Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-09-20
SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON.
CHARIns To'yN, JEyrERsos .coua4Y, ". Va
TUESDAY MORNING, ,sEPTENBEa 20, 1889.
ADV NCEs IN WAGES.
INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THEY
ARE REDUCTIONS INSTEAD.

NV So tS1fNttOiN fStl0NN0 lFlfNt. I1EI
ARE REDUCTIONS INSTEAD.
An Infant Industry, of the Mckinley
Protective Tarimtes. which Consists OF
Manufacturing Campaign Material. Out
of the Whole Cloth.
The Tariff Reform club has compiled
list of about 500 wage reductions which
have occurred in protected Industries
since the Mex Kinley TART act began to
boom business and raise wages. The
protectionists last spring thought it
time to begin to demonstrate the good
effect upon wages of their panacea for
all ills and they published what pur-
ported to be list of twenty-seven pro-
tected firms which have raised wages
since. October. 1890. The American
Economist has published this same list
every week with pride. It has been
copied and recopied in thousands of Re
publican papers. After Senator Aldrich
and The American Economist had criti-
cised the list of 500 wage reductions be-
cause there appeared to be several repe-
titions of items and because some of the
reductions had occurred in industries
and states where statistics indicated that
on the whole average wages had not de.
clined since 1890, the Reform club con-
cluded to see If the protectionist list was
all genuine.
1t sent man over into Brooklyn to in
quire into the general advance of 5 per
cent. credited to the Kings County Knit
ting company. After a long hunt the
firm was located on the top floor of a
building ina remote part of the city.
The employees consisted of three men
and from ten to fifteen girls The first
person met was the employer, who failed
to remember anything about the said
general advance" until reminded of
The American Economist article. But
even this stimulus to the memory could
not make the three factory girls who
were interviewed recall a time when
their wages had been advanced; they
could, however, easily remember times
when they We're earning more than now.
The club has since continued its inves.
tigation. Itsent another man to Oris-
kany Falls, N. Y, where Langley & Da-
Wis had advanced wages 25 and so cents
n day, SO it was alleged. 1t was learned
that this firm makes skirts for ladies'
dresses and that they employ fifteen
hands-seven weavers, four carders, two
spinnera, one dyer and one tinisher. The
boss viewers wages were advanced last
spring from 50 to $2.25 day to keen
him from going to other mills. The
others in his department-f1v women
and one man-were reduced last June
from AZ to cents per cut for weaving
They were then earning. about 81 per
day, though their average for last win
ter did not exceed 60 cents.
The boss carder was also advanced
from 50 to $2.25 for the same reason.
One of the young men in his department
had his wages raised last May from 81. 80
to S5 per week because he was likely to
get the "spring fever" and leave; the
company thought it better to retain a
man who had beel with them through
the winter at s. rather than to break in
q new man. The finishers' wages We're
reduced last spring from 81 so to 81 as
per day. The wages of the other EN-
ployees have not suffered from 'sMcKin
ley'' advance, but remained stationary,
from 80 cents to 81 or more per day.
The employees smiled an anti -McKin-
ley smile when they were informed of
the Republican material that was being
supplied at their expense. Some of
them suggested that it might be q
scheme of Langley g Davis to attract
laborers to Oriskany Falls, SO that cheap
labor could be obtained when the firm
starts its new mill in few weeks.
Other interesting information was OBJ
tanned in regard to this firm and the
materials used by it, but it would be
out of place here, even if there were
space for it.
Two other firms visited were those of
Wilkins & Close, and Close & Christie,
glove manufacturers at Mayfield, New
York. Mr.. Wilkins said that he had
read the report that wages had been adj
vanced from Is to 25 per cent. in his
factory, but that he did not know how
such statement had got into print,
as there was really no basis for it. He
said that they employed about 100 men
and 20 girls in their glove and leather
dressing factories, and that wages were
no higher than for several years previ-
ous. They take on 80 or 40 new hands
a year from the farms round about.
These hands are paid Is cents day for
the first month, then 81 for some time,
and if they become proficient their
wages are advanced TO SIPS. Mr.. Will
kins said: "There has been no more ad-
vance this year with us, or anywhere in
the county Fulton county, N. Y, which
produces two-thirds of our glove prod
uct), than has been customary for
seven or eight years. The Mckinley
bill has had no material effect on bust
ness. Five-sixths of our. gloves go west,
and the demand for them depends on
the crops and the weather. A warm
winter and short crops viii lower wages.
and cold winter and good crops viii
raise them slightly
The situation at the factory of Close &
Christie just across the street was about
the same. The gloves made by both
these firms are mostly heavy, cheap, un-
lined gloves, sold largely in the west to
haryesters, drivers. etc. No similar
gloves are made or used to any extent in
any other country, and there Is abso-
solutely no competition from abroad and
therefore no protection to this industry
from any tariff. Close & Christie employ
forty or fifty hands. They both admit
ted that there was no foreign competi-
ton in their line of goods, but they were
enjoying the notoriety they were getting
through the report of the alleged wage
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