Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-16


come Known-Fcar Their "Stand
PAT" and prosperity" Speeches
win BE Made Worthless.
The Republicans are doing their best
to deceive the people as to the real
conditions in the business world. They
are pouring speeches into congress for
use in the coming campaign the tenor
on which is stand pat" All Is well,
prosperity is still rampant" despite a
few facts to the contrary. They would
have the country believe that we are
rapidly recovering from the temporary
setback to industry which occurred
last winter, from October TO January,
when wage reductions became general
and when nearly half the mills in
many industries had TO close.
Although there never was more i'm
portant business for congress to attend
to than at present in order to bring re-
lief from the tyrannical trusts which
have put up prices and Increased the
cost of living to the highest point
ever known, while reducing wages in
ALI directions, yet it is the aim ana
policy of the Republicans to adjourn
congress just as soon as the approprla
ton bills can be rushed through. They
Will then begin to circulate their stand
Pat and prosperity" speeches, hoping
to Iull to sleep the great mass of voters
and to keep them ignorant OF the real
facts as to the industrial depression
which is still on and which cannot be
vanquished even by Republican rheto-
ric. The Republicans know that every
day they remain in Washington will
not only bring to light now scandals ia
their administration, but that 1T VIII
add new evidence of the oppression
which is now running its course. They
know that the Democrats hesitate to
picture conditions as bad as they really
are and that if congress adjourns 1T
once the Democrats will practically be
without frankable speeches to offset
the frankable prosperity speeches of
the Republicans. This. they think. will
give them another opportunity to fool
the voters. This accounts for much OF
their unseemly haste to adjourn con
gTess.
That the business world. after some
slight recovery in February and early
March. is again on the down grade is
reasonably certain. The testimony of
the trade papers is conclusive. Thus
that great trade journal. the Iron Age.
in its issue of March 81. mentions MI
merous wage reductions and closed
mills some of which arc:
Mckinley lodge. Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION Of Steel and Tin Plate Work
erS. ElwOOd. Ind. all hot mill men,
numbering 800. has decided to quit
work rather than accept the 20 per
cent reduction in wages proposed by
the American Sheet and Tin Plate COM
pany and is indOrsed by the officers of
the Amalgamated associa ton"
AT New Castle. IA. the men in the
lodges of the Amalgamated association
employed in the tin plate mills in the
Greer and Shcnango works of the
American Sheet and Tin Plate COM
pany have voted to accept the reduc-
ton of 90 per cent in wages which
went into effect on March 81 At South
Sharon, Pa. the men in the lodge of the
Amalgamated association have voted
not to accept the reduction in wages"
A Pittsburg special says: While the
out anything as to whether the vote
is in favor of or against the reduction
in wages we learn from reliable
sources that the tin plate workers have
voted against a reduction. Il is not
known at this time what action will be
taken by the asSCcia ton in this event
but it is probable that q number of the
union tin plate mills will be closed. At
other points where the men voted N
favor of the reduction. as they did at
the Greer and ShenangO works of the
American Sheet and Tin Plate COM
pany at New Castle, Pa, the plants
will likely continue to operate at the re-
duced wage scale. The whole situation
from the Amalgamated associations
standpoint is serious. and it will re-
quire the greatest diplomacy on the
part of the officials of the organization
to hold it together"
The Wool and Cotton Reporter of
March 81 mentions . to 10 per cent
reduction in wages at the Arlington
mills. Lawrence, Mass. affecting 1000
of the 900 operatives. which took eff
feet March %. 1t also says that the
wooden mill at New Castle. Del, and the
Chester pa manufacturing company
have closed down for indefinite periods;
also that the West Warren Cotton
mill, Massachusetts. has shut down
No. mill and that the mills of the
Lonsdale Or. l. company will in fu-
ture run only five days a week
Turning to the New York Journal OF
Commerce of March 81. we learn that
some of the drawer finishers in the
narrower Knitting mill at Troy, y. V.