Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-05-13
MILLS CLOSING DOWN.
D1sastrous Results of EIecting . Dens-
crat I'm 1892.

crat lSt<.
The Textile Manufacturers Journal,
after making an investigation of the
condition of the wooden and worsted
Industries, shows with a'comprehensive
table the terrible injury wrought by
the Wilson law. Letters were sent to
mill owners asking chow many cards
or looms are in operation; what is u
full complement of employees; how
many people are employed at the pres
ent time; how many hours n week con-
stitute full time; how many are you
running now; how does your paw roll
compare with that of 1892"
The answers received from 432 mills
afford another arraignment of free
trade laundering. OF the ESQ wooden
mills that replied 131 were running on
full time, Ga were closed entirely. and
OIL were running on fractional time.
Out of n total capacity of 1852 looms,
11,5OS were still in operation. but run
ming only on an average of 40 hours "A
week, equivalent TO 9,39s looms run
ming on full time. Only 27,206 people
were employed, a full force being ~ PSF.
The pay rolls show reduction from
1892 OF ISIS per cent.
dress-goods business that were heard
from l.o3S were in operation, but run
ming only &c per cent. of full running
time, equivalent to 1907 looms on full
time.
Seventeen carpet mills. having 1926
looms, were operating only 1,s02, but
running only 60 per cent. of full time,
equivalent To 1.573 looms on full time.
IL was reported that ,119 out of ], AGO
looms were running on blankets and
fiannels. but only 71.5 per cent. of full
time, equivalent to i,04G looms on full
time.
In shawl mills only 2o.3 per cent. of
the looms were running on full time:
yarns, only els per cent. of cards and
combs on full time; knit goods, Sc per
cent.
The pay rolls of these 432 mills. COM
pared with 1892, the dreadful protec-
ton year, show the following average
reductions Ivy Industries: Woolens.
ISIS per cent; dress goods, % per cent :
carpets, $50 per cent; blankets and
fannels, 1919 per cent; yarns, 1915 per
cent; knit goods. 49, per cent.
A summary of the condition of these
tirely, two running 81 hours n week.
IL running 80 hours week. nine run
ming 4S hours week. Is running 10
hours week, 81 running 40 hours a
week, 81 running 30 hours a week. eight
running 20 hours n week. and two run
ming fifteen hours week The total
number of men employed is $4,000.
against the full complement of II 500.
We think that, if our Wilson law
advocates ponder deeply over this stu
alton, they will discover why there is
no market in this country under n free
trade law. when protection gave MS
plenty of buyers at good prices. There
Is no market because in these 1872 mills
alone there are 22,59O less people en-
ployed than there were in 1892 When
people cease to earn money they cease
10 spend il. II we find that in ONLY n
part of the wooden and worstcd indus
tries 22,OOG people who are capable of
earning their livings are out of work.
how many tens of thousands more must
there be. for out of the thousands of
manufacturing industries in the United
States the Textile Manufacturers Jour
nal has reports from only 1872.
Nor is this all of this sorry condi-
ton, for, as the Textile Manufacturers
journal points out, many of the mills
now classed as in full operation have
already announced that they will soon
shut down completely.
And these are the blessings of the
Wilson law! May we be spared for many
generations from another such plague
as has inflicted this country since an
lneNplicable madness drove the people
to elect Grover Cleveland and a free
trade congress in 1s92!-N Y. Press.