Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-21
TIE RELATION OF TIE TARIFR TO
THE WAGE WORKER

we 10 HOT eNac6iy CoiupEcnchu
what our neighbCr, the Htebigencer,
wants from US further than what we
have stated upon the matter relating to
the effect of the tariff upon the work
ingman's wages.
Ifthere is any issue between us, as
seems to be intimated, it must be one of
fact, and the facts we have stated are
drawn from the tariff bill itself. If we
are in error, ii will be sufficient to point
out the error, and that will be conclu-
sive. If not, there is no occasion for q
controversy.
The propositions advanced by US
were, (l) that the great need oftaritf' re-
vision was and is to reduce the tax on
articles of domestic Use, which bears
heavily on the wage worker, and which
makes living expensive to all classes in
America.
(2) We assumed that the wages of
the American laborer were 20 per cent.
higher than the wages of the English.
men; but the tariff on articles Of
domestic use i'm America average 40
per cent, and if it costs the American 40
per cent. more to live than the English
man, he would be out of pocket at the
end of the year 40 per cent. more than
the Englishman, and consequently 20
per cent. worse Oft than the English
man, although receiving 20 per cent.
higher wages.
We enumerated number of articles
which are regarded as necesssrieS Of
every household, and which enter into
every mans annual bill of expense. II
we are right in our figures, we must be
right all through. We devastated SIM
ply a self-evident proposition, and un-
til our peighber impeaches the figures
we cannot make our position palmer.
1t is intimated that We have placed
the difference between the American
and European wages too low-that
there is y greater difference than 90 per
cent. We can only approximate the
difference 1t is a matter of doubt by
some whether on the whole there is
any difference. Some place it at one
figure and some at another. We
thought we were placing it high enough
to be beyond dispute when we put the
difference at 20 per cent.
Now, we cannot make it clearer than
we have done how we arrived at the
percentages showing this difference. 1t
is a simple matter of arithmetic. The
English workingman pays no tariff on
sugar, for instance. The American la
borer pays a tariff of so per cent. The
same quantity of sugar that costs
the Englishman Sl.00 costs the
American S1.50. That indirectly
makes a difference of so per
cent. in their wages against the Ameri-
can and in favor of the Englishman.
That is to say, that although the Amer
lean got 30 per cent. more wages he
would be no better off, il both lived on
sugar, than the Englishman. And if
Oh all articles of domestic use the
American pays an average Of 40 per
cent. more than the Englishman, and
gets only - per cent. more wages, GER
tainly his wages are really worth to
him 20 per cent. less than the English
mans. The hteHigencer asks us "if
we think it desirable to put the Ameri-
can laborer on an equal footing with
the European lsborer?" We answer
no. What We are complaining about is
that his wages are less.rather than more
than the Europeans, through the opera
ton of the tariff.
We have only to add that We have
not gone through the tariff bill to veri-
fly our assumption that the tariff on do
mestic articles averages 40 per cent,
and we don't desire to undertake the
task. We have accepted that state
ment from those who have made the
the calculation and as an estimate which
seems to be conceded.