Show PEARL BUTTONS A FEW days ago one ZELAT KEISLER was in a Chicago United States court found guilty of violating the provision3 of the contract labor law he having imported a number of Austrian pearl button makersto I start the inlant industry in that city I Pearl buttonmaking first introduced in his country at Germantown in 1800 and was at its height in 1853 when foreign competition com-petition as alleged made it no longer profitable I profi-table The McKiNLET bill raised the tariff 12M cents per gross KEI LER himself an Austrian not only brought over a number of skilled workmen but imported Austrian machinery and has been making a good thing out of his enterprise The court withheld judgment as to punishment pending I pend-ing a motion of defenants counsel for arrest ar-rest on account of an alleged defect in the indictment A favorite point with the protectionists who insist that the high tariff has not raised the price of manufactured goods is that sheets and cotton underwear are no higher than before on account of tho duty on pearl buttons But they overlook the I face that the prices of cotton goods have declined since theMcKiNLur bill went in 4 to operation and in a much greater ratio 1 than the decline in manufactured articles The best maker show an increase in proportion pro-portion to too number of pearl buttons used and the advance in the cost of these i more than offsets the cheaper price of cotton j cot-ton Thus to promote an infant Indus j I try only a century old in this country and effor temptation to Aastrian manufacturers 1 to violate our laws an article of great i necessity is made to increase the cost of living to the greatest number our people I |