The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-22
vhe Dfn.iey Tariff.

The Dgngiey Tariff.
In the midst of the rejoicing over the
fact that the Dingley tariff is not likely
to net more than a couple of millions Oh
deficit this month and consequently not
more than seyenty-five millions for the
year, it is interesting to note some OF the
other effects of the Republican panaeea
for all our ills.
One of the things the great act was to
do was to increase wages. In this re-
spect, it can hardly be regarded as an
Overwhelming success. 1t looks just this
moment as if the new year were to open
with a fierce and bitter series of contests
arising from the disappointment OF the
w~orkingmen. On Monday, a number OF
silk weavers went on strike in Paterson,
some because their employers had notified
them Of a reduction of wages next week
and others because the. employers refused
to grant them the increases to which the
enormou protection upon silk manu-
features entities them. In 1.-The News
of yesterday, another Dingiey triumph
was recorded. 1t was announced by an
Associated Press despatch from South
Bridge, Mass, which told of notices post
ed in the cotton mills that Of and after
january 8 the wage scale would be re-
duced between 10 and II per cent.
These are cheering signs of the great
prosperity brought to the country by
Dingiey. We can supplement them by the
most dismal news of the pottery trade,
which we find in the Trenton papers. We
quote from the Advertiser of last Sum
day
Although Christmas is less han a week
away. the manufacturing potters and
their employees have reached no conclusion
concerning the uniform list of wages to
which according 20 the agreement last
summer, an advance of 121a per cent. was
to be granted December rs. William
Burgess, chairman of the Atlantic City
conference. has repeatedly e~ndeavored to
get the delegates together again, but has
not been successful.
The situation is alarming. for If a salts
ldctpFy arrangement Is hot competed De-
fore Christmas a long strike probably will
follow. That would mean no work for
months for about 2,G00 men, women and
children now employed in Trenton potter
les. and many thousand people in other
pottery districts would be similarly affect
ed. Such a strike at this time would be
a disaster In more ways than one. 1t
would be felt by master and man mer-
chant and landlord. and, in fact. by every
body 1t would mean a setback from
which the industry in Trenton would be
many months, and possibly years in reeov-
ering
The complication of the situation was
added 70 last Friday when the kilnmen
that present wages should be increased
lz% per cent This demand Is not likely
~ be conceded, and that would mean
erouble even if all other branches of the
uTaae reached a satisfactory agreement
with the bosses.
strike Of the Jfggermen and kilnmen
Would cause q cessation OF work by all
4otters
t0f course the State Gazette will con-
Slider 1t mere unreason and ingratitude on
the part of the men to demand any share
of the plumber which the tariff enables
the Pottery Trust to levy ON the public. |
d u the men will not be apt to be argued
out of their demands by the G.. o. P.'s
hired mouthpiece. The squeak of the Red
Dog poet is neither sweet enough nor
Sensible enough to beguile them out of
their desire for fair play.
The general public. too, are apt to be-
come impatient. Here is a tariff which
was to have lone everything for the
people, and what has 1t done except in
crease the price of sugar? It has enor-
mousiy increased the deficit. 1t is now
enabling mfll-owners to reduce the wages
Of the poorest paid classes of workers in
the country. 1t has not doomed business.
The New York papers tell us thai there
are about LOG, 900 unemployed workingmen
at present in thai city. The law is bring
ing upon us retaliatory legislation against
our exports in France and probably in
other countries. What is it good for any
way?