River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-10-04
TARIFF REFORM"
Wages Being Reduced as a Result OF
Democratic Legislation.

A dispatch from Toledo describes
the difficulties the knitting industries
of that city and vicinity have to en-
new tariff law. The manufacturers
there viii 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 a 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 a 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 mitten in which there is a
large trade. The cost per dozen is 80
cents for wages, So cents for material.
10 cents for boxing and waste and 80
cents for selling. The total cost is
81. 10. In France, Germany and Bel
ginm the cost per dozen for the same
kind of goods is Sill, including %
cents for labor and 90 cents for ma
terial Adding to this duty of 80 per
cent. the foreign manufacturer 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 Amer can consumers in
preference to those of home make.
Undoubtedly large part of it will
have to be supplied from a reduction
in wages.
This is inevitable. The American
manufacturer cannot afford to sell at
81 goods which it costs him S1.25 to
produce. He no more will do that
than the average consumer will pay
him S1.25 for goods which another man
is willing to sell him at 81. His mater
ials will cost some less. and wages are
the only remaining item that can be
cut to meet the altered conditions.
Just how much wages will have TO be
reduced may not be ascertained for
awhile vet, but whatever be the extent
necessary il must be submitted to, or
the workers viii be minus situations
because of the inability of the employ
er to manufacture and sell his goods
at a loss.
Doubtless most of the men who must
submit to the wage reduction voted
two years ago to carry out the demo
cratic policy of tariff REFORM" as re-
quested by the demagogues who prom
Used them good wages with lower
prices for what they had to buy. Now
they are reaplng the fruit of their
blind acceptance of democratic prom
Uses 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 show S
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. VIII the adult male en-
/ DlONcS, anu the ldtHcTS anu DiObuGIc
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 flu
ture? Can they be such noodles, so
utterly idiotic. as not to learn quickly
from this bitter experience that demo-
crat rule means low wages, depressed
| industries, aud fiercer conpetitio
with European toilers and their prod
ucts? Surely large proportion of the
workers who voted the democratic
ticket in S92 will vote next time for a
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-
| ton -Chicago Tribune.