New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-28
FIFTEEN MILLIONS SUFFER
EFFECT OF THE WILSON LAW ON MANU-
Featuring INDUSTRIES.
NEARLY 500 100000 MORE OF FoREl'N-MApE
GOODS BROUGHT INTO THIS COUNTRY UNDER
ITS OPERATIONS THAN IN THE LAST
YEAR OF THE MKINLEY LAW.


YEAR OF THE MKINLEY LAW.
fnr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBuNEl
Washington Nov. 27.-Attention was called In TINS
eorrespondence several days 10 the fact tha'
the new tariff law operates disadvantageousV 10
the farming community Nearly one-hat OF 'he
popuaton OF the country. directly or incirecty' Is
dependent on agriculture II seems however, from
a careful study OF the workings of the law, 'hat q"
operates quite as much to the disadvantage oil inc
millions engaged In manufactures as the many mill
ions dependent agriculture. The hgures OF me
Census Bureau indicate that while practicany nan
the people OF the country are dependent on ayr
culture abou, onetourth OF the total population II
dependent on manufactures for a livelihood IL
having been shown that half OF the population de-
pendent upon agriculture has been adversely az
fected by the new tariff law Is interesting 10 i'
puire what It's effect is on the next largest ee"e"'
Of the populaton--those engaged in manufactures
OF articles produced by agriculture II was snow"
that the iporta had nearly doubled uhoer 'he
new law, while explorations had largely oee'easeu'
II now appears that similar conditions exist WIN
reference TO manufactured articles. the impor
having nearly doubled. while in many cases 'nsie 10
q marked decrease in the expectations vi couioo
1t is impossible TO enumeraie the arucies oi0"e",
into the country in competition with those engaged
an manufactures here but it is possible 10 arrange
,beno nv classes and obtain something of an idea OF
she operations of the law. Ten general classes
OF articles pretty well the important man
ufactures imported into this country IN com
petition with the manufacturers and their miii-
Ions OF employees These ten great genera c'@sseS
IRE chemicals Gotten goods, earthenware, glass
snd glassware iron and steel manufactures
leather and leather goods. silk and its manu-
faciures. textile grasses manufactured wooiiei
goods and wood and its manufactures In inc
manufacture these ten great classes are employed
the millions OF artisans through whom fuiiy TO-
$4,000 of the population become dependent accord
he asti
their means of livelihood.
Ii will not be pleasant news to these people 10
learn that the imporaons of the article or class OF
articles on whose production in this country their
livelihood depends have increased 80 per cent and in
many cases 70 100 per cent. while in a few, but
extremely important cases the increase has been
more than 200 per cent. The census report shows
Tor instance v Ipeceivinr wages Amounting to
100000 year. These people win not be pleased
creased more than % per cent uhoe tne e NEW
In the manufacture Of leather and leather goods
who drew wages In 1920 amounting 10 S2bWV,W, be
to that s more l San
per cent under the new law; But the figures show
ployed in the silk industry, who draw annual wages
amounting to over s2o0oO9oO be at all gratihed by
features has increased nearly 80 cent in the first
year of the new law Yet If they examine the ta "a ole
people engaged in furniture, and other wood
hersfrem with be- able to Gndersand Why their
wages have been cut down when they see the in
creased importation of their lines of production.
The 10000 engaged in the iron Industry.
whose wages in 1890 were S125,0NOo0, Will not be
especially gratifed to learn that the importatons
of their articles Of production have been greatly IN
creased. Nor will the 225.0J people who had salts
factory employment in the cotton goods manu-
factories in 1890, be surprised to know that their
wages cut when they learn that the importa-
lions OF cotton goods have increased nearly 90 per
cent under the new law. The 10000 persons who
drew Si5O0a000 wages in 1880 In the manufacture or
wooens and worsteds Will understand why their
wages have been cut when they see frofn~the ac-
anx-ipg tail 10
and worsted goods more than three times what
they were in the last year OF the Mckinley law.
So II seems that the 1000 900 people dependent on
the manufa curing industry for livelihood are dam
aged by the tariff lew quite seriously as the
100000 dependent upon agriculture. AS has al
ready been shown the importation Of articles OF the
class produced by agriculturists nc,eased more
1sin 100 per cent under the law in its FIRST year
From study Of the tables Glow II VIII be seen
that the importation of goods of the class produced
by American manufacturers increased nearly $780,
Obo0O in the first year of the new law IN the ten
classes named The table gives the irnpor;ations Of
these articles during the last twelve months Of the
Mckinley law, and the first twelve months OF the
Wilson law. 1t will be observed that there Is an
increase in every class the increase in many cases
being extremely large: