South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1888-04-27


ton goods vas lower here than Ia
England.
Mr.. Miils then proceeded 10 cav
that though the labor cost was lower
aud the rsse Of wsgea higher here
than 10 Enxiand, yet England beat
Us becsupe che produced the goods
at . tstnfssose lower than ours. II
was uot laboe. il Vas material.
Mr.: MtIis then proceeded, with
freQusnt citations from economic
suih0ss Anj, from tabulaied state.
ments. = TO slucijate his srgumeut
that the high rate Of wages In THE
country Nas nos the result of the
protective system..
he bad requested the present chief
of the labor bureau 70 ascertain IL
'hsrs VAS any exception TO the rule
tina, ~ages depended on The efsacisn-
cy OF laboe, and the result Of highly.
paid efficient labor was low cost OF
product. In answer he read iabu.
lated statements prepsred by Nc.
Wrisht. giving the result Of inquiry
in \ number Of cases, which appeared
to fully bear ont the rule.
What WAS IL that prevents us from
becoming the greatest manufac,u.
ring country in the worldp We had
no foreign market. We wore we'd.
dsd 70 q high tariff. and that made
The cost OF production higher and
drove US out OF the worlds markets.
Mr.. Nimmo. when chief of the bu.
reau Of statistics. had reported tia,
the internal commerce of this couu.
try exceeded its foreign commerce
by twenty five times the amount.
Continuing, he said that il was as
serted that Congress has intended to
benefit tho laborer by the tariff. 1t
had failed. and not dollar of the
protection afforded got beyond The
manufacturer. He. however, hired
his labor at the lowest rate in the O.
pen market. The committee had
left IN the bill more than enough pro.
lection to pay for all the labor and q
bonus besides. Mr.. Mills then went
into the detaila ola table, citing
blankets. flannel sewing silk linseed
oil, bar iron. Bessemer steel, moroc-
co skins. cloths, carpets, wool suits.
goblets, paints and other articles as
exhibiting classes where the tariff
charge invariably greatly exceeded
the labor cost, and where none of the
excess got beyond the manufactures
to help the laborer.
This policy, he said. built up pal
aces, it concentrated wealth. but il
distributed not Of its benefcence In
tue homes Of the poor laborer. 1t
compelled the government to take a
large share OF his daily earnings. IL
was making q vast distinction in this
country between two classes-one
poor and numerous, one small and
powerful and rich. The concentra-
ton OF the, wealth Of the country in
the hands of q few men would over.
throw our free government. In con.
clusion, he said he hoped that the
bill which the committee had presen-
ted, which met with favor tbrOue hout
the. country, would receive a MAORI.
ny OF the vo' es Of the House. though
1t was not all that the committee
could ask. 1t was very moderate
bill, yet it would send comfort and
happiness into all the homes and no.
SONS OF all the poor laborine people
ofthis country AppIause from the
democratic side.
MIR. Mills spoke about an hour
and Inaccuracies and IA no toolr
his seat he was surrounded by the
crowd of democratic members who
pressed forward to shake his hand
and tender Their congratulations.