The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-26
INJURED BY JAPAN.
$4,000 Workmen Lose Employ
ment in Silk Industry.
FREE SILVER NO REMEDY.
sIIk Handkerchiess No Longer Msde In
the United states Il
to Be Donee



week. has attracted attention all over the
country. Mr.. Dobson, IL will be recalled.
gave vivid picture Of the depression In
three American indpsfr.es-ihose of wool
en-, silk and cotton manufactures. He at
tributed this phenomenal depression.
which has thrown thousands of American
workingmen out of employment. and
caused tncalculzble distress to the fami-
lies of those wage-earners. not only TO the
reductions of the protective duties under
the present Democratic tariff law. out
also TO the invasion Of our wooden. silk
and cotton markets by Japanese products.
made by cheap labor and imported under
q great advantage because Of the differ
ence OF exchange between our gold stand
ard and the Oriental silver standard. Mr..
Dobson advocated as remedy both higher
customs duties and international bi-mst-
tailism.
With the purpose Of ascertaining how
Mr.. Dobson's views had impressed the silk
trade Of this country. the Mail and Ex-
press representative procured an interview
with MIR. William Strange, of New York.
who Is a vice president of the Silk Associa-
ton Of America. and silk manufacturer
Of wide knowledge and long experience.
Mr. Strange said 10 me that he had read the
interview with Mr.. Dobson in the Mail
and Express with much interest. and he
HAu He6Fu fuucn comment upon tldt poE-
ton Of Mr.. Dobson's statement which
treated of the existing depression in tne
silk industry.
The Present Condition.
In reply to request that he describe
the present condition OF the silk industry
in this country, Mr.. Strange said:
In 1898 staple silk goods were extern
sively ia demand. Trade was brisk, and
factories were running TO their full limit
OF production Today stocks have accu-
INFLATED in the hands of iobbers, and. to
a less extent. In the hands of retailers
The result ia that now, while selling to a
certain extent. staple silks do not find a
ready market. This condition has OBJ
tanned ever since last October. Those who
are holding stocks of last fall wish to get
rid of those goods before making further
purchases. and are now reassorting only
as different wilkins and shades run out
There Is good demand for warp prints
this season, and they have to a certain
extent taken the place of staples
Staples IL should be explained Is a
trade term meaning satins, gros grains
and watered goods.
In reply to question as to the propor-
ton OF silk looms now idle in this country
MT Strange declined TO give exact figures
Il am sure. however" he said. that pos
sibly two-thirds and certainly over one
half OF the silk ribbon looms in the coun-
try are idle. and over one-half of the
looms making broad silks are also idle."
AS viii be seen. this rough estimate
made by Mr.. Strange is more than con-
firmed by the official figures given by Sec
rotary Richardson. of the Silk Associa-
ton of America.
Due to Japanese.
Mr.. Strange went on TO discuss the
causes of this appalling proportion of Idle
ness In the silk industry. In the ribbon
branch of the business. he attributed i;
TO temporary over-produc,ion. But in
the manufacture of broad silks" he added
enphatically. ''our idle looms are to be
charged wholly to Japanese competition.
In their silk manufactures. the Japanese.
as is wholly natural. have grasped fhj
easiest end of the problem first They have
not yet gone into ribbons, but IL is only
a matter of time when they will do that
also. But take handkerchiefs. for exam
pie. Why. II Is literal fact that the Japs
have wholly destroyed the manufacture OF
SIX handkerchiefs in the United States.
We cannot today make and sell a silk
handkerchief In competition with them.
The reason why? IL is simply because
first. of the low price of their labor ana
second. because their product is assessed
for duty on a silver basis. while we are on
gold basis. The duties on all silk i'm
portations are assessed upon an adj yalor
EN- basis. The value of the goods rpon
which this duty Is levied must be dxed In
the market whence they come II Is t-,Ie
that the duties are paid in gold. but the
apprafsemcnt of the goods is made IN n
market where there is a 5o-cent dollar
where as our market. where these innor.
tatiors arc sold, recognizes only the gold
dollar.
VIII Close All Looms.
Then. again, the wages of Jananese
labor are very low. If you take ,be cy-
remes or our best wages and their low
est, the difference per day is as great as
between cents silver and So 50 10 e. sroId
But that Is the extreme NevertheIess
would estimate the average difference a.,
wages as equal 10 that between, : rent,
silver and 81 gold a day. II Is hard m
put this exactly. because the Jsnar.s.
workman IS paid by the piece. where's
we pay our labor by the day. but ar,
quite sure that do not exaggsrate tn,
d'nerence IN the cost OF labor Is intensified
cy me taet tha'. while Ne have the same
raw material as have the Japanese ,hs,.
can with the skin resulting from ire ,ho,,,
sands Of years OF experience maka ~.
same product out Of inferior raw mae
rial mis- Is confession that rnieb- =.
well be made frankly. In coneh,s,o, =
say emphatcally that unless there 20 a
change In present conditions. 4. &c o,,v .
question OF time when every silk tom, .,
the United States must be STONED ara
the whole Industry transferred to lamar, %
surely THIS was statement 10 stir
both him who made Il and the readers ~
this newspaper. But Mr. Strange rro-
nourcef this prospective death warrar.
OF grea; American industry as calniv
rs sheriff would read to a Condemned
coev'ct the official rOt;ce Of his execution
\ Tariff rcsneiy.
The remedy" echoed Mr.. S.rarra ..r
recognize the haneful effect OF The Lamar
csc silver standard. hu; nevertheless
am not prepared TO accept bi-uetaliisr,
recognize thaf We. as a commercial na
,icn. mus; deal with Europe as vel, =.
with Asa | cannot see how we rs- raw.
one basis % monetary value FOR Al,
and another for Europe In ~ettlin, o,,r ~
changes onr own money must be Of on,.
value in our settlements with All re
world. In the same way Ne a-s oh,is.s
by treaty obligations to have rntforr, 60
toms duties uqon all our imports 60,
whence they nav come THEREFOR
teiisve IN maintaining our currency rDa-
tts present basis. and for the ~ssrt,e -
our six ind,Estry from determination
woad suggest n ,ariH schedule csn,bfri,-
specific 4ns sd vs'orern duties high
enough % protect labor In the mites
States froui Jspa5ese competition
The secretary 81 the Six Associate, -,
America which has its hea 7quar,.rs ~
New York. Is Nj Brston richardson NJ,
is amply qualified to speak "a ar axna-r
Mr. Richardson had read Mr. Dohsn,.s
statemsr, N The Mail ard Express. ara
many % the comments they had ex~f,ss
in other journals. Mr.. Dobsoa is 1ui-s
correct" sai9 Secretary Risha-sao-, -
his picture OF the evffs which have fai,Ar
through japanese competition. anon o,,-