Daily Republican., 1883-07-30
MONDAY. JULY 30. 1858.
Protection In Germany.

Protect ion works about as we'll in
Germany as it does in the United States
and that is proof that protection to
home industries is right. 1t was only
in 1879 that Germany began earnestly
the system of protection and since then
wOrkmen have received better wages
and live more comfortably than they
did in the days of free trade. We see
by the New York Tribune that Robert
7. Porter, one Of the late Tariff Commits.
sioners, whose duty ended at the com
mencement of the late session of Con-
gress, has left off investigating the
slualid poverty caused by free trade in
Englan aud has gone to Germany
where protection is being tested, from
,WheRce he is writing series of letters
in comparing protection with free trade,
He could havs gone to no better couu.
try, for Germany was proverbially the
land of low wages, now experimenting
in protection.
Mr.. Porter graphically describes his
observations and his letters bear the
stamp of sincerity and truthfulness.
From his late letter we learn that in
this country where Martin Luther
worked in the coal mines the wages OF
miner are still from siXty-two and a
half to seventy-fv' cents day, the first
being the amount paid in England and
Wales. Germany has a population OF
forty-fve millions, hat being ten mil.
lions in excess of the population OF
England, Ireland, Sc 'rland and Wales
yet it mines only one-third as much coal
yearly, although its coal prolucr, now
fifty-two million tons, has doubled in
its twelve years existence as an en-
pre-. In the iron product the figures
are very significant. The product OF
iron ore in 1873 was over six mi lion
tons. That year the duties were reduced
and the product fell off annually until
in 1876 it stood at four million seven
hundred and eleven tons. The great
workshops of Herr Krupp alone dis
missed three thousand Lands. This it
must berecolected was under the opera
tons of free trade. With the prospect
merely of an increased protection, the
iron with other industries began tC
strengthen, and in the four years OF
protection from 1879 to 1858, the mum
Der of workmen employed has increased
thirty-three per cent, the increase in
wages is tit'y-seven per cent. and the
average increase Of pay to each work.
man is over seventeen per cent.
If there were no other arguments t.
offer this should be sufficient to show
that protection protects the workman
not only in thi, country butt Germany
and other European countries wherever
it has been tried.
The consolidated interests Of the Ger
man Empire are Of such recent dat,
that Mr.. Porter found some difficulty III
procuring sufficient tabulated statistic.
for comparison, but be has ascertained
that III Germany The plumber of cotton
spindles is only about half of those pn.
gagged in the United States, consuming
about half as much raw cotton, but the
number of hands employed in cotton
spinning and weaving he finds exceed,
those Of tbs couGtry indica ing more
effective machinery in the United
States. So far Us Mr.. Porter has inves-
tigated the subject he has conclu>iyely
proven that a protective tariff makes
ordinary wares cheaper instead OF
uear-r, 10 deny which Is the object OF
the free traders Of Europe and their
close ally, the Democratic party Of til"
United States. 1t having been clearly
shown that business is more prosperous
in Germany the wUrkmcn live better
and ger better wages under protection
u return 10 free trade would mean tn,
further degradation Of wOrkingmeu
These facts art so plain that it is mat
ter of surprise that any workinglnan
in this country WouId BE- found acting
with the party that favOrs free trade
aud which would place him ON an
iaborers of England and Wales.