Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-22
HARD TIMES AN OBSTACLE
Republicans Must Explain to Men
Out of Employment.
MILLS WORKING PART TIME
Democrats Plan to Take Advantage
of Industrial Situation in
Campaign.
Special From a STAFF Correspondent.


BOSTON, July 22.-Yesterday spent
i'm the financial district, armed with suit
able introductions from New York, try
ing to draw bead on the industrial sit
uation in Massachusetts,. This inquiry
was essential to present purposes Of elu-
since unquestionably the indus
trial situation will affect the political sit
uation in the fall.
The present industrial outlook In Mas
is gloomy. Next election day
this dispatch might sound foolish, as
the republican national managers and re-
publican leaders OF industry may find 1T
to their advantage to rush up little.
but we are discussing things as they
stand today. and. repeat. the prospect
is unpromising.
Mills Curtailing Output.
Mills are curtailing their output, which
means cutting down their running time
and laying off men or putting them on
half or third time. There is noticeable
slackening of buying orders in the cotton
textile trade. the wooden trade and to
less degree in the shoe trade. In New Bed
ford, the center Of the large cotton man.
ufacturing industry, the summer shut
six weeks, and when the mills resume
it,wilf probably be on less than full time.
In Fall River the operatives work only
part of the week, and the same situation
is found in other mill cities.
The price of cotton Is excessive and the
demand for cotton goods is dull. In the
WOODEN industry there is similar stagna-
ton One of the biggest wool men In
New England said he was selling wool
abroad at low prices, so as to do busl-
ness and not break the price in this
country.
Orders Being Cancelled.
From the jobbing trade come reports
of cancellation of orders for the fall or
their suspension pending possible i'm
provement in the situation. indicating
that the small merchants feel the pinch
Bank reserves on the last bank state
ment are not gratifying. Speculation.
which, to be sure, Is no test OF Industrial
conditions, but dependent upon them. Is
dead. Boston's favorite specializing medl-
UNI, copper stocks is lifeless. Talk OF
an agreement among copper magnates
to curtail the output Of the mines st1mu-
lates the speculative price bit, but that
means in the end laying of men in the
copper region, and is sure indication
of decreased demand from railroads.
electric projects and general business
The newspapers of Boston TEEN with
advertisements of the retail trace or
summer bargains. showing the desire OF
the retailers to unload their stocks The
shopping district Is damned every day,
sight Of interest to the stranger, in the
tremendous throngs brought in by troll
ley from the populous surrounding terri
tory.
Shopping District Crowded.
The district from the Parker House to
the Touraine and from Washington to
fremont streets, probably the greatest
shopping district in the United States, is
crowded all day and one has difficulty
way through.
But the picture has reverse side in q
glance at the shop windows and the cut
prices on the goods displayed. showing
that some one is taking loss. And yet one
sees no cut prices in meats and provisions.
in fish or poultry. You pay higher prices
for meat and fis.. and chicken in Boston
restaurants than in Washington, and l
leave it to you II that isn't going some"
and in employment of labor is exploited
by the democrats as reproach to the
republican tariff legislation. Where is
your boosted prosperity under your pro-
Thought your new law was to put men
to work at high wages, start the wheels
going and all that sort Of thing
Doesn't Satisfy Idle Workers.
Whereupon the republicans come back
with the argument that the present dull
ness is partly feature of the summer
season. largely incidental to general bust
ness conditions regulated by the laws OF
supply and demand, regardless of the tar
III. Which argument is very well as a
theory, but does not suffice with the la
boring man who is out Of job Or work
ing only half time, and still called upon
to pay prices fixed in flush times for the
necessaries of life.
And that is the man Mr.. Democratic
Manager Is after this fall to swing his
vote to the democratic ticket, not hest
tating to call his attention ito the situa-
ton by arguments specious and falla-
cious, if they think they can get away
with it.
1.-THE republican party in MassaciN-
sets has banked SO long upon beng
the party of prosperity, even claiming as
political assets the dews of heaven and
the nourishing sun, that now 1t will have
to take responsibility for failure to make
good its Wanted prosperity said a
leader today. 1t sounded &c
a speech from the extreme right in the
House of Representatives in the course
of general debate on an appropriation
Dill, Out II PROBABLY Will nOI SOunQ SOOQ
in the ears OF republican managers, at
that.
Republicans Not Perturbed.
Now, this is the situation the repub-
lican managers are called upon to take
into account, in their plans for carrying
the state this fall. They are not pan
icky. 1t doesn't phase them, in fact.
They have been through darker nights
and stemmed heavier ebb tides and
bucked stronger east winds.
II means hard work, efficient organiza-
ton, preachment to the voters, patiently
going over again the lessons Of past ex-
perience. The republicans will remind
the voters to remember 1900. when. chat
Ing under a somewhat similar condition,
they ousted the republican party. put in
the democrats and the souphouse. and
smokeless furnace stack regime of the
Cleveland administration followed. But
there is one thing certain, 1t will require
more preachment from the republicans
this time to bolster up their tariff argu-
ments than ever before. The people down
this way have read Beverage and Dolli-
yer and Cummins and the insurgent re-
publicans, and the conservative managers
will have to come across with some
mighty fetching argumentseto efface the
effect of those speeches. N. o. M.