Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-04-11
STATE PRIDE HURT.
THE LOCAL INTERESTS OF PROTEC-
TON SET FORTH.
A Manufacturer Talks to His Congressman,
Dealing With Producer and Consumer
The State Value of Local Industries.
Benefit to Farmers.

Lion. y. Z. Iarsney, Washington:
MY DEAR SIR-It is said that the man
that makes two blades of grass grow
where one grew before is public bene-
factor, and if this be true, as it undoubt-
edly is, a corporation that has converted
a few hundred acres Of virtually unpro-
ductive farming land into thriving
manufacturing village, giving support
and employment to 5000 people, is GER
tainly benefactor to the state and
county in which such industry is located.
Now, the simple fact is that where
Crystal City is located was formerly a
sparsely settled farming community,
with one country store, the annual sales
of which represented an aggregate of not
over So, 600 or 81, 600, with no market for
the farmers produce other than was to
be found in the exchange of that produce
for such ''store goods" as his family re-
CURED for the year.
AT this same place we now have sub
stantial buildings covering 40 acres of
ground and in these buildings furnaces
and machinery which have produced
product the sale Of which since 1877,
when our works were first started, has
brought into this state the enormous sum
of SO 900 900; or, to be more exact, up
to the 30th day of August last the sum Of
SO, 87S, 976 08, not dollar Of which would
have come into this state but for the ex-
istence of our works at Crystal City.
1t is reasonable to suppose, and I be-
lieve it to be fact, that the larger por-
ton of this additional wealth thus
brought into our state has been distrib-
uted among the various other mercantile
and manufacturing interests, chiefly here
in st. Louis, that furnish the personal
and household supplies required by our
employees, as we'll as such articles as we
ourselves use in the course Of our bust
ness.
Not only this, the farmers all around
our works now have regular and steady
market at st. Louis retail cash prices for
all Of the produce they choose to raise
chickens, eggs, butter, pork, -four, hay,
corn, oats-in fact, everything that a
farm produces-while the taxes we have
paid in Jefferson county have enabled
its officials to reduce the rate of assess
ment, and at the same time have assist
ed in providing such increase in the
school fund as has enabled the commits
sioners to extend the means of educa-
ton.
Other counties north, south and west
of US remain just as they have been for
years past, simply because OF the absence
of just some such industry as we have
D1anted in Jefferson county
Now as to the consumer of plate glass.
Our records show that we are today
getting for our glass just 20 per cent less
than we received for it 10 years ago, and
this is explained by the introduction of
improved methods Of manufacture.
All the materials we use are now OBJ
tanned either in our own state or in this
country with the single exception OF
soda ASH which we have to import, and
the duty on which, upon the amount we
annually use, equals from $1,000 to
$4,000
We do not ask that this duty shall be
removed or interfered with one particle,
because by reason Of this duty some of
our countrymen are now establishing
plants for the manufacture Of soda ash
in the United States, the successful de-
velopment and operation of which will
ultimately bring about such g produc-
ton Of domestic soda ash as will enable
US to get it relatively as much cheaper
in the near future as we are now furnish
ing plate glass to consumers II the same
protective policy is continued with re-
spect to soda ash as has been in force
with respect to plate glass, In other
words, we wish to see American indus
tries developed to the fullest extent, be-
lieving the ultimate result to be reduc-
ton of cost III each case to the consumer.
AS a practical illustration of this, in
addition to plate glass, you will be inter-
ested in knowing that when we first
! started our works we had to import our
felt, for polishing the glass, from Eng
land at cost of $1.25 to 81. so per pound.
The protection given this industry in
America during the last 10 years has en-
abled those engaged in it to so develop
! it that at the present time we buy Amer
lean made felt Of just as good quality as
| that made in England at about 70 cents
a pound, or a reduction Of nearly one
half of what we formerly paid.
i dS5u1G OI III dill SlIICCl1Uy UIldU lily
statement to the ommittee-namely,
that any reduction in the rate Of duty on
plate glass must inevitably result in
reduction Of wages paid our employees
| is an absolute fact, as we have come to
the end, in the way of reducing cost, in
every other direction, and you know
what this would mean quite as well as I
! do, notonly to US, as manufacturers, but
| to the country at large and more espe-
cially to the party by whose action such
reduction Of wages would be rendered q
necessity.
Do not understand me for one mo-
ment, however, as urging you to con-
slider this matter from partisan stand
point. I simply ask you rs matter of
state pride, and more particularly be-
cause of the enormous benefits our in
dustry has conferred upon large num-
| Der Of the people of our state. to do what