The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-24
WHAT FREE WOOL DID.

- pibNiNtAl btuk
on settling the poor against tho rich.
Ng4i t.si ~. d rHn
si; WHAT FREE WOOL DID.
Mr.. Bryan's Theory III 1909 and How II
Has Worked ont. ~
American Economist: / am for free wool
In order that our wooden manufacturers,
unburdened by{a tax upon foreign wool,
md unburdcnod by like tnx upon home
crown wool, may manuiaetlte for q wider
CpnEreEy,''Si ~ S9,sys: i-i x
Let us SEQ how Mr.. Bryan's theory
has worked out In practice. .7.
The comparison that we are now
making, between, the condition OF Amer,
lean wage-carners this year and In 1902
has brought us Jos reports from manu-
facturers OF wooden and worsted goods.
These reports show 'the number OF
hands employed 4 In these establish
meats two years after enjoyment OF the
protection afforded by the Mckinley
tarlft--ln July, ls9e-and two years af-
ter the enjoyment Of the greht free
trade gift Of free wool-ln July, 1906.
The results, to labor, compare as fol-
lows.
Amount
No, OF Hands employed. OF wages paid
con. July, July. July July,
Fs ie5' si,S5i l iSpS ,ss us ,sSs,G7a
Hands Idle In July, iSOG-lO,S:i. or almost
70 per cent. l99
Wages lost in July. 1896 s3is.8os. or over
. per cent, or Mt the rate OF 81, ls6, az a year
In lO5 establishments.
Average monthly wages In July, 1S92--ss20
Average monthly wages III July. lS9i-s2i.
II appears. then, that the Demo-
cratic gift OF free wool, which Mr..
Bryan advocated and voted for, Instead
OF enabling our woolen manufacturers
TO "manufacture for a wider market"
market that they used 4 to possess In
1892. so much so, that they have been
compelled to discharge almost 80 per
cent OF tkeir hands; TO reduce the av-
crage rate OF wages. by IS month
among those who were fortunate
enough to retain Jobs. and to decrease
the total pay rolls of the mills by Sc
per ccnt-at the rate OF si,196,3j2 year
In 105 factories
The report covers rather more than
one-siSth OF tho total number Of the
wage-earners In the wooden mills In 1890,
and also rather more Chan, one-slXth OF
the total amount of wages paid them In
the same year. Therefore, applying our
results TO the census figures, we find that
there were over 10000 workers in all our
wooden mills idle after two years Of the
free trade In wool experiment: also that
their total annual loss OF wages aggre-
gated at the rate OF $25000,000 year.
But the results are even worse than
this, because the effect OF the protective
tariff Of 1890 was TO largely increase the
number of our wooden mills; to largely
increase the number Of hands working In
the mills, and to largely widen the mar
ket for our wooden goods. Hence the
comparison with 1890 by no means re-
fleets Q proper comparison with the total
condition of the industry In 1892. II Is
perfectly safe to say that more than Co.
600 WOODEN workers have been OUT "f am-
ployment owing to the Democratic poll
cy OF free trade in wool, which Bryan
voted for, and that their loss OF wages
has been more than at a rate OF Se50O0,-
900 year.
But let the "object lesson" stand as 1t
Is. We2wonder how many of these idle
wooden workers believe that Bryan's lat
est theory-free sllver-will open the
WOODEN mills. They know that, under
Mckinley protection In 1892, the wooden
mills were running and the hands were
working. They know that. under Bry-
ans fee trade In wool policy, the mills
have been closed and the hands Idle.
They are satisfied with this knowledge.
They will further contrast the opposing
policies as expressed by the two candi-
dates for President of the United States:
BRYAN. 4 Mckinney.
I am for free wool" eff there is any one
industry which APP
peals with more force
~ than another for de.
fcnslvc duties 1t Is
this. We canEot AT.
ford as q nation 10
permit this industry
10 be longer Grip
pled."
Mr.. Bryan would continue existing
conditions. Mr.. Mckinley will restore