Our Pocketknives

Perhaps there is no industry of much importance that shows the stimulating effects of McKinleyism more than the manufacture of pocket cutlery. And there is no industry to which the pro tectionist can and does point with more pnde The act of 1890 increased the duty from 50 per cent. to f rom 70 toover 100 per cent. It is now the claim of protectionists, and it is being heralded far and wide, that this industry, which was dying under a 50 per cent. stimulus has been so built up by McKinley that wages have been advanced 10 per cent m three of the twenty-four factories in tms country. Prices of knives also have been advanced; but this is a secondary matter with protectionists, the essential idea being to start new industries here or to assist old ones by cutting off foreign competition. If it ever pays our government to propágate artificially any industry this is probably such an industry, and yet let us analyze a little the cost to the nation of such an investment and see who are benefited by it. The pocket cutlery industry, like many other industries, was established in this country during the "free trade" period from 1840 to 1860. At that time more than half of the employees were Americans. Since it became highly protected and began to rely upon governmental aid rather than meritorious goods for success the industry has been unsteady and since about 1870 has had the blues like a man who is in the habit of taking stimulants to keep up his spirits will have when he is unable to obtain the ever larger doses which his unnatural appetite craves. Wages have been reduced often in this industry, and only four or five years ago reductions of about 20 per cent. were made in most of the shops. Partly because of the low wages, and partly because they were driven out by the English and Germán workmen who were imported to keep wages down, the skilled American workmen have left this business, untü today, outof the 1,400 or 1,500 workers in the twenty-four establishments (mostly small ones) which make pocket cutlery, about 1,100 are English, 200 are Germans, and 100 or 150 are Americans, the latter being mostly boys and girls not doing skilled work and earning only from 50 cents to $1 per day. The Americans have but little prospect of bettering their condition, for the foreigners now have a monopoly of this industry by means of their unions- Spring Knife Makers' union, subdivided into Forgers and Grinders and Finishers' unions. Their rules practically prohibit any but English and Germán from entering any except the unskilled departments. The foreigners are mostly from the Sheffield district in England and are undesirable as einigrants; most of them, it is said, can neither read nor write. As to the manufacturers, they are also largely English, who advocate 'plenty of protection and who have shown themselves willing to pay for it. In conjunction with the table cutlery manufacturers they kept two men at Washington much of the time for three or four years previous to the passage of the McKinley tariff act. Their share of this expense was $7,000. They npw keep a man at the custoni house to prevent undervaluations and fraud. Having secured all they expected at Washington they ünmediately set to work to get back the money which they had invested there. Their association held weekly meetings to arrange prices, and made their first general advance in October, almost before the McKinley act had taken effect. They had paid for their share of this tariff act and saw no reason for denying their proprietorship in it. Henee some of them boldly announced that because of the McKinley bill they had advanced prices from 10 to 15 per cent. In January , 1891 , a second general advance was made. This caused such a howl from dealers and the public that the manufacturéis ceased to send out circulara advancing prices all along the line at once, and instead have held monthly meetings and made advances by private lista to individual dealers. These lists appear regularly, the last being on Aug. 6, 1892. One month they will inform a dealer that "they are compelled to make the following changes in prices." The "changes" usually amount to from 10 to 12 per cent. advance on about a dozen styles. The next month a dozen other styles will receive the same treatment. Large dealers say that the advance since September, 1890, amounts to fully 30 per cent. on the total of all knives sold. Here are a few samples of the prices of knives sold by the Ulster Knife company, of Ellenville, N. Y. : -Price per dozen Percent. Aug. 1890. Aug. 1893. advauce Cheap knife, 2 blades.. $2 00 $2 75 37W Cheap knife. 1 blade... 2 15 3 00 39W Prumng knife, 1 bladü. 3 75 5 00 33W Knife, 3 blades 4 90 8 25 27)4 Knif e, i blades 5 I 7 00 2S% Knife, i blades 7 75 9 75 26 Knife, 3 blades 8 00 10 50 31 On leading styles the advance always exceeds 20 and in some cases reaches 60 per cent. The advances are to continue until knives begin to be imported in large quantities. On many styles the duty was increased from 50 to 100 per cent., but on some styles the tariff limit lias already been reached., e. g., a small three bladed knife that used to be imported at a cost of $2.25 per dozen and sold at 25 cents each on the street, now costs $3.80 to $2.90 per dozen here and sells for 35 cents each on the street, and from 35 to 50 cents each in stores. On another style which used to cost $1.80 the duty (105 per cent.) is prohibitive; but the blades and handles are imported separately and the knife is sold here for $2.25 per dozen. Thus imports have already checked the advance on some styles. The Manufacturers' association is practically a trust so faras regulating prices, iemandinfc hiten protective duties and