Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1888-02-17
POLITICAL.
PROTECTION AND WAGES.

Daily Oregoaioe Aug. 24M, Ioe2.l
The census of 1880 is full of excel
lent reasons why tariff revision in this
county should be both immediate and
permanent. OF course it does not dis
cuss the question, but it collects and
presents facts which with the relations
carry their lessons to all who will
study them. Among the false claims
of protection which it explodes is the
pretense that cur almost prohibitory
tariff makes wosk plenty and keeps
wages high HArdly any formal ans
wer is needed TO th,t assertion. The
antagonistic relations of labor and cap
ital in those sections whose industries
are most strongly protected would be
sufficient reply; but the census report
makes more elaborate one though In
the same direction. The man whom
the government commissioned to make
a report ON the iron and steel industry
is Secretary of the American Iron and
Steel Association, and not likely to
furnish figures that tell against the pro-
lection theory, simply with that end in
view. Iron and steel are the most
heavily protected, of all articles in COM
mon use In 1880 there were sos COM
panies engaged in producing iron ore,
and they produced 7,97l,703 tons en-
ploying to do the work 3l,668 persons
at daily cost of S3l, l,79l, few cents
over 81 per day for each person, which
is less than the average of workers in
any unprotected business in the coun-
try. The total number employed in
the production Of pig and bar iron and
steel was l40,975, who received S1S4,-
923 day, or $l.30 each, their service
coming more under the head of skilled
labor than that of the miners. This is
certainly besgarly pittance for skilled
labor, and something that is without 9
parallel in less protected industries Of
the country.
The Free Trade League of New
York has issued a pamphlet which
deals in forcible manner with the in
FAINT industry plan. In this connection
it says: SIN the first place, our infant
industli les are century old. In the sec
ond, the compiler of these stations ac
knowledges that our rsuperior skill plac,
the world at disadvantage with us
Thirdly, our iron ore and coal are gen
orally situated so close together tina
the former can easily be worked will
the latter. Fourthly, while the irol
and coal of Europe are far down below
the surface, ours are almost upon it
Filthy, our iron and coal supplies ar
, in close proximity to the market
| Sixthly, they are adjacent to the grea
5 food-produelng center of the Unite
States, which is relied upon to suppl
half the food eaten by the iron worker
of Europe. Therefore, without an
4 protection at all, it is shown our iro
: masters conld afford to pay one hur
: dred per cent more wages to thei
e workman than they do before foreig
o competition would affect them. Bu
!, the protectionists do not care for den
e onstrations. When the next preside1
n tial campaign comes on they will hav
s their threats to workingmen posted u
r in their furnaces, factories and mills
just as they did in 1880, and not unit
a the people who labor turn their think
: ing to some account, stop striking an
4 redress their grievances by voting, vii
they make positive advance towar
e independence and better circumstances
STI NFORD 4ND LIM-IR.
Iar Tnt