Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-20
WOODEN INDUSTRY.
1t is Today in Very Flourishiug
Condition.
Expansion Felt in This Vicinity and
Throughout New Lngand-ln-
creases in Wages.

John It. Briefly, Of the Sumner Pratt
Company, talked Interestingly to Spy
reporter about the present status of the
wooden industry in New England.
The wooden business, he said, is in ex-
cellent condition, and the outlook for
permanent prosperity was never bright
er. The primary cause is the tariff, fo1
the Dingley bill has finally made ii
practically impossible for wool to be i'm
ported. The boom or squirt" was
given it's first impetus by the great
wheat harvest of last year, which gave
money to the western farmers and en-
abled them to buy wooden goods as they
had not done for five years. So great
was this demand that the immense stock
of wool, imported in anticipation OF the
new tariff, was exhausted long before
even the shrewdest manufacturers had
predicted; and this, in the face of rise
of 40 per cent in the wholesale and q
per cent in the retail price.
Consequently, the present prosperity
in the wool industry Is the result of an
exceedingly fortunate combination OF
circumstances, namely, the great antici-
patory Importation, which gave the
manufacturer the benefit Of 40 per
cent rise in the price. of his raw mate
rial, and the abundant harvest which
gave the consumer ready money.
Now, since the imported stock is eX-
hausted, this golden opportunity has
passed, and the man beginning business
today would have to be contented with
an ordinary profit. In this rise all the
manufacturers shared, except the few
who were frightened by the threatened
retroactive clause"
The whole industry has felt the infiu-
ence of this expansion, and 1t promises
to be permanent. The demand continues
to be strong, and is for q better quality
of goods. A year ago many of the Local
mills were manufacturing an inferior
article, with cotton warp and shoddy
filling; but that has been given up, ano
far superior article is now put upon
the market. The recent wage advance
in Uxbridge is typical Of what is hap
pening in the entire industry, and In
practically all the mills wages have
been restored to the old standard, which
is an advance of from 10 to u per cent
over the recent scale
The advance in price differed in one
respect from similar advances Of former
years, in that it was steady There
were no sudden rises followed by re
actions; but every point gained was
held, until the price became fixed. Oh
course, the present situation has It's at
tendant dangers. There are rumors that
some mills are working overtime; but
as a whole, manufacturers are acting
with good Judgment, and the danger
of serious overproduction is relatively
small.
The wooden industry has escapet
many of the dangers that have assaile(
the cotton industry. There have beer
no such improvements in wooden mil
machinery as those which have beer
made in cotton mill machinery
widespread in many cases as to render
Wellnigh obsolete entire equipment o.
many mills. Again, the wooden indus
try is almost entirely confined to New
England, there being very few mills il
either the south or west, and in then
the wages paid are about the same al
here.
If the present normal demand con
tinues and the nations monetary stan
dard escapes the hands of Mr.. Bryan
there is every reason to believe that the
depression in the wooden business il
over.
The present situation seems to refut,
the dogma of the free traders, that ,
tax on raw material cripples manufac
turing; for today, with tariff so higl
that the foreigner cannot send us wool
both the sheep farmer ana the manu-
faoturer are happy, ana enjoying an al
most unprecedented measure of pros
perity.
Much the same story was told by sew
eral manufacturers, although a few
were not so sanguine, and one even de
MED that there was any exceptional ac
tiyity. He, however, conceded that thu
prospect of good things in the future
had SO encouraged him that he was
running his mill on full time,