at Washington they Immediately
cot 70 1x-pp1y t, ,rat Io.ly tln N, ,,l,.I,
they had invested there. Their associa-
ton held weekly meetings To arrange
prices, and made their first general ad
vance i'll October. almost before the Ne
Kinley act bad taken effect. They had
paid for their share of this tariff act an
saw nc reason for denying their prouri-.
torship in it. Hence some of them BOLD
ly announced that because Of the Nc
Kinley bill tley had advanced price,
from 10 to Jltr cent. In January. lS9'
IA second general advance WAS mace
This caused such Il howl from dealer,
and the public that the manufacturer
ceased to send out circulars advancili,
prices all along the line at once, and il
stead have held monthly meetings and
llttt auN iiCtS ". Ihl'Ult iNlN W lIul-
vidual dealers. These lists appear regu-
larry. the last being on Aug. 6. 1892.
One month they will inform II dealer
that they are compelled to make the
following changes i'll prices The
changes usually amount to from 10 10
i2 per cent. advance on about "A dozen
styles. The next month Il dozen Other
styles will receive the same treatment,
Large dealers say that the advance since
September, 1890. amounts to fully 30 pr
cent. on the Total of all knives sold,
Here are Il few samples of the prices 81
knives sold by the Ulster knife coin-
pany, of E~llcnvillo. y. v:
,Erin" per dozen Percent.
Aug. ls.N .hug. lsI2. advance
Cheap knife. 4: blades s. y $50 STE
Cheap knife. | Blade. I'd 30 ~,
Pruning kuife. | blade. 80 500 "Hg
Knife, 3 blades. go o. @ilr
Knife, 4 bladcs........ ~ ~ "N=
Knife, 4 blade>..,,..., - ~ -
Knife, 3 bluit>........ 500 ~ ~ 81