Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-12-07

least degree affected or benefited by a
protective tariff.
The assertion that protection lays an
unjust burden upon our own people by
compelling them to pay higher prices
than foreigners pay for goods produced
In this country proves to be quite In the
nature Df boomerang. To begin with.
the assertion is at present false and
promises to remain false for some time
to cone. 1t IS downright absurdity to
suppose that, with our mills and FAC
tories running overtime In order to
catch up with orders for goods, our
manufacturers are sacrificing any part
Of their profits in order to sell abroad
at reduced prices goods which they are
unable to supply ~ sufficient volume
to meet the domestic demand. Ameri-
can business men don't do business
that way.
Pertinent information bearing upon
this point Is at hand in the shape OF a
report just put out by the Treasury
Bureau of Statistics, whose energetic
chief, Mr. Austin. has just made tour
of observation to the manufacturing
centers of New England and the Mid
die States. Mr.. Austin concludes that
IL the places included in his visit are
fairly representative of the conditions
generally existing among manufacture
ing establishments throughout the
country. as thoy undoubtedly are, there
can ne no occasion for complaint that
mills and men are lacking employment.
Mr.. Austin visited the cotton, wooden,
worsted, silk. fiber, carpet, print goods.
rubber, boot and shoe, hat, pottery and
watch and clock manufacturing estab-
lishments, and in no case did he find
lack Of orders for the manufacturers
or Of employment for men and women
desiring employment. On the contrary,
the great cotton, wooden, silk and 9th
er textile mills are running on full
time end overtime, while the manufac-
turers Of rubber goods, boots and
shoes, clothing and pottery reported
their orders far in excess of their ca
paciey to fill with promptness.
Cur chief difficulty" said the man.
ageI Of a great mandatory Of rubber
clothing, us to get sufficient number
of employees and sufficient machinery
to meet our orders. The crude rubber
we can get, though the importations of
that are increasing rapidly, and the
price advancing because Of the in
creased demand; but the costly ma
chinery and the skilled labor which are
to do the work are not so easily had.
We maintain constantly a school for
the instruction of young men and WON
en- I'm the lines Of work required In our
factory, and yet with the constant re-
duction Of our force by the demands
upon 1t from other mills of this charac-
ter, we are short of hands and unable
TO keep up with our orders"
Similar statements were made by the
managers of other manufacturing es-
adjustments. The cotton mills, wooden
mills and silk manufacturing establish
ments were running at their full capac-
ity, and in some cases over hours, while
the great boot and shoe manufacturing
establishments were reported weeks be-
hind with their orders, which come
from all parts OF the United States and
OF the world. During the last eight
months between 100000 and $780,
900 worth Of boots and shoes. the prod
uct of American factories. have been
sent out of the country. the total for
the eight months being double that of
the corresponding months Of 1893. or
this large expectation Of this single
product of our factories the exports to
the United Kingdom alone were Sat-
S34, against $263,175 in the correspond
ing months Of last year; to the West
indies. $467, $40, against $107, 40 in the