The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-07-28
The Menace of Free Trade.

| Utcd idlu OH IOU operatives, anu hODtr
Middleton, the president of the company
announced that a further reduction of thu
company's working force was not improb
able. The company has for some time beer
employing about 1000 hands.
To what straits four months of democracy
have reduced the manufacturing interests o
the United States is indicated by the cOndi
ton in which the Globe Wooden Company
finds itself according to the statements made
by President Middleton to Utica Press in
terviewer, for the Globe Company is repre-
sentative of all the large textile establish
ments throughout the country.
The reason for the reduction of the work
ing force was given by President Middleton
to he:
"There is the trouble in the money
market, to begin with. That affects bust
ness everywhere. 1t makes sales slow.
Merchants are buying only as they actually
need goods. They are not stocking up.
| Another thing that affects manufacturers is
the uncertainty as to the tariff. Nobody
knows what the democratic congress will do
with the tariff. We expect, however, that
the tariff on woOlens will he swept away.
That Is what we must expect from the
declarations that the democrats have made.
We are not buying any wool and are not
selling any goods. We are simply working
up the stock we have on hand. Other
manufacturers are doing the same. We had
much rather keep the mills running with a
full force, but the situation of affairs COM
pels us to proceed cautiously. We don't
want to buy any wool If in few months
the tariff is changed SO that it will be IL
cents per pound cheaper. Merchants do
not want to buy cloth at present prices
If in short time they can buy imported
goods for less money. 1t is the uncertainty
that is stagnating business. What this
country needs is settled business policy.
This is the only country where politics has
any effect on business. In England, Ger
many and other countries it makes no differ
ence which party is in power, business
interests are not disturbed"
"What will be the result, do you think, il
the tariff on wooden goods is removed?"
''We will have to reduce our prices to
meet those of foreign manufacturers. 1t
costs us. on an average, 81 per yard to
manufacture where it costs the English IS
to 40 cents. If the tariff is taken away
wages must be reduced. There can be no
dc 60
money we must pay less wages. The out
look for labor the next two or three years is
not very bright in my estimation"
IF you had free wool and duty on man
ufactured goods, wouldn't that be all right?"
"The wool growers wouldn't stand that.
They would say if we had free wool they
should have free cloth. Besides, that would
kill the wool growing industry here, and
eventually the price of wool would be as
high as BEFORE"
1t is the menace of free trade that appals
the confidence, even of the most optimistic,
in the immediate future of American indus
try.
On the eighth day of November, 1892,
when the people of the United States de-
cided in favor of tariff-smashing, the coun-
try was prosperous. Labor and capital had
never been more fully employed. Manu-
facturers were troubled over the problem of
how to fill, rather than to secure, orders for
their goods. Profits on manufacturing were
good. In many sections of the east double
sets of hands were engaged in supplying
the demand for goods of domestic manufac-
ture-day forces and night forces. Wages
had never been higher; never before COM
manded more of the necessities, comforts
and luxuries of life.
The people insisted on change, and they
have it.
How different the prospect today from
last November! FOrebodings of disturb
ance, disaster and distress prevail among
intelligent manufacturers and wage workers
throughout this section of the country.
They can see nothing ahead, except what
George M. Pullman terms Jacksonian hard
times. They can look upon the free trade
rabble which will gather at Washington in
September only as common dsturbers,
bound to smash the tariff in the interest of
the importers of the northeast, who con-
tributed so heavily toward the success of
Cleveland and tariff reform last November.
and the plantationists of the south, who
want the cheap goods of England in ex-
change for their cotton. They believe that
the southern democrats will insist Oh and
compel an enforcement of the democratic
free trade declaration, and that the dough-
face democrats of this section of the coun-
try, who affect to regard as unlikely the
redemption of ante-election pledges will be
as mere putty i'm the hands Of the Southern
ers. They look to the closing of factories,
furnaces and workshops, to reduction of
wages, to labor troubles, even to soup
houses and relief work of a public nature.
However, the people voted to smash the
tariff. They insisted on taking dose of
free trade. They are likely to get it. They
are likely also to be desperately sick.
=