Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-03-19
ralse statemenls Aboul the W ool Indnstry


False Statements About the Wool Industry
That radical and rabid organ of high
protective tariff taxes, tho New
York Press - Congressman Quigs's
paper-recently printed doleIul pic
ture of the wooleH industries Of New
England. The object, Of coursc, was
to show that these industries had been
seriously crippled by the Wilson tariff,
and in carrying out this object the
Press did not allow any regard for truth
or facts to interfere with its work. 1t
started out to paint a horrid picture, "
and it did SO, With black typo head
ings of BUSY Looms Silent, . How
the Wooden Mills Have Been Hit,
and lot more Of the same kind Of
slush, the Press proceeded to show the
complete stagnation Of the New Eng
list of thirty-two New England woolen
and worsted mills shut down or running
on short time, and the number of en-
ployes in each, and in a table OF re-
IhlAtuidAtOus hiN1uipASO ~ HSAlAieho tho
loss in wages, loss to the country in
raw material, &C., &c, Subioined was
a most gloomy picture of the alarming
plight" at Rockville, Conn, the
scene Of the most staggering blow.
As usual in such cases, however, the
Press overreached itself. Its story was
not true, and those whose business had
been thus misrepresonted for political
effect resented the injustice. The
American Cotton and Wool Reporter of
Boston, edited by Mr.. Frank p Bennett,
a Republican and a protectionist, but
withal a man Of truth and honesty,
takes up the Press sensational story and
denies it editorially in last weeks
issue The editorial, which is headed
" Political Prostitution in Wooden
Mills, Insists that the truth shall be
told and not misconstrued for mere
political purposes, and adds;
In the article in question the state.
ment is made that the fine mems wear
worsted mills at Rockville, the Rock
American, Hockanum, New England,
and Springville, are running on Tone
eighth time. " This statement is
utterly false, as any one would find who
desired to obtain the true facts. The
New York representative of the last
three mills named charscterizes the
article as "all rot" and untruthful"
and the representative of the Rock
Manufacturing Company has denounced
it in similar terms. Both parties as
sort that instead Of their mills running
on one-eighth time, they are running
on two-thirCls time, forty hours. which
was the unanimous agreement entered
into on the oath ultimo. They further
assert that the orders which they have
RECEIVED to date for worsteds are about
equal TO those Of the pfevious fan
season, and that unless present condi.
tions change materially there is every
reason Tor believing that they will be
able to continue running on their
present schedule throughout the entire
year with strong probabilities of a re-
turn, before many months. to full time
The product Of these mills is the very
highest grade of strictly pure worstetl
fabrics, whose reputation is national
and standard.
At the present time, the demand Of
the market is mostly for cheap goods,
and lad the Rockville mills scen fit IL
abandon the high position which thoii
goods occupy, and To hayo descended Il
the manufacture of cheap, low priced
stuff, they could doubtless hayp kept
their machinery running Rather,
however than sacrifice their reputa
tion, they elected TO reduce their pro
duction by running forty instead o.
sixty hours per week.
Pursuing further the misstatemcnti
nf the Press we have only to state tha
the Harris Woolpn Company, Woon
socket, K. L., which is included amonl
those mills now running on one-quarte
time, retired from business at tn,
close OF 1895, as did the Saxon Woratpt
Company, which is also included anon
the mills shut down. and the +
A.. Lapham mill at Millbury, Mass.
which Is enumerated twice for effect
Tho statement made regarding tn
Perseverance Worsted Company, a
Woonsocket, Il. i, is also incorrect. a
IS also that Of other mills in the list
while THE scene OF drstitution and wan
depicted at Rockville is almost who'll
untrue
This town is one Of the most pros
pernus and thrifty manufacturing town
N New England, whore large nun
her uf the operatives own their owl
homes, where they bays liyud in han
piness and prosperity for ears y
doubt Rockville, like many other manu-
featuring towns, feels tho general tle
preston ln wOuen manufacturing, bu
not more 9r less than many other Ne,
England !3Ntie centres
This is plain and truthful proscnt,
tion II lhe situation, but it differ
materially from the picture drawn B
Congressman 9uigg's paper, III orae
to illustrate the evil results of Demo
cratic tariff legislation. 1t is doubtful
however If this exposure viii have n
effect upon Congressman Quig,'s paper
It will keep right on misreprcscntip
facts and distorting the truth. in In
nope Of making political capital. B,i
tho truth will be made known, despit
al!ciidrts TO suppress ii, and the 6nl
reau. oi such campaign efforts i
papers IKE the New YORK Press wifi /
10 disarcIit ,hrsc untruthfu ebae,
with tho reading uabIic Thcy wi
inJue the raua' they 5oek to promoi
by such rcpreacnslble methods.
lhl7 eouDtFy wants no war that ca
be avoided win honor, said tqo Ball
moro sim, in closing 4 long editorial /
which scored Congress for M n,
patriotic clurs, i ucgicctins b,r
issues ior foreign War scaros. "fEbi
tsrrit tary ,,g,,.,L . E