Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-07-26
A Tariff Lesson
From our Berkshire NeIghbors over i'm
Adams, Mass.

Adams, Mass.
The Freeman OF Adams, Mass, pub
fishes a bit of local tariff history, the sig
nifcance of which is so apparent that it
needs no argument or comment. When
the Mckinley bill increased the tariff on
fine cotton lawns the Berkshire Cotton
Manufacturing company was started at
Adams with a capital stock of 100000.
At the time it built its first mill it could
not obtain proper machinery in this coun-
try and it was obliged to turn thousands of
dollars into English pockets. But the pro-
lection which the Mckinley tariff gave to
the manufacture of fine lawns gradually
enabled the American mills to compete
successfully with the products of foreign
manufactures, and there was developed in
this country so much activity in this branch
of the cotton industry that there was consid-
cradle demand for machinery used in the
manufacture of this class of goods. The
Berkshire mill prospered, and when it was
decided to increase its plant to the value of
100000 by the erection of another mill
it was possible to procure most of the ma
chinery in this country and England was
deprived of considerable American money.
This was a great victory for McKinleyism
in that the protective tariff had not only
fostered the manufacture of fine lawns in
the face of foreign competition, but it had
encouraged the construction in this coun-
try of the machinery required for making
this grade of cottons. AS the Freeman
well says: at was a triumph for American
labor over foreign competition in the home
market, and it was indeed fitting that the
dedicatory speech at Mill No. ? was deliv-
cred by Gov. Mckinley"
At this point in the history of cotton
manufacturing there came change. Bus
mess distrust and a consequently alarming
depression accompanied the advent of the
Southern tariff reformers" into power.
Adams suffered like every other manufact-
uring community from the blight of this
wild sectionalism. Ginghams, in particu-
lar, received a sharp setback, though every
branch of industry was more or less demon
allied by the fanatical free trade ideas of
the PERFORMERS" The tariff on fine cot
tons was not materially affected by the Cor
man bill, and with the return of Republi-
cans to power, assuring the markets of no
further attacks upon American prosperity,
the mills once again began their work.
But there was one great difference. The
tariff rates on the cotton machinery had
been reduced % per cent. When the
Berkshire company again decided to double
its plant, by the erection of a mammoth
million dollar mill, contractors from all
parts of this country and England sought
the profit of providing the mechanical
equipment. The new tariff put too severe
a handicap upon the American contractors,
however, and John Hetherington IL Sons
of Manchester, Eng, will supply over
100000 worth of machinery, This is due
to the % per cent reduction from the pro-
lection which the Mckinley bill gave our
own machine builders. The remnant of
protection in the Gorman-Wilson bill
has enabled the Berkshire Cotton Manu-
featuring company to thrive, but the ma
chine manufacturers of this country lose a
third of million dollars in this one instance
by other more damaging sections of the
present tariff schedules. 1t is an eloquent
argument for high protection.