Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1890 — M'KINLEY PRICES. [ARTICLE]

M'KINLEY PRICES.

REPUBLICANS MAY CURSE THEM. But They Will Last as Long as the McKinley Bill Does. A paragraph in the Chicago Dry Goods Reporter effort s ground for a suspicion that the protected manufacturers of buttons have joined that "vile Democratic conspiracy" to raise prices. The Reporter says: "If the manufacturers of agate buttons are not careful, they are liable to overreach themselves in the endeavor to raise prices by their 'combination. The association has fixed a price of 24 oents for B T li-line agate buttons, although other manufacturers are selling them at 22J cents and making a good profit. The manufacturers evidently expect that agate buttons will, in a large measure, take the place formerly held by pearls, and therefore there should be a bonanza in the agate button business. Be this as it may, the people are becoming a little restive under the continual formation of trusts, and in case the agate button people get too obstreperous some method may be found of placing pearl buttons baok under the old 25 per cent, advaiorem duty where they belong. The placing of the 2£ oents per line duty on pearl buttons was nothing less than infamous in the first plaoe, and very little nonsense on the part of the agate button trust might go a long way in wiping that sort of legislation oat of existence. ” RETURN TO SANDED FLOORS. Carpet manufacturers have advanced prices on tapestry oarpets about 4 per cent., on ingrains from 5 to 8 per cent., on Brussels carpets 10 per cent., and on the higher qualities from 8 to 10 per cent., the new prioes to go into effect on Deo. 1. Regarding this action, Mr. John Sloane, of the firm of W. A J. Sloane, of New York, says that “the new prices are largely the result of the inorease of duty on raw materials." Of the way in which the higher prices will affeot the mass of the people, Mr. J. W. Dimmick says: "Carpets have come to be a necessity, and when 8 per cent, is added to the cost of ingrains, which are sold at a low price, it simply means that the poor people, who use this grade of oarpets are the sufferers. The higher and better kinds of carpets are increased ahout the same in price, but when it comes to royal Wilton and Axminster the difference will not be felt so much. It is in the cheaper oarpets, which are used by poor people, and the Brussels carpets, which are purchased by people in moderate circumstances, that the increased cost will be most felt.”

DESTROYING AN AMERICAN INDUSTRY. Charles Morrill, of Pawtucket, R. 1., and New York City, a large manufacturer of suoh hardware specialties as saw sets, bench stocks and vices, plyers, belt punches and wagon jacks, complains that the new tariff is likely to deprive him of his foreign customers. He is obliged to use in bis industry the very finest quality of Sheffield steel. On aooount of the old duty on this, he has frequently tried in vain to get the same steel here, and as the duty on it is now advanced, a rival manufacturer in Birmingham, England, is given a great advantage over him, although the Englishman makes inferior goods. Mr. Morrill has had customers in Franoe, Germany, Switzerland, Sootland and Ire. land, all of whom are now turning to England. He declares our policy allows England to become the market of the world. A SECOND INCREASE ON YARNS. Bernhard, Ulman & Co., of No. 109 Grand street, New York, sent out a new price list October 4 to their customers, but under date of October 29 they issne another, declaring that they "have since found it nec ssary to advance some of the prices established at that time; also to charge higher fignres for domestic yams," which so far they had not advanced, LADIES GET IT IN THE NECK. The following oircular was sent out November 18: Should you find any ruffiingson this invoice at an advance upon former price please take note that it is in consequence of the new tariff act. All goods in store before October 6, will be sold at the old prices, but naturally all goods received after that have to be fig. ured on new tariff basis. Yours, truly, G. Sidenberg & Co. FLOOR CLOTHS GOING UP. In the New York Commercial Bulletin, November 13, was this paragraph: “Oil cloths are going up in price. Floor oil cloths have advanced from 12 to 15 per cent.; lineol urns from sto 8 per cent." The duty on floor oil doth worth not more than 25 oents a yard was pot changed by the McKinley law, but the duty on oil cloth and linoleum worth more than that was changed from 40 per cent, to 15 cents a yard and 30 per cent., a rate wh’ch was estimated by the Senate committee on finance to be equivalent to 66 per cent In the case of oil cloth there must be taken into account the work of a combination.*