LOSING HER MARKET DUE TO FREE TRADE

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, August 6, 1896.

LOSING HER MARKET.

WHAT FREE TRADE HAS DONE FOR GREAT BRITAIN.

Too Much Money Is Sent Abroad For Foreign Products—Farmers and Mechanics Are Idle—An Amazing Change In English Industrial Conditions.

   A conference of the British Iron Trade Association was held on May 6 at the Westminster Palace hotel in London under the presidency of Sir Alfred Hickman, M. P. Upon opening the conference the president remarked "that the question which appeared to be the most pressing at the present moment for the British manufacturer, and especially the British iron manufacturer, was the success of foreign competition." 
   Sir Alfred Hickman stated that:

   "The suggestion that the progress of a nation was measured by its imports was a heresy which did not require confuting. It was certain that we could never become rich by what we bought unless we sold again at a profit. We are told that the total value of our exports was increasing, but our population was increasing also and per head of the population our exports are decreasing. Our exports per head of population were in 1890, £7 7d., and in 1894, £5 11s. 2d. Our imports into India had decreased no less than 34 per cent, while the imports from Germany and Belgium had increased no less than 700 per cent."

   Now, the New York Herald has been trying to make its readers believe that England's prosperity "was measured by its imports." But a hard-headed British business man like Sir Alfred Hickman says this is "a heresy which did not require confuting." He further overthrows The Herald's efforts at "a campaign of education" by saying that the English "could never become rich by what we (they) bought unless we (they)) sold again at a profit."

   If British business on its free trade basis be such a money making game, what necessity was there for Sir Alfred to deplore the fact that "our (British) exports are decreasing," and still further to deplore that "the imports (British) from Germany and Belgium had increased no less than 700 per cent?" According to The Herald's argument, these larger British imports from Germany and Belgium should have added 700 per cent to the wealth of the British iron trade, but Sir Alfred Hickman says this is heresy.

   One of those keen, long-headed business men of Scotland, Mr. W. L. Jacks of Glasgow, added his testimony to refute the heresy of The Herald. He "pointed out that, while in 1871 Great Britain supplied over half the pig iron of the world, and in 1882 about 40 per cent, it only supplied about a quarter in 1893, and the tide flowed in the same direction. The figures and facts taken together with the steadily decreasing use of British coal in Germany, and especially with the startling announcement that Westphalian coal was being sold in London, and with the equally serious fact that ordinary American pig iron was being pretty regularly sold in some parts of England, indicated an amazing and uncomfortable change in our commercial and industrial conditions. It was not in the raw material alone that these conditions prevailed, but in the form of the completed manufacture the same result was observed."

   Here the free traders tell us that "free raw material" will enable us to "capture the markets of the world." England has the "free raw material," yet she is not only losing her grip on "the markets of the world," but the markets of the world have the audacity to capture the British market both in coal and manufactured iron goods. The Scotch manufacturer was confronted by this condition, for he said:

   "Of one thing we might be assured, no foreign country had cheaper raw material than our own (United Kingdom)."

   Won't the New York Evening Post explain to Mr. W. L. Jacks of Glasgow that he is mistaken? Either the English manufacturers have no "free raw material" and Mr. Jacks says that "no foreign country had cheaper raw material;" or else the Westphalian coal and American pig iron are not being sold in England, and Mr. Jacks says they are; or else the imports from Germany and Belgium have not increased 700 per cent, and Sir Alfred Hickman says they have; or else the British business man's idea of a "heresy" is all wrong, and only The Herald and The Evening Post of New York are all right.

   Perhaps, though, an effort will be made by our free trade friends to extricate themselves from their dilemma by attributing these English protection arguments to the existence of "enormous strikes and lockouts which from time to time arose" in the United Kingdom. But to acknowledge this as the cause of British inability to capture other markets or to hold their own would be a confession that "strikes and lockouts" do exist in a free trade country, whereas every free trade paper in this country declares, especially during a political campaign, that "strikes and lockouts" are the outgrowth of a protective tariff and are unknown in free trade countries.

   Our free trade friends will find some very interesting conditions here confronting them. We must confess that we should like to read their explanations. That the failure of free trade in England is not alone confined to its manufacturing interests is evident from the following remarkable paragraph that appeared in a London paper, The Mark Lane Express, of May 11:

   "This is what the country (England) needs: Less money sent abroad to pay for foreign grown corn and foreign made goods, and consequently more work for the British agricultural laborer and mechanic."

William McKinley.

ITEM.

   At Kokomo, Ind., lightning destroyed the entire front of a house with the exception of one window, and in that hung a picture of William McKinley.

Encouragement For McKinley.

   CANTON, O., Aug. 6.—A letter from President R. B. Brown of the Ohio Republican Editorial association announces that the next meeting of the association will be held in Canton, Sept. 8, and that the members will call on Governor McKinley in a body.

   It is expected that several hundred editors will be present.

STRIKE MOVEMENT SPREADS.

Vestmakers of New York Also Have a Grievance.

   NEW YORK, Aug. 6.—The strike fever among the East Side garment workers of New York has entered into the camp of the Vestmakers' Alliance of the Hebrew Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance, and as a consequence 2,500 vestmakers ventilated their grievances in Liberty hall.

   The strikers listened to fiery speeches delivered by Walking Delegate Frank Schrieber and the members of the executive board of the Vestmakers' Alliance.

   The shops affected in the two cities number 152. Six hundred women vestmakers employed therein quit work.

   Walking Delegate Schrieber said the object of the strike was to secure a renewal of last year's agreement and an increase of 25 per cent in the wage scale. In addition a 59-hour work week and a specified weekly pay day is now demanded.

   The strike will be short lived, as a large number of the contractors have signified their willingness to accede to the demands of the striking vestmakers.

GOING TO NEW YORK.

Mr. F. C. Straat to Sever His Connection With the Cortland Wagon Co.

   Mr. F. C. Straat, who has been associated with the Cortland Wagon Co. since January, 1880, first as head bookkeeper and for the last ten years as secretary and treasurer, expects about September 1 to terminate his connection with that company and go to New York to engage in another line of business. He is one of the three stockholders and directors of the Mutual Loan association which has lately been incorporated under the laws of the state of New York with a capital stock of $50,000. The other two stockholders and directors are Messrs. Philip Sugerman and Mark Sugerman of Cortland. Officers of the new company have not yet been elected. The company has rented offices in the Bennett building at the corner of Nassau and Fulton-sts. and expects to do a loan and brokerage business. Mr. Philip Sugerman has been in New York for about two weeks making preliminary arrangements and the business will begin about the middle of the month, although Mr. Straat will not assume active connection with his New York association until about the first of next month.

   Mr. Straat said to a STANDARD man that it caused him much regret, and no slight struggle to bring about his determination to leave Cortland and the Cortland Wagon Co. and to separate himself from such excellent business men and such true and tried friends as Messrs. L. J. Fitzgerald and Hugh Duffey. His personal relations with them and with hosts of others friends here in Cortland, both of a business and social character, have been very pleasant, and nothing would induce him to go except the firm belief that the change to the new business would be to his decided advantage. He will not move his family to New York just now, but before long he hopes to have them with him.

   The STANDARD man inquired of Mr. Fitzgerald, president of the Cortland Wagon Co., if any steps had yet been taken toward filling the vacancy which would occur through Mr. Straat's resignation. Mr. Fitzgerald said nothing had yet been done. They were all sorry to have Mr. Straat go, but he was confident that there was a good prospect for him to better himself by the change so that the company could do nothing other than to tender him their best wishes.

   Mr. Straat has many friends here in Cortland who will be sorry to lose him from their midst. Nearly all his life has been spent here. He has been identified in a number of ways with the business interests of the place. He is public spirited, enthusiastic and energetic in whatever he undertakes. He has been prominent in the social life of the place and he will carry with him to his new home and his new business the best wishes of all of our citizens generally.

Samson block.

New Block Going Up.

   Mr. J. M. Samson is perfecting plans for the erection of a new brick block three stories high on his property, corner of Main-st. and Groton-ave. The block will have a frontage on Main-st. of thirty-seven feet and a depth of seventy feet. The contract has not yet been let. The block will he an ornament to the town and especially so to the corner which has been left vacant since the old building burned down several years ago.

New Pitcher Signed.

   The management of the Cortland baseball team has signed Pitcher O'Garra of Carbondale, one of the leading pitchers in the Pennsylvania state league. He is expected in town to-morrow and will pitch in the Cortland-Oxford game Saturday. He will make a valuable addition to the team.

ANOTHER GAME WON.

Cortland Defeated Corning Yesterday in Good Game.

   When the clouds rolled away at 5 o'clock last night from the battlefield at the fair grounds it was found that the crack Corning baseball team had met a Waterloo. The balance of trade was in favor of Cortland, the ratio being 8 to 1.

   The game was well patronized and the betting had been heavily against Cortland because it was well understood that the Cornings were an exceedingly strong team.

   Gallaher was in the box for the home team and it was feared that he would not be able to pitch the entire game as he had been ill for two days, but he pitched one of the best games seen here this season. The contrast between him and the big Mahoney who was in the box for the visitors was great.

   When Cortland first went to bat nearly every one expected that the batsmen would go down like grain before the sickle. Well, it did take two innings for the Cortlands to ''find him," and in the next three innings they touched him for six hits and assisted by errors made their eight runs. This was too much for Mahoney, who stepped down and out in favor of "Cyclone" Ryan, who held the Cortlands down to three hits.

   A beautiful feature of the game occurred in the sixth inning when Haulihan made a fine running catch of Smith's low hot liner which seemed almost sure of a safe hit. Lovelock, McGraw and Ketchum led in batting. Every one of the Cortlands played good ball from first to last and that they won from so strong a team as the Cornings is a source of pride to Cortland people. The Corning team took their defeat in a manly way and left town with the good will of all on account of their gentlemanly bearing. The full score is as follows:

New Baseball Team.

   A new baseball nine has been organized in Cortland to be known as the Actives. They are now ready to meet clubs from neighboring places. The makeup of the new team is as follows: George Gleason 1b, J. Conway p, T. Quick p, Charles Ready c, C. O'Brien 2b, Robert Mills ss, P. Shields 3b, Dennis McCarthy lf, T. Flood rf, Ira Dexter cf.

RACING AT WATERLOO.

Hooks Get One First Prize and Orris Gets two Third Prizes.

   WATERLOO, N. Y., Aug. 6, (Special).—In the races attending the convention of the Central New York Firemen's association here to-day the 300-yard hose race was won by Ithaca in 42 1/2 seconds; Lestershire, second in 45 1-5; Orris hose of Cortland, third in 45 4-5; Auburn, fourth in 48 seconds.

   In the 200 yard hub and hub race Lestershire, Auburn and Orris of Cortland all finished within the width of a hose-cart wheel in the order named.

   Excelsior Hook and Ladder company of Cortland was the only company competing in the hook and ladder contest. They ran 200 yards and had a man at the top of the ladder in 30 seconds.

   Lestershire hose won the drill contest, being the only company competing.

BREVITIES.

   —Mrs. Helen J. Moore entertained boarders at tea last night at the park.

   —New advertisements to-day are—C. F. Brown, Photographic Supplies, page 6.

   —Syracuse reports that yesterday was the hottest day experienced there since August 11, 1891. The thermometer touched the 100 point in several places in the city.

   —Baseball Saturday will be Oxford against Cortland. The Cortlands won from the same team July 9 by the score of 13 to 2. They will try to duplicate this Saturday.

   —The annual Griswold picnic will be held at the home of Daniel Bartholomew in Dryden on Thursday, Aug. 20. All members of the Griswold family are cordially invited.

   —Mrs. Thomas Gray died at her home in Solon last night after an illness of several years. Her age was 65 years. The funeral will be held Saturday at 10 o'clock, and burial will be at McGrawviIle.

   —The Ithaca street cars carried over 4,000 people to Renwick [Stewart] park Tuesday night to hear the band concert. There were also over 1,400 admissions at the gate of people in carriages and on wheels.

   —The walls of the new Burgess building on Railroad-st. are now nearly up and present a very handsome appearance. A new cutstone bearing the name of the building has just been put in at the third story.

   —Street Commissioner Stearns has a force of men ai work on North Main-st. between Groton-ave. and Lincoln-ave. digging out next to the curb and throwing the gravel next the car tracks so that the water will run north instead of east across the street or stand in puddles in front of the Cortland House block.