Huntsville gazette., 1894-09-29
THE NEW TARlrF.
Wages Being Reduced as Result q
Democratic Liquidation

1
Democratic Legislation.
A dispatch from Toledo describes
the difficulties the knitting industries
of that city and vicinity have>-to en-
counter under the operation of the
new tariff law. The manufacturers
there will have to furnish goods at
much lower prices than heretofore in
order to meet the increased foreign
competition. They may be able to OBJ
tain wool at lower figures and dye
stuffs little more cheaply than be-
fore, and perhaps make some improve
ments in machinery before the Eu-
ropean manufacturers achieve that ad-
vantage. but if by means of economies
in one or more of these directions they
cannot achieve saving equal to the
cut in the protective duties nothing
will be left but to lower the wage
scale or cease to operate the works.
+ One of the Toledo employers states
the case with reference to a certain
kind of mitteu in which there is
/ large trade. The cost per dozen is 30
cents for wages, 50 cents for material,
10 cents for boxing and waste and 80
/ cents for selling. The total cost il
81 l5 In France, Germany and Bel
| GUM the cost per dozen for the same
kind Of goods is Sill, including q
cents for labor and go cents for ma
| terial. Adding to this duty of 35 per
cent the foreign manufactures is able
to bring his product to our doors at
| 81. so per dozen. There is difference
of 65 cents which must be met in some
way or the foreign mittens will be
purchased by American consumers in
| preference to those of home make.
Undoubtedly large part Of it will
have to be supplied from reduction
in wages.
This is inevitable. The American
manufacturer cannot afford to sell nj
81 goods which it costs him Sl.2S 'n
produce. He no more will Z that,
than the average cons inner Duv
| him S1.25 for goods whica lhcthrr man
is willing to sell him at s N'a naIer
ials will cost some less ana waIr+ nre
the only remaining item that can pe
cut to meet the altered condition.
Just how much wages will have a. b,
reduced may not be ascertain fol
awhile yet, but whatever be tn est, pv
necessary it must be submitte Up. ot
the workers will be minus situa lions
because Of the inability of the employ-
or to manufacture and sell his GOOD
at loss.
| Doubtless most Of the men who aust
submit TO the wage reduction voted
f,r, 10
cratic policy of tariff reform as re
quested by the demagogues who prom
ised them good wages with lower
prices for what they had to buy. Now
| they are reaping the fruit of their
blind acceptance Of democratic prom
ises and pledges. Are they going to
vote this fall for another cut
in their wages, to be necessitated
by still greater competition from
abroad, as the party leaders intimate
| will be worked for if the country shows
its approval of what has been done
in the recent past? BY next November
the employees in the knitting industries
Of Toledo will be receiving far smaller
wages per day and week than two
years ago, or even than were paid
them just previous to the passage Of
the new law. Will the adult male em-
ployes, and the fathers and brothers
and husbands of the rest vote for can
didates whose policy has brought so
much mischief already and threatens
to deepen it if allowed to dominate the
industries of the country in the fu-
ture? Can they be such noodles, 50
utterly idictic, as not to learn quickly
from this bitter experience that demo-
cratic rule means low wages, depressed
industries. and fiercer competition
with European toilers and their prod
ucts? Surely large proportion of the
workers who voted the democratic
ticket in 1892 will vote next time for 4
restoration Of the republican policies
which gave them full work at good
wages by providing a home market
for their products and protecting that
market from undue foreign competi-
tion.-Chicago Tribune.