The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-04-06
STATE PRIDE HURT.
THE LOCAL INTERESTS OF PRorEc-
TON SET FORTH.


Hon. j. c. Tarsney, 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-
eddy 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 a 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 $4,000 or 81, 900, 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-
quired 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 a
product the sale of which since 1877,
when our works were first started, has
brought into this state the enormous sum
of $4,000, 600; or, to be more exact, up
to the 9nth day OF August last the sum Of
SO, 1878, 976.06, not a 1vilar 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 l be-
lieve it to be fact, that the larger por-
ton of this additional wealth thus
brought into our state has been distIib-
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 well 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 irregular and steady
market at st. Louis retail cash prices for
all of the produce they choose to raise
chickens, eggs, butter, pork flour, hay,
corn, oats-in fact everytihg that
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
planted in Jefferson county.
Now as to the consumer of plate glass
Our records show that we are today
getting for our glass just 70 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 III 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 81, 900 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 a produce
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 if 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 a reduc-
ton of cost in 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
~ tAlstt az Olc pACoCh1 eiAAkO VIC Ouy <AuCA-
lean made felt of just as good quality as
that made in England at about 20 cents
a pound, or a reduction of nearly one
half of what we formerly paid.
assure you in all sincerity that my
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, not0nly 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 a
necessity.
Do not understand me for one mo-
ment, however, as urging you to con-
slider this matter from a partisan stand
point. / simply ask you as a matter of
state pride, and more particularly be-
cause of the enormous benefits our in
dustry has conferred upon "a large num-
Der of the people of our state, to do what |
you can to have the present schedule ON
- a. n =.