The Irish standard., 1904-10-22


cent tariff from buying our furniture
so near at hand. A free market to the
north that would increase our furni-
ture sales so per cent would give en-
ployment to 700 new hands in the fur
niture factories and add several hum
dred thousand dollars to the pay rolls.
Against our boots and shoes there is
Canadian tariff Of Is per cent,
whereas the American shoe industry
receives and asks no protection and
successfully invades the whole world.
Minneapolis has half dozen boot and
shoe factories which employ upwards
of 1000 people and pay out not far
from $750,000 annually in wages, while
turning out 100000 production.
Our shoes, under natural and free COM
mercial conditions, would command the
solid trade Of our northern neighbors,
increasin by so per cent to 100 per
cent the volume Of our shoe product
and the number Of workmen employed.
Against our ready-made clothing,
blankets, hats and underwear the Can
adam tariff is IS per cent ad valorem,
which, If not prohibitive, is sufficient
to destroy the profits of our Canadian
trade. Minneapolis possesses no less
than thirty-six factories engaged in
manufacturing mems and women's
clothing, hosiery and knit goods, shirts,
blankets, hats, caps, furs and partic-
ularly wear for lumbermen, miners,
farmers and frontiersmen, in which
line Minneapolis leads the world. The
thirty-six or. more factories, to say
nothing Of over 300 tailoring and like
shops which do more or less similar
work on small scale, employ upwards
of $500 hands and evolve product not
far from $sO00,0O0 a year. The re-
moval of that 35 per cent tariff wall
would add from one-half to three-quar-
tiers Of a million dollars a year to the
pay roll Of our varied clothing and dry
goods industries, to say nothing Of the
general benefits to our city.
In sash and doors and lumber plan
ing Minneapolis has upwards Of doz-
en- of the best establishments in the
United States, and they employ over
1000 harfls in turning out 100000
worth Of products, but an almost pro-
hibitive tariff tax shuts the product
out of it's natural market to the north.
Our brewing and allied industries en-
ploy not far from 1000 hands in manu-
featuring product worth several mill
lions; but are met with tariff Of 16
cents to "a cents per gallon at the Can
adam boundary.
Our linseed oil industry, which turns
out 100000 product and gives
work to several hundred hands in Min
neapolis and Midway, is both taxed
on it's faXseed material and then on its
product, if it attempts to use Manitoba
faxseed to supply oil for Manitoba
building.
The confectionery industry of Min
neapolis has reached a volume of over
100000 a year and employs several
hundred hands; but when it attempts
to push north it runs against specific
duty of one-half cent per pound in adj
dition to 35 per cent ad valorem.
Our foundry and machine shops,
bridge-building works, architectural
iron works, electric apparatus, tin
smithing and steam fitting industries
all told employ something like $500
hands in converting iron and steel ma
terials into finished products valued
at about $s,0O0O00 per annum. Some
of these products are on the Canadian
| free list, but the bulk of them are tariff
| taxed 20 per cent to IS per cent. If
the removal Of these duties increased
the volume Of our trade one-fourth,
work in these industries would be Civ
en- to 800 or 900 additional hands, and
nearly 100000 year extra would
be paid in wages to skilled workmen
and 100000 year would be added
| to our volume of Industrial production.
Minneapolis is the greatest flour pro-
ducing center and primary wheat mar
ket in the world. The Industrial and
commercial standing and influence of
Minneapolis in the eyes of the world,
| the growth of it's population, the vol
| ume of it's business and of it's financial
transactions as reflected in it's bank
| clearings, are due primarily, if not
chiefly to it's vast development as
flour manufacturing center and pri-
mary wheat market
Do we wish to add and strengthen.
or to cripple and handicap, this great
source of our growth and prosperity?
| Is there voter in this city, regard
less of party, who would be so blind
that he would vote for a party shibbo-
leth before he would vote for the great
and successful destiny of the city Of
his choice and the home of all he loves
! best on earth?
! Yet at this hour that alternative is in
issue.
The present prosperity and the fu-
ture growth of Minneapolis in it's -four
ing development rest upon the volume
of wheat that enters our mills and
elevators. The production of wheat in
1 y