New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-10
WORK AND WAGES.
PROSPERITY OF LITTLE FALLS.

FICTION DEMOCRAT.
,.o.r.,r CORRESPONDENT rHErRrsuSrl
ri,+,o Fa,s Sent s.-There are few more
picturesquely situated manufacture. %"n, n,ar
S,ate than little Falls Here the Mohawk klver
, ;.,ana COZ forced their way through the
ch,:n NJ lofty hills which formed barrier be'weeh
80 u,ot.rs and the valley which led 70 that
80 tho IIpdson River Tho mighty CONFUSION OF
,ature which tore away the barrier Is vet re-
,,..,od unon the face of the rocky gorge through
which the Mohawk River now pours us agi,a'eo
waters Some Of the factories Of the busy village
are situated in the gorge, and others IN te ha'ro"
valley by which 1t il approached from the wes'.
The traveller by the two railways which pass
threuch the place. the New-York Central ana 'he
West Shore sees little but factories as he journeys
from one side Of the village TO the other. 50
crowded together are they along the Mohawk
River He does not get glimpse OF the me
stores and handsome houses in the village behind
the screen of factories.
Little Falls is now enjoying great prosperity,
and IL Is generally attributed to the successful
operation of the Mckinley act. All the factories
are open every week day, and several OF them
are compelled TO run night and dav in order 10
keep no with orders for their goods. The work
Ing people in the factories. under these crcum-
stances are contented, happy and prosperous, Tor
they are employed at full time when before the
Mckinley act was passed many of them worked
emily half-time. There are no savings banks IN
the village but The working people deposit their
money In the National banks, receiving 3 l-2
per cent interest for their deposits These de-
posits have recently largely increased. showing
that the working people have saved a large
proportion Of the 100000 in wages which they
annually receive here. The storekeerers of Little
Falls and the farmers about the village are in
good humor because their goods and products ar"
finding a ready sale among the manufacturing
operatives
The chief manufacturing industry Of the place
is that Of knit underwear. There are 800
hands employed in this business. and they annu-
ally manufacture goods worth 100000. Speak
ing Of this industry today Frank Senior, of the
firm of Titus Sheard & Company. said "Our
business like that Of all the other manufacturers
Of knit goods underwear, is in remarkably
prosperous condition. Since the 1st of January
there seems to have been outburst of activity.
We can scarcely keep up with cur orders, although
we run every day and five nights in the week
We believe that this prosperity is due to the
Mckinley act. That act is shielding MS from
foreign competition
Have you raised the price Of your goods, l
asked, since the Mckinley act was passed ?
"On the contrary, SAID Mt. SeillOr Wltii d bur
prised air, I'VE have reduced the price of our
goods The competition Of the American manu-
facturers of knit goods keeps down the price and
lowers it every year While prices 90 down the
wages of the workingmen and the working women
advance. We sell knit goods now for 80 dozen
that we asked $40 for in the year 1890"
"Have the wages Of your workmcn advanced? ?
"They make more money. Our books show H.
They work by the piece, and there Is no limit
10 what they can earn, except their strength
I was surprised this week to learn that one OF
our spinners, young man, had made in SIX
DAYS S2l Sc. never knew a spinner before to
make as much. In England spinner thinks he
has made good wages when he is paid 50 week
The greater skill Of our working men and WORKING
women and the improvement OF our machinery
have enabled them to earn more we ehouid p'
vleased IL the man who earned S2l SO made $40
week. for the more be makes, the more we make
Some Of the women employed by us make as
Ilich as SIT week Others make SO $50, slS
and 30 on ND to ST. They also are paid by
che niece woman who doesn't make at least
R1o a week isn't worth much. In England the
women, on tho average, do not make over ~ a
week. Here in our factory we have little girls
who make from 81 TO Sc so a week. Mr.. Sheard
insists that every girl shall be paid at least ~
Week
One of the factories in the village is the direct
outcome Of the Mckinley act. This Is the factory
OF r. Walrath. who makes French babrigGan I'M
dershirts ard drawers, ard employees / 90 hands IN
manufacturing this line of goods. The factory
was established in the Spring of 1891; Jr SIX
months after the Mckinley act became law. IL
has been in operation ever since, and is doing
prosperous business. Mr.. Walrath is Protection
Democrat who intends to vote for General Harri-
son. In 1884 Mr. Walrath voted for Grover
Cleveland. II decided to vote the Republican
ticket. said Mr.. Walrath to-day "when Iresi-
dent Cleveland sent his tariff message to Congress
in 1887 That was Free-Trade doctrine, and permit
me to say that Mr.. Cleveland has never taken
back word of it. / was Protection Democrat of
the Randall school, When 1888 came followed
the Democratic local ticket, but voted for Ben
jamSn Harrison There was good deal Of com
ment upon my action because happened to be
Democratic Supervisor at the time, but could not
help voting as did in view Of my conviction
that Mr. Clevelands Free-Trade policy was an
evil one for the country to adopt. / see no rea-
son to return to the Democratic party now. On
the contrary, there is than ever for re-
naming out of it. party that surrenders itself
to the lead of Henry Watterson, the Democratic
party cid at the National Democratic Convention in
the matter of the PLANK favorng tariff for reve-
nue. only, deserves TO be beaten and am confident
that il will be beaten. The workngmen of the
country. am sure will that it is TO their pc
cuniary interest to vote for President Harrison
have yet 20 find Republican who does not in
tend 10 vote for Harrison and Reid, and there are
a great many Democrats in Little Falls who intend
10 vote the same way. ! should not be at all
surprised if Harrison had 100000 majority in New
York State"
Mr. Walrath manufactures French balbriggan
shirts and drawers, ranging In price from ~ 20
IN &c % dozen The American manufacture
crs." said Mr. Walrath have greatly lowered
the price of these French balbriggars since they
undertook their manufacture, after the Mckinley
act went into effect For instance am ma ing
shirt for Sc 90 which the French sold for SIP.
and in MY Indictment il il o better-shapcd ARTICLE: