The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-05-31
MAKING Miscnise.


AnJary Done 10 Oar IRdus,rlss ~ rhane-
Ing abe Iarln.
Two causes OF apprehension IN the
textile manufactures arc mentioned ~
trade journals the frequency az.
strikes. pats 'cnlarly In wooden mills,
and the frc' lenry and Importance OF
cancellations Both are evidences Of
the incaieplsole injury done by the
change in the tariff. II isimportant to
understand tasse movements, because
they show the working Of causes not
by any means confined TO textile cs-i
Adjustments.
The cancellations are partly nnwar-
ranted and essentially dishonorable.
Having given orders to domestic man
ufacturers some months ago. in order
TO secure the goods they expected to
need, some buyers now cancel these
orders and refuse 70 take the goods he
cause they find that they can buy at
less cost similar foreign goods. which,
though not of as good quality, may
nevertheless be made mn aud sold as
readily. 50 that the consumer will be
defrnudcd. This is one side OF the
case, and the large importatious OF
goods, mainly composed of shoddy.
which are so destitute of wearing dual.
tiles that it il often easy 20 put the
finger through them, show plainly
enough what sort of stuff some cloth
iers are prefcrring. But on the other
side there is "a desperate effort made
by some of the manufacturers to rival
the sliodly users of Europe in their
own field in order TO produce goods
here AS chcaply aS those offered by for.
eign makers. Beyond question some
makers have been turning ont poorer
goods than they ever sold before, only
because they have been forced to make
such goods or lose their home market.
Thus the consumer Is robbed both
ways. getting poorer stuff for his
money when lie buys such American
goods rs have deteriorated in quality,
or such foreign goods as are sent here
to capture this market.
The trouble about wages springs
from the general impression among
employees that when manufacturers get
orders they get profits. Bnt in times
like these that is by no means true.
Very often manufacturer has orders
that only suffice TO keep his mills at
work part time, which, owing to the
increased cost of production under
such circumstances, he cannot take
without loss, unless he can somehow
contrive 10 keep the works fully en-.
ployed. With that object. and in or
der to retain his market as fur as pos
sible, he accepts enough other orders
TO keep his works employed. though
these other orders may not by them.
selves yield anything but loss The
average for the whole output. he calcu-
lates, inuy yield something above bare
cost, with labor at the rate recently
prevailing. But when the hands de-
mani a restoration of wages To the
rates paid before the prostration, the
naked question for the manufacturer is
whether he shall rus his mills Mt GER
tain and often large loss or not run
them at ALL
The wages and prices prevailing two
and three years ago were so closely ad.
justed to each other that only moder-
ate profits were realized in well-man-
aged and successful mills. The home
competition was 50 sharp and severe
that works which were not well man
aged rarely realized any profit, and
large-number of them were forced into
bankruptcy or compelled to stop, even
in those years Of prosperity The cost
of wood in the manufacture Is. ON the
whole, less than thirty per cent, OF the
cost of goods, so that the cheapness OF
tha fnt .iuJ