Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-06
Hasty Conclusions.

That there should be hasty conclusions
on the part of the Democratic press reia-
tive to the effects of the tariff was to be ex-
pected 1t was manifestly unsafe for
them to wait until the fruits OF the law
should ripen. It was SO much easier to
predict an excellent harvest than to ex-
cuse it after it had been gathered. And
so it Is not strange that certain FREQ
trade editors have essayed to tell US that
the wooden manufacturer was receiving
great benefits from the low tariff on for
eign woolens and some have had the
hardihood to intimate that the wool grower
was delighted with the prospect of selling
his wool at less than cost. Of course such
conclusions were hasty but 1t seemed idle
to combat them when they were sure to be
disproven to the satisfaction of the very
people whom it was the purpose of the
writer to mislead. And In this connection
some facts Of interest relative to the
wooden industry have come out In some
what roundabout way. One Of the Boston
papers assuming that the Olneyville
strikers had right to expect increased
wages beca use wages had been raised at
Fall River and New Bedford has called
forth communication from gentleman
presumably interested in or at least fami-
liar with the Olneyville mills. This com
no hat nd
coming from an interested party but his
conclusions respecting the tariff are not
hasty and are borne out by the facts. In
this communication to the Boston Tran
script we quote the following which may
be of interest:
II don't think you would Intentionally
mislead your readers, but you ought not
to have called the wooden mill to account
for not increasing wages, because they
had been advanced in the cotton manufac-
turing towns of Fall River and New Bed
ford.
1t may seem strange to you that the
wooden industry cannot advance wages,
but they simply cannot You say that
no less than sixteen staple commodities
are higher in price than week ago. but
neither wool nor woolens arc among
them. No industry was struck SO hard
by the Wilson tariff, and it is now NIP
and tuck" between the foreign manufac-
turer and the American, as to who shall
get the business. The American-and
at Olneyville-is striving with free wool
and lower priced labor than of old, to keep
out the foreigner; and this competition
h<, ihnd In,
still another editorial, referring to the
Harwich (Scotland) manufacturer, who,
you say, has failed to dispose of his Glow
priced rubbish" Do you think they can
outwit the Yankee In tho way of rubbish?
If we must have this kind of stuff, of
course, we all patronize home markets.
We get just as good goods from abroad as
we got here, and vice versa. This state
nent of course, holds good on medium
priced fabrics; for fine goods, the extra
skill acquired by more experience and
lower priced labor of foreign countries,
beat US out Of sight.
What is said about some branches of
manufacture reaching out for foreign
market" does not apply to woolens. AL
though Mr.. Bleakie, hitherto supposed
to be an authority on woolens, predicted
that he could conquer the world" I'M
der the Wilson bill, results have proved
that his brain was distorted In his en-
thusiasm for the Cleveland tariff reform
income tax craze.
Well paid labor is the keynote for sue
cess of all business in this country. l be-
lieve in 1t and practice it, as my pay roll
will show, and so do nearly all manufac-
turers and merchants: first because to
live and let live is right; secondly from
selfish standpoint. business is no good
without it.