The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-05

sponsibiiity Tor the sentiments expresaed
correspondents are requested 70 cIitivats
s srsysa = s:s a Il ss ssa
why the Cotton industry Suffers
| To the Editor OF the Los Angeles Herald
Noticing from the morning papers that
| the cotton industries OF New England are
| in a bad shape financially, and are heavily
cutting down the wages OF their empnoyes
in order to enable them to run as they
claim at a slight profit. would ike 10 give
your readers a little history as to the
working of some tariff laws In New Eng
land in the past. In 1916 the Walker tarin
bill was passed, notwithstanding It was
most bitterly opposed by nearly all New
England's representatives in congress,
who claimed II was free trade measure,
gotten up to destroy the manufacturing
Industries of New England. and for the
benefit Of the south. The bin became
law, and, instead of bringing ruin and de-
struction, as predicted by its opponents,
the reverse was the case So universally
satisfactory was the Walker tarin OF 1916
that New England's representatives IN
sisted upon Mr.. Walkers bringing in MS
still lower tariff bill of 1857. The house OF
representatives, controlled by the fepup-
lican and the Knownothing opponents
of the Democratic party, voted for Dill
committee to still further reduce the tarin
of 1916. Among the distinguished Republic
cans who voted for the Walker tarin OF
1857 were =. b. Morgan. II. T.. spinner
Russell Sage, II. Winter Davis, Anson'
Burlingame and many others. So uni
versalry satisfactory was the effect OF les
sened taxation that committee OF the
house Of representatives, OF whicn n. r.
Banks of Massachusetts was speaker, de-
o,arad tbot ahsollte free trade could not
be far off.
Senator Morrill,, in speech on the con-
dition Of the country in 1860, under the
tariff of. 1857, said: "And that was year
of as large production and as much gen.
eral prosperity as any perhaps In our his
tory
Three years ago. under the Wilson BILL
the FAN River mills declared dividends OF
over per cent; two years ago dividends of
per cent, and last year. under the Dingley
bin, according to Duns, some of them per
cent, and some not anything. The manu-
facturers of New England, after having
had everything they wanted In the way OF
protection given them by the Dingley BILL
now discover that the bitter has been bit
They have taken into their confidence the
gold standard banker and politician, who
advises them to cry southern competi-
tion," as it would never do, since the
Dingley tariff had failed, to lay it to the
gold standard. Now 1t is not southern
competition" that is causing the woes of
the eastern manufacturer. but the Dingley
bill and the gold standard working to-
gether, as I think can we'll show.
The following government official figures
showing the export of cotton cloth In
yards to Canada for four months of each
year of 1896 and 1897, may give some idea
of the great injury the cotton manufacture
ing industry Is sustaining:
Yards. Yards.
July, 1895 ..3,744154 July, 1897 .....1, All, 5Ss
Aug. 1896 ...4S1O.47t Aug. 1897 ..... SS2O2S
Sept. 1896 ...S,997,760 Sept. 1896 80. S09S65
Oct. 1896 ....3934.479 Oct. 1897 597.49S
Canada has met the Dingley bill by
heavy retaliatory tariff, and consequently
is not buying New England cloth. 1t is
an economic fact that where the labore-
works the longest hours his labor is
worth and paid the least. The cotton in
dustry of Glasgow, on account of long
hours of labor and low wages has been
almost destroyed by Lancashire. where Ia
Dor works only sc hours in the week. and
obtains nearly twice the pay. The present
depression is due simply to contracted for
eign markets brought about by the Ding
ley bill, retaliatory tariff laws and the gold
standard, which latter named cause puts
a tariff Of 100 per cent upon all foreign
goods imported into silver standard
country. In Mexico, Tor illustrator the
importations of American cotton goods
have decreased % per cent in the last ten
months. Mexico, on account of its being
a silver country, is in a very fiourishing
condition.: cotton mills are going up in
every direction, according to the Mexican
Financier. and are making from 20 to co
per cent profit.
This country. to prosper in the absence
of more radical and better legislation. such
as the single tax would give, must go back
to free silver and low tariff, or ruin and de-
struction will be our fate. J.F.P P.
Los Angeles, January 8.