The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-21
TARIFF LAW DOES NOT
BENEFIT The WORKMAN
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Cincinnati. O.. Oct. 15.-This city af.
fords a striking example of the Industrial
conditions which generally prevail
throughout the country at tho present
time. Those conditions are typified. first.
py an extraordinary increase in the price
of living, as compared with the figures OF
three. four and five years ago, and sec
ondly, IN a general policy of vetrench-
ment on the part of the larger corpora
tons. There are no hard times" in the
accepted meaning of the phrase. and yet
everyone of moderate circumstance is
having most desperate struggle to get
living.
The trouble falls mostly upon those with
settled incomes. This must be evident
from the fact that careful observers and
Investigators of living conditions here in
cincinnati have recently estimated that
the cost of living has increased by from
- to 3 per cent in the last five years.
Rents nave gone up, provisions have gone
up, clothing has gone up-and al the real
essentials of life now cost about % per
cent more than they did in 1899. the year
when rhe trusts began to fattsn off the
Dingley tariff
But Wages Have Not Increased So
Much.
Even in the cases where wages have in
creased, which are not many IN this con-
SefYatlYe and settled old city. Il is gener-
ally estimated that the average Increase
mas not amounted to more than 10 per
cent. 1t wiz thus be observed that even
at minimum estimate the general pur-
CHASING power of tn. wages # labor in
THIS part Of the country is less by fully 10
per cent than il was in 1899. Thus it viii
De seen that While the great bulk Of the
working classes i'm this neighbochUod are
employed and while some of thera are re-
cclNlng nOmiDally better returns for their
work than they did several years ago. as
nf eaafv cff,sf
hhOOd is much seVerer than il has been
IN many a long year.
That the workingmen are far from being
content under present conditions Is evil
dent from q strike of the Jeamsters in
lnis city-a strike which threatens to eX-
tend itself to a large number of trades.
Without going into the merits Of this con-
troVersy, il viii suffice to state that as
mere matter of fact the teamsterS who
struck for sn increase of 10 cents a day
have been working practically twelve
hours day, or thirteen hours away from
their homes, including the dinner hour.
They had been driving ten hours n day,
and say they are willing TO continue on
thai basis. On Sundays these men are re-
CURED TO clean the stables, clean and
feed the horses, thus being compelled TO
make two trips to the stables on Sun
days for which no pay is received.
That this fight Is destined TO be a most
bitter one is evident irons the fact that
the Employers association executive COM
mittee has stated that the coal dealers of
the city would spend 500, 0JU. if necessary,
in breaking up the strike. The fact is that
these men are having to work a sreat deal
harder this year 10 support their families
than they did a year ago. The Dingley
tariff the tariff which is supposed 10 bring
prosperity TO the labOring men before all
others. is merely decreasing the ability or
the workingman % support his family III
comfort and health.
Manufacturing Establishments Re
trenching.
This city has in the past usually gone
Republican by considerable vote. Most
of the large corporations Centering here
east their influence for the Republican
ticket. Consequently. in time when an
election is pending they are exceedingly
careful of the information they allow to
leak out concerning their conditions of
work. Nevertheless. a careful examina-
ton reveals the fact that the most i'm
pOrtant industrial establishments in this
neighbOrhOod have been steadily reducing
their forces for the last six months.
This is one of the great machine tool
centers of the country. Several thousand
men are employed in the machine tool
factories. But for the past several months
such concerns as the Cincinnati Machine
Tool company have been slowly but re-
mOrsolessly letting their men go. Bust
ness is bad they say, and Orders are
not coming IN.
Workmen Are the First to Suffer.
This is one of the important certers OF
the activities of the Pullman Palace Car
company. Yet its works at Ludlow were
shut down entirely for four or five months
prior to Sept. J. They have recently
opened up, however, and are now Cperat-
ing with a handful of men on half time.
The reason assigned is that the travelling
season is dun and that the main works
in Chicago can take care Of all the sea-
sons needs
Retrenchment is also going on in the
aVFfE Ca. -,
which center here. This is one of the
leading carriage manufacturing points in
the country. The price charged for car
riages has increased very largely, but il
Is found that the vehicles which aIe to be
sold to the general public are being mar
keted in much smaller NUMBERS tLan was
the case two years ago Meanwhile the
mills are reporting largely increased ex-
port trade, and these exported goods are
being sold at "A lower price than is ac-
cepted within the bounds OF the territory
governed By the Dinghy tariff law.
Beef Trust Encountering Trouble.
One of the leading corporations allied
with the beef trust is the American Oak
Leather company. which has ITS tanneries
IN Cincinnati. This concern is running
its fun force now, although it was prac-
tically closed down for Some time during
the summer. Its officials report, how
ever that orders for leather are coming
IN, but IN moderate quantities, from the
shoe manufacturing concerns, and that
the boot and shoe people show u disin-
clinatiOn to accumulate leather stocks for
more than a month ahead, whereas,
formerly. they were accustomed to lay in
a supply for four or five months. The
Republicans in these factories stste, by
way of explanation, that this is whole
some conservatism, while others remark
that il is a conservatism when prevails
only when business conditions are some
what strained.
The banks here report that they have
plenty Of money. but they Immediately
complain that the manufacturers are not
borrowing it. They say that the manu-
facturers are not improving thei- plants,
not increasing their size, and n general
not expanding their business. The fact
is that the manufacturers are reducing
their output and running on much
smaller scale than was the case several
years ago. They are finding that the
Dingley tariff does not produce the en-
during prosperity, and even the more con-
servative of the Republican manufacture
ers here are saying very freely that tariff
revision must come. and come soon Tariff
revision. for the sake of the nanufac-
tuTer who wants to expand and develop
his business, is a phase of the agitation
which is receiving a great deal mere at
tention than the believers in the stand
pat" gospel are willing TO acknowledge.