New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-06
COLLAR MAKERS AROUSED.
TROY PEOPLE REGARD THE WILSON ELL AS
BLOW AT THEIR DISSATISFACTION
MURPHY WILL HELP THEM.

MURPHY WILL HELP THEM
Troy. ~ Y. Dec (SpeciaD. The disastrous eff
fects Of the Wilson bill already made manifest
in this CITY, which is the centre OF the United
States collar and cuff interests and therefore
rightly termed the Collar city" The runous
result of the bill has made itself perceptiOe
to United States Senator Murphy, and on behalf
OF the collar and shirt employees OF this city he
will oppose the bill so far as 1t affects this paricu-
lar industry. For years the collar shirt and cuff
trade has been the leading industry Of Troy. and
on account of these products her name has been
made a worldwide household word. To-day the
capital employed in the business Is Soooco: an
nual sales, $500 CS5 49, annual wages paid. A2ss.-
299 As: whole number of employees 1913 The per-
centage of wages Is Az per cent OF sales and 90
per cent OF cost. The collar and cuff business is
localized in the hands OF about thirty concerns,
among whom there is a sharp and unnagging COM
petition.
This necessltates the placing Of the product upon
the market for the lowest possible price The whoie
community relies for support upon the success OF
this industry. The shirt business Is not cohnheu
TO this city, but Is scattered throughout the out
living country towns The tariff Of 1888 gave no
recognition and practically little protection TO us
important industry. and the advent OF German
collars cuffs and shirts made protection ney ,a
be The customs laws OF 1880 whlie not cNCiuu-
Ing the German goods. gave "A little better prolec
ton in that they permitted me con y
TO make at least living wages. That pTotec'lo III
ADEQUATE AZ IL was saved the Industry from defn'll-
zion nj the hands of the German manuia ,tur.rs;
The present proposed reduction In the wilson blii
will facilitate entry OF German goods lhat inns ~
true is demonstrated by these facts. which me
Free Traders have been and are unable 10 dispute
4 foreWoman in Germany receives MARKS Vi -
a week in Troy she gets Sl2 or sll ana upwhru. y
German engineer gets 10 marks week "nle
the Trojan gets $l2 to sl5 The cost OF ironing me
goods in Germany Is equal 10 the Troy crsl, De
cause there they iron by hand, while here nachhes
are used The Troy girls make thfee,tour'hs n,ore
wages than the German workers. whose average
wages are from 81 a to s. 90 Week IN T,aSs gov
they get the equivalent OF 81 a week In the rae
tory OF Cuett. Coon * Co. in this city. me hV"t
are wages paid are s. II for each person IN loS1
there was a great strike here, during when az,
the factories suspended operations Up 70 tnau
time Troy had a monopoly OF the "orlh COLA, on, |,
trade With the strike came the discovery 'na'
The German goods could be imported ahi ,he c r.
shit seriously crippled the American INDUSTRY. ~,
1;nrman collars including freight ana hU'y can pc
sold here for II cents. less per cent vn'r ,.e
Troy goods showing an equal amount OF Jill.
cost 70 make 81 cents. Another brand OF perihi'
make which duty paid. can ie = pa IN thls cgui1-
trv for 81 Al a dozen, costs The TROY Iriis 81 ~
nIout co per cent Of the collars OF TROY are soln
Tor Il 10 dozen The average proht is y PER crh.
In this city the greatest hostility Is ina'illcseru
toward the proposed measure. The cOllar ,hctoI
employes are exerting themselves. Gnn VIII sei,u
10 Congress a monster protest against lhr pa
~ the hill Senator Murphy has large MONEY! III
terests that will be seriously affected by IN" ~" u
Il should become "a law. This, coupled WIN tn' m
Huence of the collar employees has actuateu, MN
TO assume an attitude of antagonisn 10 the p"'