High Wages, Low Prices

From the New York Press. Henry Lister & Sou, of Huddersfield, ïngland, have decided to remove their ilk pluah factory to this country beause they cannot aflford to pay the inreased duties demanded by the Mcünley law. The fame of Henry Lister c Son" as manufacturera of silk and nohair plushes extends all over the nercantile world. It ia a very old and arge establishment, and lias the repu;ation of making as good plushes, wolens, etc, as are made in the world. The irm gave employment to 1,500 hands in England, and' now the big factory is to be located in Jamestown, this state. An immense factory building is to be constructed there. The Huddersfield factory bas been closed, and bef ore the bilis of Jamestown are covered with snow this winter the factory there will be in full working order and giving employmentto 1,500 or 2,000 American workingtnen. A Press reporter had an interesting interview with Henry R. LiBter at Jamestown to-day and was given a practical illustration of the workings of the McKinley law. $1,000,000 of hüsiness. "My father," he began, "was in the business forty-five years, and I have been in it all luy lifê. We have been giving work to 1,500 men there, and expect to employ 1,500 or 2,000 here. We make woolens, worsteds, rugs, ladies' inantle cloth, Shawls, silks, yarns and silk and mohair plushes. We did nearly a million dollars' worth of business a year with America, and the passage of" the McKinley bill was a death blow to us as far a manufaeturing goods for America, was concerned. The two years preceding the McKinley act were" the best we ever had. The increase in the duty of our goods cut off 90 per cent of our business, and left us with a tremendous stock of raw and manufacturad stuff on hand. Our business was paralyzed, orders were canceled from here, and the value of our stock went down until it was hardly worth anything. Tussah silk, which had sold "for eighty cents a pound, dropped to sixteen cents within twelve months, and the manufactured goods dropped in proportiou, and tussah silk products were a large factor in our business. The result of this depreciation was a big loss to us, exceeding half a million dollars. The prospects for the second year were even worse, and we decided to remove to this country. "Do you see any reason why you cannot manufacture goods as suecessfully here as you did in England?" he was asked by'the reporter. CHEAPER GOODS, BETTER WAGES. "No reason whatever. With the existing tariff we can make goods cheaper than we did in England, and, another thing, we can pay better wages, for we shall not have any duty to pay. Without this protection it would be impossible for any manufacturer to pay American wages and compete with England.1, "How does the American market compare with those of other eountries?" "Our experienceis thatitis the greatest in the world. The population is not only immense, but the per capita consumption is greater than in any other country. American working and middle classes are more prosperous than those of any other country, and I think it is all due to your protective tariff. Free trade in this country, ora material reduction of the present tariff, is as sure to reduce the rate of wages as the sun is to rise to-morrow. We would not have engaged in this entergrise if we thought there was anj' prospect of a repeal of the McKinley act."