Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-10-05

VI
it is the larger which regulates, not ii
smaller. They talk of what they kno
nothing about. That this assertion is u
true we may be assured from the ia
that nc one of the many orators ar
writer's who have asserted it have pr
duced a particle of evidence to support
and we challenge Mr.. Stewart or any Of
elee to show in history where the redu
ton of tariff has caused a reduction
wages. On the other hand, we have shovl
that, in the case of England, free trad
was followed by largely increased wage
The most complete analysis of any pd
sible effect of tariff reform upon the pri
of labor has been handed to us by Chau
cey Smith, Esq, of Boston, who h
been spending the summer season
Bread Loaf Inn. Mr.. Smith is one of t
ablest lawyers and c~learest thinkers
the country. His article is as follows
"wILL A REDUCTION OF THE TARIFF n
DUCE THE PRICE OF LABOR IN TIL
COUNTRY
1.-The demand for labor must depeI
upon the demand for what it produced
and in general the demand for the pr
ducts of labor will increase as the pri
is reduced, which the user has to paI
The price of an article is, in general, d
termined by its cost, and its cost is d
termined by the price and amour or cd
of the labor employed, the cost of nj
chanical power consumed and the cd
of the materials on which the power a |
the labor are expended. a reduction
the tariff on the materials employed
: the production of any article will redu@
! the cost of the article and the price
: which it can be sold, and so increase II
l demand for it. So far, the effect of
> reduction of the tariff will be to incred
: the demand for labor, and therefore
price. n reduction of the tariff on rid
materials cannot possibly reduce the pri
of labor employed in this country
: working up such materials. And d
same must be true of the labor EMPLOY
a. NO'' W NhobSC hlubuluCluI
u articles into the form or condition
u which they will be ultimately used al
y consumed. Cloth. for instance, is a ma
y ufactured article; but very little of it
used as it comes from the manufactur,
- 1t is converted into clothing for instan,
= or some special article for the use of mi
" 1t is impossible to think that a reducti
in the price or cost of cloth should
&c duce the price of the labor required
~ convert it into clothing. So also w.
III steel. 1t is a manufactured article, /
it is the raw material of other manuf;
" lures; cutlery. for instance. Is it CO
d, cievable that a reduction in the price
~ steel will entail a reduction in the pr
y. of labor employed in working up st
IL into cutlery:
1T NAV be confidently affirmed tina
- reduction of the tariff on raw materi
49,. or on manufactured articles cannot Oh
ate to reduce the price of labor sub
-. quently required to nver such mat,
. ais or articles into other forms to fit tn
-. for use and consumption, but that,
80, the contrary, by increasing consumpt
20 its tendency will he to increase the
mand for that kind of labor and theref
its price.
M But the question remains as to the
sh suits upon the labor of this country c
,at reduction of the tariff upon the produ
as of foreign labor which may be impor
" ready for use, such as steel rails, Gu.
rs. ry, blankets, and ready-made cloth
L. If by reason of the reduction of the
ps if such goods could be brought into
.ss country and be sold to consumers che
-tb er than they could be made here, Il
mr. would supplant the domestic produ
res and the labor employed upon such |
res ducts would be turned into other ch
ior nels and thus increase the number of
nv borers available for the industries VIII
To- were not supplanted by foreign prod
tons.
Re ST this were the only result it nigh
he admitted that to that extent the red
no ton of the tariff would tend to red
les the price of labor, but it would be atte
ne ed with this countervailing advant
zoe that the users of the products would
he tain them at a lower price. And
nv might be more than equal to the rec
is ton in the price of labor. But thi
CO. not all that would follow from
les change. 1t might be all, if the fore
he goods were given to us.
in But foreign products are not given
nat us. They must be paid for or we s
not get them. And there is no way
ruy which they can be paid for except by
so products of labor. The people of a &C
it try must work for all they consume,
arn if they consume something which
ere been produced in another country t
mt, must work to produce something wi
ter will be wanted in that or some o.
be country in order to pay for it. Thus