The Portland daily press., 1894-01-02
A New England Town To. day.

Within twenty miles of Hartford there
is town exceedingly well favored by
nature for the establishment of manufac-
lures; and ingenious and enterprising
men, seeing the natural advantages,
have improved them with all the skill
that science commands. Among the
many and active manufacturing commu-
mites that centre about Hartford this
has for years, and especially in recent
years, been conspicuous for its progress
and success.
A year and half ago everything there
was humming. The factories were rum
ming full time or over time, and the noise
of the wheels was Interrupted by the
hammers of carpenters who were at work
making additions to the buildings and
putting up new homes to meet the de-
fnands of the employees who had come
in in such increasing numbers as to make
tenoments scarce.
About that time the represen tatiyes
of large English manufacturing con-
Germ came to this country on business.
They had had a very important trade
with the United States, and since the
Mckinley tariff was put on they had
found it would be cheaper to manufac-
ture here than to ship here the finished
goods. So they came over and looked
over possible sites and finally decided
upon this town. They secured options
on such land as would be needed for
their factory and had, the plans made
for works that would begin BY employing
800 hands and go on to such larger pro-
portions as the growth Of the business
might justify. They made only one con-
dition before closing their trade and that
L. L. Il .4,l
the impe. ding fall elections of 1892; for
ahcy said frankly that if the Democrats
carried the country and the tariff was
repealed, they should have no use for an
American plant.
Well, the election took place, the
Democrats did carry, the country and
the transaction, by which a new indus
dred hands would have been added to
the working force of one of our lively
Hartford county manufacturing towns.
was abandoned. 1t would bee we'll, if
the losing of what it had never had were
all the harm that election did to that
town.
hut here is the situation today. Not
one OF the important concerns there is
running to Its full capacity, scarcely any
are running as much as half. their Ca
pacit, most of them are shut down.
More people are out of work there than
ever before in the history of the place,
and, instead of new tenements going up,
with q demand for them from employees
seeking homes, the question now is what
to pay the rent with and whether to live
along on hope, savings and charity, or
to drift off in the search for, work else
where
One large employer there said lately
that his former employees would, he be-
lieved, thank him if he would ask them
to come back at half their former pay,
but he was selling practically nothing
and could not afford to start up even un-
der suoh severe conditions for them. The
only demand he has for his goods which
are used in the manufacture of macnin-
cry, comes from abroad, where his cor
respondents write him foreign manufac-
turers are actively putting their mills in
order SO that as soon as the Wilson bill
passes they can dump their product On
this country. For this they are refitting
and out fitting and on this their hope Of
prospe Gritty is conferred. They are even
sending over here for what they need in
machinery.
There is no exaggeration in this story;
1t is FACT. Look at the situation today
and the situation year and half ago
and see what the free traders have done
for New England We have cited one
town, because its history happened to
ystae to hand in 8 Very direct way a
few days ago, but it is no exception in
its treub Die. 1t. stands fo- all the rest.
Hartford Courant