The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-10-24
TIE RECORD OF RUN.
New York Sun Sheds Light on
the Wilson Tariff.
TALKS WITH BUSINESS MEN IN the EAST.

The Wool and Glass Industries Are He.
ing Ruined by the Democratic Tari0
Tho Results Of the Wilson Bill Terri
BILE and widespread-Outlook For Some
Branches of woolen Industry Gloomy.
The natural inference from the in.
crease in imports under the Democratic
tariff, is orippling Of American indus,
tries, and the inference is amply borne
out by the facts. Selecting the woolen
industry as the most conspicuous suf-
ferer, a Sun reporter talked with mum.
Der oil manufacturers and merchants in
woolen goods. They all bore testimony
to The disastrous effect of the new tariff.
Ever since the Wilson bill was passed
they have aimed to meet the cheap for.
eign competition so far as possible and
to cease producing where they felt COM
petition to be impossible. The present
Situation was largely discounted in adj.
vance, but the damage is even greater
than was anticipated. Mills that had
started up hopefully with the advent Of
autumn have been closed down, and
others will probably follow in short Or
der. The outlook for some branches of
the woolen industry in this country is
most gloomy.
The foreign competition is felt most
keenly in the cheaper grades Of meh's
wear and dress goods. Shoddy, for in.
stance, the English manufacturers are
able to make much cheaper than the
Americans. Cheap woolens are being
imported in enormous quantities. The
country is overrun, the manufacturers
say. with agents for the importing
houses. A commercial traveller for an
American house reported that In Boston
one day last week he had counted no
less than "a drummers for foreign goods
at work upon the merchants Of that
city. Some Of the American manufao-
turers are determined to drive out this
foreign competition if possible by cut
ting their prices below the cost of pro.
duotion. Already the prices in some
lines have aDou" reached bedrock.
A manufacturer showed the reporter
piece of all.wool mems wear now sell
ing at so cents yard. A suit of
clothes contains from three to three and
half yards. 80 that the material for an
sale for Jess than So. OF course mixed
cotton and wool goods are cheaper sti.!,
but they are not cheap enough to avoid
the effect Of the new competition. It is
only in the higher priced goods that the
American manufacturer is able to hold
his own, but with returning prosperity
just beginning to be felt, it is the
cheap grades that are in demand, and
there is comparatively little sale for the
others.
Killing the Woolen business.
A member of big woolen firm said
to the reporter: "The Wilson tariff is
causing very great damage to the woolen
industry in America. Everybody is re-
fusing to buy American goods. This is
especially true of dress goods and mems
wear. know Of at least two woolen
mills that shut down last week. We
have just been feeling an improvement
in the times, owing to the people having
work. If they are to be again thrown
out of work through mills closing down.
the hard times will return, and it would
seem only good sense to supply it and at
the same time to open the American
factories by giving us adequate protec-
ton. The advantage to the consumer
in buying cheap English goods is a
doubtful one. They are now bringing
in large quantities Of low-grade shoddy,
such as American manufacturers have
never made and practically know moth.
ing about"
The manager Of large woolen factory
said: ''The American mems wear in
dustry is in dangerous condition owing
to the changes made by the Wilson act.
I have very serious fears for the future
of one of my mills, although we have
not had to close down yet. as number
of others have. In the dress goods in
dustry the situation is nearly as bad.
The importers are in clover. I never
saw them feeling SO confident as now.
The great danger is that the fever will
run away with them, and they will i'm.
port for stock to such an extent that
they will have to sell at a sacrifice in the
spring."
This will afford species of cutthroat
competition that will be still more dis
astrous for the American mar ufacturer.
| lUt SCItlu0 VI 10
constantly by the importers. lean DEM
onstrate this by personal experience.
Although am not regularly in the i'm
porting business, determined last sum
mer to make some importations in order
to test import valuations. l went to
France and tried to buy goods at the
prices to be found in importers invoices,
but prices were everywhere higher by
several centimes. Imperfect admins
tration of the tariff is as much to blame
for our troubles as the reductions in the
tariff itself"
Fatal to Glass.
Another industry which may be taken
as an example of the way in which the
Wilson tariff affects American manu-
featuring where duties have been low
cred is the production of glassware.
| 2aid the oppnt for q Wal1 known fac.