The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-07-30
MANUFACTURERS DEMAND
A CHANGE IN TARIFF LAW
Those in SchuyIkiII Valley in Letter
State Some Relief Must Be Owen

has just made public a letter which it
mailed to President Wilson formally de-
handing the immediate modification of
the Underwood tariff Law and the ces,
satlon of anti-business Legislation at
Washington.
The association disclaims all political
bias, and puts its plea on the grounds
that it is necessary lin this most unu-
sual way" to enforce upon the attention
of Washington and the country an ex-
listing industrial condition which is de-
scribed as nothing less than frighten-
ing" Charles F. Williams, president
of the association, is also president of
James Lees & Sons Company, Bridge
port, whose mill, employing formerly
1000 persons, is now closed. Mr. Will
liams has never taken any active part
in politics, w. w. Finn the secretary,
is.a member of the firm of Rambo &
Regar, Norristown, which is working a
curtailed force on part time.
1--WE are taking the liberty of making
this letter public" said Mr.. Williams.
because we think that the people
ought to know exactly how matters
stand with US. If the president or any
one else cares to have statistics or
specific instances of suffering and hard
ships we shall be glad to furnish them
in abundance. Of course, we are speak
ing only for the Schuylkill Valley and
more particularly for the Montgomery
County Manufacturers Association,
but we are convinced that our case is
typical The letter was read and ap-
proved unanimously at regularly call
ed meeting of the association in Nor
ristown, at which presided"
Following is the letter: The purpose
of this letter is to lay before you as
President of the United States and lead
er of the political party now in power,
the existing business conditions of those
manufacturers and other industries
which make up the Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION of Montgomery county, in
Pennsylvania.
This association represents industries
which lie in that part of the SchuYlkill
Valley covered by the county named
which county is adjacent to Phila-
delpia. 1t does not embrace all the in
dustries in this county. tits, however,
representative, and whatever is said of
the conditions of the factories, ETC., of
this association, applies with equal force
to all other like industries hereabOuts.
1t is a general condition that is here
set forth.
Under existing circumstances we feel
it to be our duty in this most unusual
way to lay certain facts before you and
to lay these facts before you for the
reason that if any relief is to come, so
far as we can see, that relief must come
through you. If there is no relief. then
the outlook is nothing less than fright
ening.
In great measure, that part of the
Schuylkill Valley for which we now
speak is industrially paralyzed. APP
pallIng as that statement is it does not
exaggerate real conditions. We might
lay before you an elaborate statistical
plan showing just how many hours in
the week many of our factories have
curtailed; we might in this way show
you just what the percentage of loss of
wages to the working people is;we might
work out for your easy reading what
the individual losses aggregate to a
given group as compared with this time
one year ago. We content ourselves,
however, with the broad statement, a
statement based on facts quite within
our control and always ready for your
inspection, that such are the conditions
here now, that should these conditions
become permanent, it would mean the
humiliation of many of these indus
tries and all the consequences which
such disaster would carry with it. If
these conditions are not improved they
mean destruction. 1t is in the presence
of this impending ruin that this letter
is written.
We would not bring this situation in
this public way to your attention were
we not convinced that you have the
power to give, in some measure, at
least, the relief we ask and to which we
are entitled, Mark, please. the relief to
which we are entitled. We are not ask
ing favor. We are seeking to avoid
calamity. We have been told that
we are asking too much of human ma
ture to suggest modification of the
tariff law so lately passed by the party
now in power. and which became law
oyer your willing signature. We dare
submit, however, that when law like
that, under trial, shows that it brings
relief neither in the direction of lower
prices of the things we eat nor increas-
ed opportunity for labor in the things
which we make, when in fact its opera
ton proves that it closes down much
of the machinery in our own country