The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-23

age yearly xem1y income - tsSAs 49,
funds supplsmsntary to the earnings
OF the husba-d being obtained oy
the earnings OF wives and children IN
the mills, or b. oontributions rsosivsd
from boardsrs and dodgers who are
taken into the home Only 30 per
cent OF the married operatives can
entirely support their families. TWEEN
ty per cent Of the households 81 OPP
eratives contain an average OF -FOUR
or Ave boarders or dodgers. The re-
suit 10 q high degree Of congestion
and unsanitary and unsatisfactory
living arrangements. As . matter OF
fact. the living conditions OF the cot
ton mill workers in Lancashire. Eng
land. are Better than those OF the
operatives in the large textile centres
OF New England. A comparative
study recently made by the British
Board of Trade also reveals the
astounding fact that although the
money wages are higher in New Eng
land than in Great Britain. owing to
the higher range Of prices In the
United States. the real wages-ene
commodities purchased-are slightly
higher in England than in our North
Atlantic States. The contention. there
fore, that the protective tarif benefits
the American cotton mill employe 10
not borne out by the existing wages
ana conditions Of employment The
facts clearly show that the cotton
schedules Of our high tariff laws
have not benefited the New England
cotton mill operative.
But the actual condition OF the
wage-earners in the New England cot
ton mills is not the only proof that
they have not participated in the tar
if bounty. The relation between Ia
Dor cost Of manufacturing cloths OF
various descriptions and the present
customs duties on these fabrics also
points to the same conclusion. Inc
figures contained in the recent re-
mort of the Tariff Board furnish more
tspn 100 cases illustrative Of this
fact. The labor cost of producing
calico prints, for example, is about
/ cent per yard and the prevailing
duty is S cents. On making plain
ginghams. the labor cost is only 2
cents. but the duty per yard under
the provisions Of the Payne-Aldrich
law is cents. Our protective tariff
laws, in other words. If enforced
solely in the interest of the cotton
mill worker, would afford the posi-
bility of adding greatly to their pres
ent rates OF payment. As it is, there
has been a decline In real wages and
a retrogression IN working conditions.
If the employees of the New Eng
land mills have not been the benefici-
aries of our high tariff laws. what
class Of business interests have? Evil
IDENTIFY the manufacturers and jobbers.
and chiefly the latter. By the employ
ment of illiterate aliens. the manu-
facturer has been able to destroy in
large measure the labor unions of
the original employees and to secure
his labor on advantageous terms. The
customs duties have also enabled him
to add an additional margin of prof
it to the mill price. me jobbers or
wholesalers Of cotton goods. however.
have obtained the largest profits from
the tariff. Without fear Of foreign
and through control Of a
great many sources Of production.
they have been able to dictate the
price to the long-suffering consumer.
AS the great body of consumers are
also wage-earners. the practical eff
feet Of the protective tariff system has
been to exploit the cotton mill OPP
consumer.