The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-06-27
KNIT GOODS
"MADE IN AMERICA"

The success Of the "Made-in-Ameri-
ca" movement depends upon the adop-
ton of a broad live-and-let-live policy
which builds up every industry, how
ever large or small. Such a policy
must extend to the lemon growers of
California as well as the fisheries of
Maine, and to the textile factories of
the East as well as the livestock pro-
ducers of the West. The producers in
one industry are the consumers of the
products of other industries, and their
purchasing power depends upon their
continuous prosperity.
One relatively small industry which
was founded and developed under the
protective tariff policy is the knit
goods industry branch of Ameri-
can enterprise which gives profitable
employment to thousands of men and
women in more than a score of states.
Every citizen of the United States
who processes to be for America
First" should put his professions into
practice by wearing next to his skin
a garment Knit in America" Use of
goods made abroad was encouraged
by the Democratic tariff law.
The record of that law during the
ten months period of its free opera
ton, October, 1913. to July, 1914. in
elusive. shows an increase Of 125 per
cent in our total importations of knit
goods Including hosiery over the
ten months period October, 1912, to
July, 1913, under the Republican law.
Hosiery imports increased from ST.
178,772 in value to $2.75 1861. All
other knit goods from 1902, 593 to ST.
821,2 46. The president of one of the
largest knitting mills in Pennsylva-
MIA, writing in May, 1915, said:
II consider u business was very
much affected all last year by the
lowering of duties, not that the impor-
tations increased so greatly but be-
u of the lack of confidence Great
ed among buyers and their employers,
particularly the latter. In the fore
part of the year we kept running full
but piled up a tremendous lot of stock.
Toward the middle of the year we cut
down to half time and continued accu-
mulating some stock until after the
early part of this year, 1915. We did
not lay off so many employees, but cut
them down to half time. There has
not been any reduction in the price
of our product to the consumer, al
though we made reductions to the
jobbers. Our dividends were cut so
per cent. Last year and the early part
of this year was the second time we
have had to stop for lack of orders
for more than rs years, or since we
have been in business. The first time
was during Cleveland's second adj
ministration in the early 90's. In my
opinion, the European war has been
an excellent thing for our business
as WOAA do 6CDCIdl DuOl1cOS III Tie
United States. 1t stimulated industry
here by war orders being placed for
hosiery, clothing or cloth, and it slim
ulated the iron and steel industry
considerably by the placing of many
orders with them. 1t also helped us
at home in the agricultural districts
because of the big demand for grain,
and, consequently, high prices created
for same. This made the purchasing
power of the agricultural districts of
the west good, and as soon as their
shelves got empty they commenced
buying and we re pleased to say that
today we are fairly busy, but we
think we are an exception to the
rule"
This letter contains the whole case
against the Democratic tariff law:
business depression and half-time en-
ployment for the mill operatives; loss
of dividends and no lower prices to
the consumer; a repetition of what
occurred under the Democratic tariff
law enacted in Cleveland's time. And
the whole situation was changed by
the European war. But the knit goods
manufacturers and their employees
know full well that the war may not
be depended upon for permanent pros
perity and that the MADE in Ameri-
ca" idea must be backed up with a
protective tariff law