Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-06-07
WOOLEN WORKERS.
FOREIGN GOODS ENOUGH TO IN.
JURE $4,000 HANDS.

Over Five Hundred Factories May
Close Their Doors-A Reduction
Of 100000, 900 in the Amount of
Wages to Be Earned" "Letting
Ourselves Out" Of Work With q
Vengeance.
summary of the value of our i'm
ports of oil woolen goods during Jan
rAry and February since the wooden
schedule of the new tariff went into
effect, compared with our imports
during the corresponding months o
year earlier, is as follows:
IMPORTS OF wooLEN GOODS
January and February.
1894. 1895. Increase,
Value -. 49, $780, ,431 81. .940,39O $s,41O, $50
1t appears that during the two
months wo have bought So, All, 900
worth more Of foreign wooden goods
this year. This increase is at the rate
of over $50, 900, 900 year.
According to the census of 1890, the
product value of oil woolen and wor-
sted manufactures in the United States
was 8212, 700, 900 year.
II is thus clear that the increase in
our imports of woolens under the
present tariff is almost equal to one
half of tho entire product of our own
woolen and worsted mills in 1890.
This is very serious matter for our
1450 woolen manufacturers to con-
slider.
In 1890 there were 122,944 hands
working in our woolen and worsted
factories. They earned over $44, 000,-
600 year. An increase in our i'm
ports of foreign woolens at the rate of
more than $50, 100000 year meaus
that the earning power of the workers
in our wooden and worsted mills must
be reduced by nearly $20,000,000 a
year, unless there should be sudden
/ demand for the larger quantity of for
eign goods that We are buying over
end above the regular supply from our
own mills. We do not believe that
.Ais is the case. The outlook is Sc
rious one for our wage earners as we'll
as for the mill owners.
If the output of our mills be de-
creased by $50,000,000 q year, then
the cost of production will be higher
for those goods that are sold. The
greater competition at the same time
must make profits smaller.
If our imports of foreign woolens
and worsteds be increased by more
than $50, ,00o,O year, and our mills
are compelled to restrict their output
by that amount, then fully $50 out of
our 1450 factories will be closed. In
stead of there being S44, 900, 900 OF
wages earned and circulated, there
will only be $25, 100000 earned and
circulated, thus injuring local trade
where the factories are established.
The process of letting ourselves out
SO as to reach the markets of the world
must result in also letting out the value
OF our capital employed in our own
WOODEN and worsted mills. Its earn
ing power will be less. 1t will also
result in letting $4,000 hands out OF
Job and it will also result in not let
ting ont for circulation nearly S20,-
900, 900 Of wages year. The evil re-
suits of free wool have not yet been
fully experienced.
Those who are in any way interest
ed in the manufacture of American
woolens should study the following
table. which gives the quantities of
the different leading articles imported
during the first six months of the
present tariff as compared with the
corresponding six months year
earlier:
QUANTITIES OF IMPORTS oE MANUFAcrUREs OF
WOOL,
September to March
Articles. 1Soi-95. 1s93-9i. Increase.
Carpets and
sd. yls. 1886 153.9S5 1851
Cloth, lbs 10 ,069,274 3l66,990 6,902,2S4
Dress goods,
women's aud
yis. $500. II 1868, $50 9,Gil,32s 2,224 531
Dress goods,
lbs. 49,. 5.966,02l ...... 5,966,O
Rags, mungo, 49,
focks, noils,
shoddy and
. wastes, lbs. 1,07S,381 33.7S4 1,O39,597
Yarns, lbs. :. s3S,45i 259.4S9 57S.9Gj