Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-25

Benjamin W. Greer, wooden manu-
facturer, Philadelphia, says: 1.-The
loss to the WOODEN men is beyond cal
culation. We are all bearing the
crushing blow dealt by the Wilson |
Tariff bill as best we can, but it is
not happy time for us. To pay
former wages would mean tor most |
mills to shut down Immediately"
Most of our wooden mills will be ,
compelled to shut down before the ex-
piration of 1906 The cut in the duty
on woolens was cruel and accounts
for the strikes that are constantly oc-
curing. The memorable flood of i'm
ports prevents mill owners from ad-
vancing wages. Our vast wooden in
dustries are rapidly passing into a
helpless and hopeless condition. 1t
is not astonishing that the chairman
of the National Board of Trade of
Great Britain congratulated the au-
thor of the Wilson Tariff bill upon
having done more for England than
the foremost Englishman of the CEN
tury.-New York Press.
Certain of the Trade publications
are calling attention to curious, but,
after all, an American, phase of the
working of the odious Wilson Tariff
bill. With trade Frustrated at home,
some of our most enterprising manu-
facturers have verify bearded the lion
in his den, and have actually sold
| American made shoes in Leicester.
The chance occurred owing to great
strike now going on there. and thus
made it possible for American shoe
manufacturers to obtain slight foot
hold. w. & ]. Sloane have recently
made shipment of carpets to Eu-
rope.
An extract from the monthly report
of the condition of business among
the iron and steel foundries says that
while business has not come up to ex-
pectations during the past month,
there is probably larger volume,
but at unsatisfactory prices. Some
concerns are full of won k-a dozen or
mere could be uamed in and around
Philadelphia who have orders ahead
o run two or three months. This is
a small percentage Of the whole num-
Der, but ii IS an improvement over
what it has been. and probably repre-
sents an average condition of the
country at large. Another important
matter is that foundrymen i'll their
anxiety 10 take work to fill mp their
shops are writing orders for a portion
of their output at exceedingly low
/ figures, and we believe that there is
hardly foundry Of any size that is
hot taking some business at an actual
loss, that is to say, orders are taken
without going into the question Of
cost. This fill up work is bad
feature, but is nevertheless common
occurrence.
4 A canvass Of fifteen of the largest
wooden mills in Philadelphia the past
week disclosed tie fact that not one
is running full time, nine are losing
money and six are barely making ex-
penses. One mill owner told how he
was recently approached by govern
ment official and asked to furnish
/ some facts for publication to show the
beneficent effects of running hosiery
mill under the Wilson law. AS the
balance sheet for the last six months
showed deficit, the eyes of the Dem.
ocratic official were opened. He how
ever, was not to be silenced thus, for
he Immediately said: why, you are
paying too large salaries. Cut them
down; cut them down 2"
The following from the New York
Press fully explains why wooden mills
cannot be operated without loss under
THE wilson law:
During the quarter ending Decem.
Der 81, 1884,, our imports from Great
Britain have risen to s33.soI, o82. 70,
whereas for the same quarter in I8o9
they were only szz. a35.o52. SO. an in.
crease even under the German tariff
of S6,356,o39.74 Tor three months
In January and February. 1895, oui
Imports Of wooden goods. coming
largely from Bradford. have risen from
S3,52o,43I in those two months o
1894 to 1890, 800 for tie sam,
fnonths Of 1895 net increase OF IS,
4Io.959, or over 200 per cent. This
for the year, means an increase ia
our importation of woolens alone o
$50, ooo, 600. As our domestic manu-
features Of woolens amount to SzI7,
zoe. 900 year, such an increae in i'm
poration means that fourth Of on
I.45o wooden mills must stop within
year unless our people shall con
clude to wear fourth more wooden
than they have ever worn before
which they certainly are not going t,
do. Thus the change in the wooIei
schedule effected by the German law
made to shield the Democratic part
from the disasters that would resu.
from the Wilson bill. will still cut Of
the wages of wooden workers by NOR
: staan $40. 600. 600, which. sooner o
+ Eaaer is paid out in wages indirectI
for raw materials, plant, selling an
= -serr5ce.
I'VE are importing, under the Cor
r MAN tariff twice as many carpets
three times as many pounds of cloth,
IS .ooO. 600 more in dress goods. thirty
. fold more rags, wastes, noils and shot