Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-09-13
WAGES COMING DOWN.

WAGES COMING DOWN.
Bene1ciaries Of ncKinleyism Drawing In
Their Lines.
Some of the principal benefciAries
of McKinleyism are now threatening
to reduce wages to an extent which
will give them q much wider margin
of profit under the new tariff than
they had under the old. They threaten
to throw not only the entire reduction
Of duties. but much more than the en-
tire reduction, upon wages.
For instance, the manager Of the
Aurora cotton mills in this state is
quoted as saying: 1.-THE Mckinley
tariff was IS per cent sd valorem and
the new bill is Is per cent, a reduc-
ton of 10 per cent. We have reduced
wages 10 per cent. to meet this and
hope to be able TO get along without
/, rther reductions, but cannot tell
until we come to market the goods and
. strike balances" In this case an
..ueged reduction of 10 per cent in the
tariff has already been met by reduc-
ton of 10 per cent. in wages, and there
IS hint at still further reduction.
1t is assumed, to begin with, that a
reduction of ten points in the rate Of
duty will bring down the price of
competing goods 10 per cent. and
force down the price of like domestic
goods 10 per cent. This can hardly
deceive any working man or woman
who has had the benefit of a common
school education. The deception is
too transparent.
h,,s- dc
costing 81 abroad. If the duty is SIS
per cent, the cost after importation,
duty paid, is s1.35. If the duty is 25
per cent, the cost, duty paid, is s1.25.
The difference is 10 cents on 81. IS. or
per cent The tricky mill boss referred
to proposes to increase his profit by
taking from his operatives ~ per
cent. more than the entire reduction
in cost Of the foreign article duty paid.
The Aurora mill boss makes an adj
mission which should open the eyes of
his operatives. He says:
We reckon it by the pound. Our L. L. goods.
four yards to the pound, cost US cents q
pound for labor to manufacture. In England
they pay for labor to make the same class OF
goods only cents o pound. This gives them
an advantage Of l cent yard for goods that
make four yards to the pound. This 25 per
cent tariff Just covers the cost of the differ
ence paid for the labor to make the goods.
So it is admitted that the new rate
covers the entire difference in labor
cost. 1t is. therefore, just right ac-
cording to the Minneapolis republican
platform. But the statement Of this
mill boss in regard to labor cost does
not correspond with the facts as stated
by James G. Blaine as secretary of
state under Garfield. after a careful
investigation by the state department.
According to the Blaine report the
labor cost of cotton goods is no greater
in this country than in England. but
in reality somewhat less. Accepting
the official report instead of the indi-
vidual statement of an interested
party, no tariff is needed to cover
difference in labor cost And yet it Is
proposed to take 81 per cent. more
than the entire reduction of the tariff
out of wages. In fact, it has been
done by the Aurora concern.
1t is reported that the New Jersey
pottery bosses propose to reduce wages
twenty per cent, including reduction
already made, which is considerably
more than the reduction of the tariff
Oh competing wares. And the window
glass bosses are threatening a cut of
thirty per cent, q at least six per
Cent. hore than the entire reduction
of competitive prices by the lower
rates.
Ali these bosses ignore the fact that
there was no increase in wages, but in
many cases decrease, after the pas
sage of the Mckinley bill with its
higher rates. There was nothing for
the workmen in the higher rates.
The bosses pocketed everything. And
now that rates are lowered they pro-
pose to pocket still more by cutting
wages more than the entire cut in
prices resulting from lower duties.
And all this is done not in the ex-
pectation that wages can be kept down
for any length of time. 1t is done to
influence the votes of the men and, if
possible, restore the Mckinley party
to power and get back the old plumber
ing scale OF duties. The depression
consequent upon the republican silver
panic favors their scheme for the mo-
ment, but that will soon pass away
and with it the forced reduction Of
wages
The proper response to the BULLDOG
ing bosses would be the passing of
bill sweeping away the protective du-
ties altogether. That would serve
them right for reducing wages SO far
as to increase their gains, even under
the lower duties, and for attempting
by reduction of wages to restore the
Mckinley party to power and to Sc
cure for themselves a restoration of
the full benefit of the Mckinley law.
Such arrogant products of protection
ism are entitled to no consideration
whatever.-Chicago Herald.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
The humming of the industries
ma thew resume ODeratiOnS will he sure