Chapter 3

Everett Classics $.08-1/2 $.08 Fidelity .06-1/2 .06 Lombardy .07 .06-1/2 Tacoma .08-1/2 .07-1/2 Arlington Staple $.06-1/4 and .06-1/2 $.06 and .06-1/4 Bates Staple .06-1/2 .06-1/4 and .06-1/2 Bates Warwick Dress .08-1/2 .08 Glenaine .06-1/2 .06 and .06-1/4 Johnson Chalon Cloth .10-1/2 .09-1/2 Johnson Indigo Blue .09-1/2 and .11 .09-1/2 Lancaster Normandie .08-1/2 .08 and .08-1/2 White Calcutta Dress Styles .08-1/2 and .09-1/2 .08 and .08-1/2 Westbrook Dress Style .08-1/2 .08 York Manufacturing Co.'s Staples .06-1/2 .06-1/4 and .06-1/2

I give now a table comparing the market quotations for 1890 of the articles which enter most largely into the cost of living, with those for the same period in 1891:--

Week ending Week ending Aug. 29, 1891. Aug. 30, 1890.

BREADSTUFFS:-- Flour, No. 2 Extra, barrels $4.25 @ $4.50 $3.75 @ $4.25 Patents, " 5.75 @ 6.10 5.50 @ 6.15 Rye, Superfine, " 3.50 @ 4.00 2.75 @ 3.00 Oats, No. 2 White, bushel, .43 .48 Corn, West, mixed, No. 2, bushel, .80-1/2 .62 @ .62-1/2 Shorts, Winter Wheat, ton 18.00 @ 18.75 21.00 " " Middling, " 25.00 25.00 " Spring Wheat, " 17.00 @ 18.00 19.00 " " Middling " 23.00 22.50 @ 23.00 COTTON, Middling Upland, pound .08-1/4 .11-3/4 " Low " " .07 11c. COTTON GOODS. Print Cloths, 64x64, .02-13/16 .03-5/16-l% FISH:-- Large Dry Cod (Georges), qtl. 6.50 5.50 Mackerel, No. 1 Mess, barrel 12.50 @ 14.00 23.00 @ 24.00 Labrador Herring 6.25 5.00 @ 5.50 HAY, Choice, ton 17.00 @ 17.50 15.00 @ 16.50 Straw, Rye 14.00 @ 14.50 15.00 @ 16.00 " Oat 7.00 @ 9.00 7.00 @ 7.50 HEMP, Manilla, pound 07-1/4 @ .07-3/8 .09 @ .09-1/4 Jute Butts (bagging) .01-3/4 @ .01-7/8 .02 @ .02-1/4 HIDES:-- Brighton Steers .09 .09-1/2 @ .10-1/2 Buenos Ayres Kips .11 @ .11-1/2 .13 HOPS. Prime State (N. Y.), pound .17 @ .21 .19 @ .25 DRUGS. Opium (small lots) 2.20 @ 2.40 3.80 @ 4.10 DYES. Logwood, North Hayti 35.00 33.00 @ 34.00 " South Hayti 24.00 @ 25.00 24.00 @ 25.00 " Extracts (solid) .08-1/2 @ .09-1/2 .08-1/2 @ .09-1/2 Hemlock Bark, Eastern 8.00 @ 9.00 10.00 " " Pennsylvania 9.00 @ 10.00 10.00 IRON, American Pig, ton 17.00 @ 18.50 18.00 @ 19.00 LEAD, Domestic, 100 pounds 4.55 @ 4.60 4.80 @ 5.00 COPPER, Lake, pound .12-1/4 @ .12-1/2 .16-7/8 SPELTER .05 @ .05-1/8 5.55 LEATHER:-- Hemlock Sole, light, pound .17 @ .17-1/2 19-1/2 @ .20 Oak Sole, light, pound .20 .24 @ .25 Grain No. 1, Boot .14 @ .15 .15 @ .18 Buff No. 1, 4-1/2 oz .11-1/2 @ .12 .14-1/2 @ .15 CALFSKINS:-- Tannery Finished, 20 to 29 pounds, dozen .75 @ .85 .75 @ .90 Rough Hemlock, average .18 @ .18-1/2 .24 @ .25 Rough Splits, prime .10 @ .12 .13 @ .15 MOLASSES, N. O. Prime, gallon .29 @ .31 .37 LUMBER:-- Hemlock Boards (rough) 10.50 11.50 Spruce Boards (1st-class floor) 19.00 @ 20.00 19.00 @ 21.00 Pine (Coarse, No. 5) 16.00 16.00 @ 17.00

Week ending Week ending Aug. 29, 1891. Aug. 30, 1890. NAVAL STORES:-- Spirits Turpentine, gallon .42 .45 Common Rosin, barrel 1.75 @ 2.25 1.75 @ 2.25 Pitch 2.25 2.25 Tar (Wilmington) 2.50 2.50 OILS. Crude Whale, gallon .49 .45 @ .47 " Sperm, " .74 @ .75 .65 Linseed, " .43 .60 Lard (X No. 1), " .49 @ .50 .46 PETROLEUM:-- Crude, gallon .07-1/2 .07-1/2 Refined, " .08-1/4@ .09 .08-1/2 PROVISIONS:-- Pork, Short Ribs, Mess, barrel 13.75 @ 14.00 13.25 Beef, pound .08-12/100 .07-36/100 Mutton, " .10 .09 Beef Hams (Med.), " .10-1/4@ .10-3/4 .11 Veal, " .09-1/2 .09 Lard, Western, " .06-1/2@ .06-3/4 .06-1/2 Butter, Prime, " .23 @ .24 .21 @ .22 Cheese (Fine Factory), pound .09-1/4@ .09-1/2 .08-1/2@ .08-3/4 RICE, Domestic Choice, " .06 @ .06-1/2 .06-1/2@ .07 SALT, Liverpool Ground (in bond), hhd. 1.00 @ 1.15 1.00 @ 1.15 SUGAR:-- Cuba, fair refining, pound .03 .05-1/8 Refined Hard, Granulated, pound, .04-5/16@ .04-3/8 .06 @ .06-5/16 TALLOW, Prime .05 .04-3/4@ .05-1/2 RUBBER, Fine Para, new .62 @ .63 .93 @ .95 " " old .65 .98 @ 1.00 STARCH, Corn, pound .02-1/8 .03-1/2 Potato, " .04-1/2@ .04-5/8 .04-3/8@ .04-1/2 TOBACCO:-- Havana Wraps 5.00 @ 7.00 3.50 @ 5.00 Pennsylvania Wraps .20 @ .40 .20 @ .40 Sumatra Wrap 2.50 @ 3.25 2.00 @ 2.75 WOOL. Ohio, XX, pound. .31 @ .32 .33 @ .34 Michigan, X, " .27 .28 @ .29 TEA:-- Oolong, Amoy Super $.17 $.13-1/2 Formosas, Superior .28 .23 Japan, Choice .30 .23 Hyson, 1st .35 .30 COFFEE:-- Java, Pa. Packages, Pale $.26 @ .26-3/4 .24-1/2 Mocha .25 $.24 @ .24-1/2 Rios, Fair .18-1/2 .20-1/2 EGGS:-- Near-by and Cape .22 @ .23 .23 @ .25 Vermont and New York .20 .21 @ .22 N. S. and N. B. Firsts .19 @ .20 POTATOES 1.50 @ 1.62 2.50 @ 2.75 ONIONS 2.00 @ 2.25 3.00 @ 3.25 SQUASH, Marrow .60 @ .75 1.75 @ 2.00 APPLES, Gravensteins 1.50 @ 2.50 5.00 @ 5.50

If the articles given in the foregoing table be classified we find the following results as to the rise and fall of prices before and after the tariff of 1890.

PRICES.

Risen. Fallen. Unchanged.

Flour. Oats. Dyes, S. Hayti. Rye. Shorts. Dyes, extracts. Corn. Cotton. Rosin. Cod. Print cloths. Pitch. Herring. Mackerel. Tar. Hay. Rye straw. Petroleum. Oat straw. Hemp--Manilla. Salt. Dyes, N. Hayti. Jute butts. Tallow. Whale oil. Hides, domestic and foreign. Lard. Sperm oil. Hops. Pa. wrappers. Lard. Opium. Pork. Hemlock bark. Butter. Pig iron. Cheese. Lead. Potatoes. Copper. Havana wrappers. Spelter. Sumatra wrappers. Leather--all kinds. Tea. Molasses. Coffee. Lumber. Beef. Turpentine. Linseed. Beef hams. Rice. Sugar. Rubber. Cornstarch. Wool. Eggs. Potatoes. Onions. Squash--Marrow. Apples--Gravenstein. Mutton. Veal.

From these tables it is obvious that there has been, in the first place, no general rise of prices such as was confidently predicted by the panic-mongers of last year. On the contrary, the large majority of prices show a downward tendency. But more important than this is the fact made obvious by these tables that the price of the protected product has not risen. The foreign goods have advanced in some instances and been shut out in consequence, but domestic goods have taken their places, the price being kept down by domestic competition. In a word these tables prove that except for the enormous reduction in the cost of sugar, the new tariff has had but slight effect if any on the course of prices of the necessaries of life, and that the statements of the free traders as to a general rise of prices was entirely false.

The following extract is from a letter from one of the largest wholesale clothing firms in Boston. It tells its own story:--

"In reply to yours of the 10th inst., would say that we sold clothing in every grade in August, 1891, at fully 10 per cent. less in prices than in August, 1886; for instance, a cassimere suit sold then for $12.00 which we sell now for $10.50, and one sold for $13.50 and we sell the same now for $12.00. An overcoat sold then for $11.50 which we sell now for $10.00. Another grade sold then for $16.50 and sells for $15.00 now. This difference will run through all grades in proportion to prices. The difference in prices between August, 1890, and '91, is very little, if any; less rather than more in '91."

As to the development of manufacturing under the McKinley bill I will quote first the opinion of a disinterested witness. The British Consular General at New York, in his report of May 8, 1891, speaks as follows:--

"Influenced by the new and higher duties afforded for the benefit of American manufacturing interests, new life has been imparted to the cotton, worsted, woollen, and knit underwear industry. Everywhere, especially in the Southern States, new textile mills have been going up with surprising activity, and all the old corporations have been operated on full time....

"As a rule, all the cotton mills have had a year of unusual activity. The production has been of larger volume than in any previous year, and the goods have found a ready sale generally but at comparatively low prices, considering the high prices which prevailed during the first six months of the year for cotton. Market prices, except in a few cases, did not vary with the price of cotton. Opening generally at low rates, cotton goods have been steady, the home and export demand being sufficient to absorb the supply of all standard and staple makers of brown, bleached, and colored goods, if we except printing cloths and calicoes....

"The worsted goods industry has been marked by fresh life since the new tariff has, to a great extent, cut off the importation of the lowest grades of such goods. All the old factories have started up, and are making goods on safe orders; and new mills are being erected by European and British capitalists with a view to manufacturing a finer class of dress goods, etc., than ever before has been produced in this country. The woollen goods industry, apart from ladies' cloths, does not show any perceptible signs of improvement, but keeps on a slow, steady gait, apart from carpetings and woollen underwear. Both of the latter industries have been unusually busy during the last six months at fairly profitable prices."

To give a complete list of the new industries started since the passage of the McKinley bill would be impossible, and would occupy more space than THE ARENA could spare. I give, therefore, a partial list compiled from the _Boston Commercial Bulletin_, and covering only the first three months after the passage of the law, that is, from Oct. 1, 1890. These are the months most unfavorable to the bill, but the statistics show what the growth of new and old industries has been under the tariff of 1890 in three months, and indicate what the future increase is likely to be.

SHOES AND LEATHER.

Shoe factory at Portsmouth, Va.

Tannery and horse collar manufactory at Demorest, Ga. Shoe factory building by the town of Ayer to cost $15,000. White Bros, new tannery at Lowell for finishing fine upper leather. Towle's new shoe factory at Northwood, N. H. New shoe factory at Natick, Mass. New shoe factory at Beverly, Mass. New shoe factory at Salisbury, N. C. Voltaire Electric Shoe Co., of Manchester, N. H. (Capital, $50,000.) New factory at Ellsworth, Me. New factory at Sherman, Me. New factory at Whitman, Mass., for Commonwealth Shoe Co. New factory at East Pepperell, Mass. (Employs over 700 hands.) Manhattan Rubber Shoe Co., at New York. (Capital, $50,000.) Crocker Harness Co., of Tisbury, Mass. (Capital, $77,000.)

COTTON.

Mutual Land & Mfg. Co., at Durham, N. C. (Capital, $280,000.) Stock company (capital, $250,000) to erect cotton mill, at Fort Worth, Texas. Cabot Cotton Mfg. Co., at Brunswick, Me. (70,000 spindles.) Shirt factory at Milford, Del. (To employ 30 women.) New mill at New Bedford, Mass., for the manufacture of fine yarn, on account of the high tariff on this grade of goods. New mill at Dallas, Texas. (15,000 spindles.) New cotton mill at Monroe, La. (Capital, $200,000.) New mill at Austin, Texas, to cost $500,000. Cotton factory at New Iberia, Ky. Stock company (capital, $500,000) at Atlanta, Ga., to work the fibre of the cotton stalk into warp for cotton bales. New cotton factory at Abbeville, S. C. New cotton factory at Summit, Miss. Jean pants and cotton sack factory, at Louisiana State Penitentiary. New cotton mill at Moosup, Conn. New cotton mill at Wolfboro, N. H. (Capital, $800,000.) Bagging mills at Sherman, Texas. Cotton batting factory at Columbia, S. C. (Capital, $40,000.) Cotton mill at Greenville, Tenn. Cotton tie factory at Selma, Ala.

WOOLLEN.

Harvey's carpet mills at Philadelphia, Pa. Arlington mills at Lawrence. (Worsted--500 hands.) Knitting mills at Cohoes, N. Y. Knitting mills at Bennington, Vt. (75 hands.) Woollen mill at Barre Plains near Worcester. (Fancy Cassimeres.) Crescent yarn and knitting mills at New Orleans, La. (Capital, $75,000. Capacity 500 dozen of hose per day.) Wytheville Woollen & Knitting Co. at Wytheville, W. Va. (Capital, $30,000.) Yarn factory at Athens, S. C. Coat factory at Ellsworth, Me. (Employs 75 to 100 hands.) Woollen mills at Lynchburg, Va. Woollen manufactory at Philadelphia, Pa. Knitting mill (200 x 90) at Cohoes, N. Y. Woollen factory at Worcester, Mass. Knitting mill at Raleigh, N. C. ($25,000.) Knitting mill at Pittsboro, N. C. Cotton and woollen yarns at Catonsville, Md. (Capital, $10,000.) Yarn factory at Lambert's Point, Va. (Capital, $25,000.) New factories of the Merrimack Coat and Glove Co., at Waban, N. H. Knitting mill at Rockton, N. Y. Yarn manufactory at Winsted, Conn. Worsted manufactory at Woonsocket, R. I.

POTTERY AND GLASS.

Chattanooga Pottery Co. Pottery mills at Millville, Tenn. Glass factory to manufacture glass jars and bottles at Middletown, Indiana. Window glass factory at Baltimore, Md. Glass manufactory at Fostoria, Ohio. (125 persons operate 12 pots.) Parmenter Mfg. Co. at East Brockfield, Mass. (Capital, $250,000.) Glass manufactory at Grand Rapids, Mich. American Union Bottle Co. Glass works at Woodbury, N. J. A. Busch Glass Works at St. Louis, Mo. Large glass plant at Denver, Col., by Chicago parties. (To employ between 300 and 400 men.) Diamond Plate Glass Co., at Kokomo, Indiana. (Capacity, 5,500 ft. per day.) New green glass factory at Alton, Ills. (To employ 425 men.) Union Glass Co. at Malaga, N. J. (Capital, $100,000.) Window Glass Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. (Capital, $100,000.) Window glass factory at Millville, N. J. Glass manufactory at North Baltimore, Md. (Optical goods.)

PAPER AND PULP.

New paper mill at Newport and Sunapee, N. H. Otis Falls Pulp Co. at Livermore Falls, Me. Mill for the manufacture of glazed hardware paper at Hemington, Conn. Girvins Falls Pulp Co. of Concord, N. H. (Capital, $40,000.) Paper mill at Manchester, Col. New pulp mill at Howland, Me. New pulp mill at Saxon, Wis. New paper mill at Orono, Mo. Large paper mill at Reading, Pa. Brookside Paper Mill at Manchester, Conn. Paper box factory at Richmond, Va. (Cost $7,000.) Eureka Paper Mill Co. at Lower Oswego Falls, N. Y. Shattuck & Babcock Co. of Depue, Wis. (Capital, $500,000.) Pulp mill at Huntsville, Ala., by American Fibre Co. of New York. (Capital $80,000.)

IRON AND STEEL.

Liberty Iron Co., at Columbia Furnace, Va. (Capital, $50,000.) Basic steel plant, at Roanoke, Va. (Capital, $750,000. Capacity, 200 tons per day.) Ashland Steel Co., at Ashland, Ky. (400 tons finished steel per day.) Tredegar Steel Works, at Tredegar, Ala. (100 tons per day.) Pennsylvania Steel Co., of Philadelphia. (Large ship building plant at Sparrow Point, on Chesapeake Bay.) Pittsburg Malleable Iron Co., of Pittsburg, Pa. (Capital, $25,000.) Beaver Tube Co., of Wheeling, W. Va. (Capital, $1,000,000.) $1,000,000 stock company at Wheeling, W. Va., to develop coal and iron mines, etc. New plant at Morristown, Tenn. Iron furnace at Winston, N. C., by Washington and Philadelphia parties. Buda Iron Works, of Buda, Ill. (Capital, $24,000. Railroad supplies and architectural iron work.) Simonds Manufacturing Co., of Pennsylvania. (Iron and steel. Capital, $50,000.) Iron City Milling Co., of Pittsburg, Pa. (Capital, $50,000.) One hundred and twenty-five ton blast furnace, at Covington, Va. Iron works at Jaspar, Tenn. (Capital, $30,000.) Planing mill at Jaspar, Tenn. (Capital, $10,000.)

METAL WORKING.

Peninsular Metal Works, of Detroit, Mich. (Capital, $100,000.) Iron and brass foundry at Easton, Md. Tinware factory at Petersburgh, Va. Steel Edge Japanning & Tinning Co., at Medway, Mass. (Factory 800 x 60 feet.) Horsch Aluminium Plating Co., of Chicago, Ill. (Capital, $5,000,000.) Tin plate manufactory at Chicago, Ill.

MACHINERY AND HARDWARE.

Lynn Lasting Machine Co., at Saco, Me. (Capital, $50,000.) Tin plate mill at Chattanooga, Tenn. New plow factory at West Lynchburg, Va. Machine works for Edison Electric Co., at Cohoes, N. H. Haywood Foundry Co., at Portland, Me. (Capital, $150,000.) Larrabee Machinery Co., at Bath, Me. (Capital, $250,000.) Manufactory of mowers at Macon, Ga. (Capital, $50,000.) Cooking stove manufactory at Blacksburg, S. C. Nail, horse-shoe, and cotton tie factory at Iron Gate, Va. Iron foundry and stove works at Ivanhoe, Va. Wire fence factory at Bedford City, Va. Nail mill and rolling mill with 28 puddling furnaces at Buena Vista, Va. Car works by Boston capitalists at Beaumont, Texas. (Capital, $500,000.) Car works plant at Goshen, Va. Car works plant at Lynchburg, Va. Nail mill at Morristown, Tenn. Machine and iron works at Blacksburg, S. C. (Capital, $120,000.) Eureka Safe & Lock Co. at Covington, Ky. (Capital, $50,000.) Agricultural implements factory at Buchanan, Va. (Capital, $50,000.) Tin can and pressed tinware factory at Canton, Md. New hosiery factory at Charlotte, N. C. $10,000 chair factory and $25,000 foundry and machine shop at Attalla, Ala. Iron foundry and machine shops at Bristol, Tenn. (Capital, $25,000.) Large skate factory at Nashua, N. H. Stove Foundry & Machine Co. in Llano, Texas. (Cost, $100,000.) Safety Package Co., at Baltimore, Md. (Capital, $1,000,000. To manufacture safes, locks, etc.) Stove foundry at Salem, Va. (Cost $20,000. Capital, $60,000.) Locomotive works plant at Chattanooga, Tenn. (Capital, $500,000.) Fulton Machine Co., at Syracuse, N. Y. (Capital, $33,000.) Chicago Machine Carving & Mfg. Co., at Chicago, Ill. (Capital, $50,000. To manufacture interior decorations, mouldings, etc.) Standard Elevator Co., of Chicago, Ill. (Capital, $300,000.) Wire nail mill at Salem, Va. (To employ over 100 men.)

TIN PLATE.

The following firms are manufacturing tin-plate, or building new mills or additions to old ones for that purpose.

Demmler & Co., Philadelphia. Coates & Co., Baltimore. Fleming & Hamilton, Pittsburg. Wallace, Banfield & Co., Irondale, Ohio. Jennings Bros. & Co., Pittsburg. Niedringhaus, St. Louis.

There is one other charge which was freely made against the tariff of 1890, that deserves a brief answer. It was said that the McKinley bill would stop trade with other countries, and that it raised duties "all along the line."

A plain tale from the "Statement of Foreign Commerce and Immigration," published by the Treasury Department for June, 1891, puts this accusation down very summarily.

Total imports free of duty for nine months, ending June 30, 1891 $295,963,665

Total imports free of duty for nine months, ending June 30, 1890 208,983,873 ------------ Balance in favor of nine months, ending June 30, 1891. 86,979,792

Total dutiable imports for nine months, ending June 30, 1890 389,786,032

Total dutiable imports for nine months, ending June 30, 1891 334,242,340 ----------- Balance in favor of nine months, ending June 30, 1891 55,543,692

Total imports for nine months, ending June 30, 1891 630,206,005