The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-20
WAGES AND THE TARIFF.

The DemocYtic leaders are protest
ing against any Judgment upon the
German bill at the present time on the
ground that it has been in operation only
so short a time that the effects Of its
provisions cannot possibly be known.
While this claim may be true in regard
TO certain schedules it is manifestly
untrue in regard to others where the
duties have either been so reduced that
they no longer stand as a bar against
foreign competition or have been entirely
| removed.
One such example from many will
suffice to explain the meaning of THE
NEWS. Those who have claimed that
everything in America has been pro-
tected, but labor, little understand the
true condition of affairs. No labor in
the whole world has ever been accorded
the protection that was readily granted
under the protection system of the Re-
publican party.
Under the provisions of the German
Wilson bill the duty on bagging has
been removed. The rate under the Nc
Kinley tariff was cents per running
yard and the present price of bagging is
cents per yard. The duty was pro-
hibitiye and under it no bagging was
imported.
Thus the industry was absolutely an
American one aud thanks to the pro-
tective tariff, immense plants were
equipped and hundreds of people were
given employment.
The largest plant in the world is that
owned by the American Manufacturing
Company at Greenpoint, l.. l., and the
greater part of its employees were
women who earned an average wage of
81 per week.
The Government having reduced the
revenue the production of India Ger
many and Scotland can now come in free.
Let us examine the wage scales in these
countries and compare them with the
wage rate in the United States.
For weavers, spinners and men laborers
ten cents per day in India, 30 cents per
day in Germany and 10 cents per day in
Scotland prevail, while other classes are
in like proportion. OF course the labor
cost being the principal item the removal
Of the duty of two cents per running
yard places the American manufacturer
at tremendous disadvantage and has
already resulted in the notification 10
employees of reduction in wages.
On the first of November the Ameri-
can Mfg. Company, employing 200 hands
will shut down and whether business
is ever again resumed here depends upon
the price at which the bagging can be
brought here from abroad.
The company hopes to he able TO con- |
tinue but says that until this is learned il |
will be impossible to decide, but cit is
with much sorrow that the employees are |
notified that under the best conditions
that are hoped for it will be impossible to
rthe present rate of pay. We
can not in the face of the free import of
jute bags continue in business II we nav
our present scale Of wages. 1t is simply
a question of reduce wages or go out of
business"
This Is one from many. IL is true that
the industry may not languish and die
and 1t is equally true that this can only
be avoided 10y reduction in cost of pro-
duction and this can only be obtained by
a reduction IN wages. All over the
North are found scores Of industries
affected in like way and this ac-
counts in n large measure for
the widespread condemnation of the
GoRMAN WILSON monstrosity. HIND
reds OF thousands Of men and women
are receiving from 10 TO 40 per cent. less
money today in return for their labor
than they were under the MCKINLEY
tariff. To ask them to vote to support
the men who are responsible for the
present tariff law is to insult their in
telligence. II the protective tariff did not
as the Democrats assert that it did not
protect American labor. what did pro-
tect III Under the MCKINLEY bill high
wages; under the GoRMAN-wusoS bill.
low wages or no wages. Go tell the
wage Garner who today gets 80 per cent.
less per day than he did two years ago.
n. L.. - 4x