Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-02-09
DOLCE ON FREE WOOL
HIS TARIFF LOGIC Is NOW SADLY OUT
OE REPAIR

to Retain His Protected Monopoly.
In the loud chorus Of hullabaloos
against the Wilson bill we recognize
the familiar tones of our old friend, Al
fred Dodge Of Dolgeville, N. Y, who
never misses an opportunity to adver-
tise himself and his business. Early in
December the story was allowed to leak
out that Dodge was contemplating the
removal Of his piano felt factory to
Germany If the Democrats should in
sist upon running this country by pass
ing the Wilson bill. This started q
Dodge wave, which was propagated over
the country by the Republican newspa-
pers bent on making it hot for the
free traders at Washington. It also
brought few reporters Dolge's way
and gave him an opportunity to start
another Dodge piano felt wave behind
the first. The New York Press of Dec.
8 said that Dodge was going to shut
down his factory because he could not
compete with the importers under the
Wilson bill. It continued:
"Mr. Dodge stated yesterday that as
the Wilson bill will reduce the duty on
woolens 40 per cent he must prepare to
meet this.
- shall lay off all my hands, 500 in
number, a week from next Saturday.
Then l shall take account of stock.
After that l shall, after learning the
prices for which the importers will sell
their goods, reduce the wages of my
employees sufficient to allow me to sell
at profit my manufactured goods. I
shall probably be able to resume at the
factory in month. The average sal
airy of men and boys at the mill is
about $3.50 a year. This must be re-
duced about 80 per cent. My men know
that I must make reduction and are
content. If business, however, con-
tinues bad, shall not resume at all,
but will import all my goods. l CAM
stand hard times and the Wilson bill
together"
In other interviews he denied that he
his factory with him.
On Dec. 16 the New York World said
"Alfred Dodge, proprietor of the big
Dolgeville wooden mills, announced at
the Fifth Avenue hotel last night that
his works would be practically closed
today and that about 1900 men would
be thrown out Of employment.
"'There is no politics in it, he said.
IF we had orders enough, nothing
would please US more than to keep
things humming. The preparation of
the Wilson tariff bill and the provisions
for free wool, with other features in
furious to the trade and manufacture
ing, have compelled us to stop. AS
soon as we can accommodate ourselves
to the change we shall be very glad to
start up"
1t may be mean thing to do, but
the temptation to resurrect an interview
Of 10 years ago is irresistible. It will
be seen from a few quotations from his
long interview, printed in The Musical
Critic and Trade Review, that Dodge
then held widely different views from
now, and that he was, as usual, making
capital for himself by having them pub
manufacturers who are prophesying
ruin and distress from free wool, free
raw materials and lower duties are
sincere need only compare Dolge's OBJ
viously sound arguments Of 10 years
ago with his bare statements just pub
lished to become convinced that at
least one manufacturer is either insin-
hoe IF hy,R
much protection.
About 30 years ago Dodge was ped
ding piano supplies in New York and
Brooklyn. He is now among the New
York Tribune's list of millionaires.
For 10 years he has had a practical mo-
nopoly Of the manufacture of piano felts
in this country. From 1883 to 1890 his
monopoly was sustained by duties aver
aging between 60 per cent and 70 per
cent; since then the duties have aver
aged about 80 per cent. How much
Dodge needed these duties may be in
ferred from the fact that he has had
branch stores in Europe and has sold
large quantities of felts in England and
Germany. During the last few years
Intelligent employees in Dolge's mills
assert that Dodge has been making
about 100 per cent profit on every pound
of felt sold. Of course he doesn't want
such robust profits monkeyed with by
the Wilson bill. The truth is that in
1882 and 1883 Dodge hoped to get free
wool and expected to obtain more ben
oft from fbat fbop from ,,rotootio,, 70
felts. When he saw, year later, that
free wool was long way off, he deemed
it advisable to identify himself with
the protectionists and to obtain as much
protection as possible on finished prod
ucts. He swung over and caused
great rejoicing among Republicans who
had been denouncing him as theoret
ical free trader and enemy of this coun-
try. But here is a part of the interview
in which Dodge of 1883 administers a
scathing rebuke to Dodge of 1898:
Mr.. Dolge-You ask me how I think
free trade would affect the piano and
organ trade. Well, I have carefully
studied this perplexing question for a
number of years and have finally come
to the conclusion that free trade would
benefit the manufacturing industries of
the whole country, and especially the
piano and organ trade immensely, and /
say so as a manufacturer of piano and
organ felts and an importer of piano
wire, hardware, cloth, etc.
Reporter-Why2
Mr.. Dolge-Because our present pro-
&C. 70 bn