Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1900-01-10
AMERICAN CLOTHING.
It's Manufacture Among the Coun-
uy's Largest Industries.
(7lity NJ the Domestic Fabric Has
Been Greatly Improved "a the Re
salt OF an Assured Home
Market.

suit OF an Assured Home
Market.
he clothing worn by the great ma
ity of the American people. prob
y by more than nine-tenths of
IN, is that called read y-made." Its
nufacture is among the largest in
Etries of the country. and il is one
the most successful in all respects.
uses a vast amount of capital. Is n
!hcult business to manage, and has
hown its hundreds of promoters TO
ybe men OF rare commercial sagacity.
What these men do in pushing their
trade may be pretty safely accepted
rs the wisest course possibly for that
trade.
> Everybody knows that the great
bulk OF the wooden manufacture of
this country, as OF nearly all other
manufacture. was built up under the
protection from foreign competition
afforded by tariffs, and that the re-
moval of that protection has always
been destructive to such industries.
This backing and filing between one
policy and the other went on at com
paratively short intervals until after
the republicans obtained control Of
the government in 1861. From that
time on until 1898 there was practi-
cahy no change in national policy.
For 4 period of about 80 years repub-
leans modified rates, but defeated all
wholesale reductions until the Wilson
act was passed.
During that time the wooden manu-
facture had opportunity to become
eel II,
classes of product and. therefore. the
Wilson act, though il wrought meal
culable injury. was not able TO wipe
out this great industry. That act
wholly abolished the pound rate
duty on wooiens. n specific duty that
was easy TO collect. and reduced the
al valorem duty, which was easy TO
still further evade by differentiation
Of the goods Under the favor thus
shown there was a sudden and enor-
nous importation Of foreign woolcrs
and worsteds, especially of the mid
ding and lower grades, suited TO the
ready-made clothing manufacture.
The clothing manufacturers were
compelled in self-defense to take up
these goods, and the consumption was
large in proportion TO the depressed
state of business and industry at the
time. There was a considerable dis
placement of American woolens for
a time and consequent suffering for
wooden mill workers
But a careful review of the situa-
ton two years later. early in 1886.
disclosed the fact that, in spite of re-
duced tariffs and undervaluations the
American WOODEN manufacturer was
making head against the stream. He
was doing il, too, on the sound basis
of merit. He was demonstrating that
his goods were superior in stvIe. quail
1ty and durability at given price
The medium grade of foreign woolens
were almost invariably adulterated
with, not to say composed of. cot
ton or shoddy. or both, and some NAM
ufacturers here had thought il nee
essary to fight the enemy with his
own weapons, as shown by the enor-
mously increased importation of shod-
-S% under the Wilson act. But that
kind OF woolens wore out its welcome.
Often elegantly finished. the beauty
of these fabrics was found to be but
skin deep. while the cloths of repre-
sentative American mills were all
wool
Even while the power Temporarily
dominant in our government was en-
gagged in opening American markets
to foreign manufacturers. an Ameri-
can mill sent TO England samples of
its wooden cloths and took some or
ders on them at 50. 60 and 70 cents a
yard. These cloths were made of
American woods. and We're clean.
stout fabrics, with no authorizations
Manufacturers and merchants in Eng
land who saw them declared them 10
be in surprising and creditable con-
trast to English cloths at those prices.
the latter being made 10 present a
fine appearance rather than 10 en-
BODY durability.
From that time on the preference
OF the clothing manufacturers for
American cloths has grown with in
crcasinC strength What .ho hi0t-
priced tailor uses is not Of so much
Importance 20 the American people.
Hhat the clothing manufacturer puts
lntorhis suits and oyercoat. is very
siPTportant matter. for he ~ is who
Clothes "TEe Average Man" The re-
stored tariff has enabled the wooden
mills OF America 70 make tho beef
and most durable cloths iu inc world
for general wear. and at the Same
time 20 pay living wages 10 their en-
ployes.
Thc cat could DO No worse.
The Youngstown (OJ Virdicotor
quotes approvinglv from the Kansas