Show 1 PEARL BUTTON TRUST IT HAS REDUCED WAGES AND CLOSED FACTORIES ret it will send a lobby to Conr rexi apking aid to Con continho the slobbery of tho the keople position lon ri noid posed undoubtedly tho the two greatest greate st protected industries that claim mckinley as a loster foster parent ire are tho the tin pinto pl ito and peart pearl button industries doth both aro noted for their modest and conservative prophecies of what they are going 0 ing to accomplish A page of tho the D dry ry goods economist of april 1 27 7 is ia devoted to ther the peael button infant tho objects of the pearl button trust formed last hist november aro discussed one ol 01 the important duties of the trust or association as 03 they call it is s to supply statistics I 1 and advice to congress coa con gresa showing the wonderful effects of cf pi election to this industry on thia st subject abject tho the economist says bays it is no secret that the present tariff on oil eimil buttons was vas made one of tho points of attack during the last electoral campaign campaign much was m written ritten arla aai 1 l sidd enid about tle the matter and it will 10 o gme generally rally admitted by tila tha trade that tho tariff is in anany points and haa hia certainly failed to afford that measure of pro protection lection to tho the industry which was expected it is 0 open ran to many objections both from its frienda and appo a crits the time for the consideration tion of a new scale calo of duties ia approaching end and it is 3 the part of every one in the pearl button business to giro gire tho the matter his most serious attention the present rate is not likely to bo retained because it is not founded on any intelligible calculation cu lation and is sim simply ply arbitrary th tho 0 principles laid down by this paper in hi proposing a readjustment of the tariff gen generally er allare are that sufficient prot protection eLtion should be allowed to cover the difference between tle the coltof labor and mail maii p plant ant in hi this country and others this is rn en impregnable position for tho the manufacturers of aearl buttons to take to furt further her this object it is desirable I 1 e that full data regarding tho cost of labor and plant referred to ah already ready should bo be furnished showing the figures for this country and all over europe tims time and trouble must be taken to do this and it is tho duty of the members of the industry individually and collectively to see that this is done and done quickly we concede that the jr pearl arl button tariff needs revising but differ from the economist as to what w will ua constitute an impregnable position for the manufacturers in fact wo think the next tariff bill will follow somewhat the route laid out by the chicago platform which says anohin nothing about difre difference rence of cost of labor in in talis this case cage the pearl but button oil men would not only have wasted timo time in giving attention to tho the procurement of statistics and data which should bo be given to the up building of their new industry but would have placed themselves at a disadvantage because of tho the fact that they have formed a trust rust t 0 prescot l congress will L keep cep its weather eye peeled and will be very shy when approached by tariff protected trusts it will bo be remembered bat the trust congress of 1600 has been twice elected to stay at home ionic two lessons not likely to bo forgotten by the victors congress knows and nil n a largo large body of the people know that tho 1 aco 10 per cent protection given by mckinley SIcK to tile tho pearl button manufacturers was sec secured urcil by trickery y by adding to thead the ad valorem valoree duty of 25 2 i per cent an apparently insignificant specific duty of 24 21 cents per line it is generally known that the prices of pearl buttons have increased creased Li greatly since 10 00 yet in sinto of this thia tact fact or because of it abo trust is rot not oaly discussing tile tho evils of overproduction but has closed factories end and reduced wages to limit production and increase profits to send an impregnable lobby to washington tho economist says there are nearly pearl button manufacturers in the united states at the present time they aro are not all in active operation and it is well for tho prosperity of tho the industry that some are anre working with less than half their complement of hands and others hivo have adopted the plan of closing for some days ca each ell week were it not for this moderation of production it is certain that the prices would be still more demoralized thau than they now are and profits would dwindle to the vanishing bing point internal competition among producers c has become so strong that prices have been forced down to tho limit of profit arid and cannot go lower without much loss the I pearl varl button men ire are proceeding in the wrong way vay to obtain 6 in pathy they hai ha 0 raised prices formed a trust reduced wages closed factories to regulate production and sustain prices and now expect that congress will help out their schemes to continue their robbery of the we fear they will be disappointed and will have bate to manufacture in the future without unusual assistance from legislation but the cloud has a silver lining for underwear and too N will ill bo be cheaper and bettor better nest aiu ter acer because of the change but then we suppose the prosperity of people ale is of minor importance when it conflicts with tile tho prosperity of less than small byron W holt |