Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-08-23
OUR SUCKING INDUSTRIES.

OUR Sucking INDUSTRIES.
How Their Excessive Profits Are Divided
Between Capital and Labor.
The champions of an eternal war
tariff have departed widely from the
doctrines of the early apostles of pro-
tectionism. Henry Clay. in his time.
enjoyed the distinction of being called
the great apostle of the American
system 1t was false title; for the
so-called American system was simply
the British, the French, the Spanish,
the common mercantile SYSTEM" SO
called, of the old world, transplanted
| to the new. But neither Clay nor any
| other apostle of that system in his day,
nor in any epoch before our civil war,
advocated tariff for protection as the
permanent policy of the Republic.
They wished to protect our ''infant in
| dustries," they said; to encourage,
nurse and coddle our young and strug-
Cling manufactures, until they should
| become strong enough to stand alone.
| This was their position, pretentiously
at any rate. and beyond this they pro-
fessed no wish to go. They laid it
fixed basis of their gospel, that the
| tariff bounties they would compel con-
sumers to pay over to our "yOung in
dustries'' were to be withdrawn as
soon as these industries had become
established.
When would they be established?
What would be the test of their adult
strength and vigor which would en-
able them to stand without the mater
nal support of bounties drawn from
the earnings of the people by Govern
ment partiality and legislative decreeP
These questions, often asked, have
never been answered. 1t is time to
ask them again.
But, first, let US look at some facts.
The facts touching our industries
which are furnished by the census re-
ports are the most accurate and trust
worthy, as well as instructive, within
our reach. They inform us that, in
the year 1880, there were embarked in
manufacturing enterprises as follows:
Capital invested. q 7O0. ga, sos
TosaI wages s peiS sn one st So
Average yearly wages S467S |
Ol,lU
Cost OF materials used....... 1854, $40. 02s
Gain produced by labor. ...... a. s75. S27 SIT |
OF which the workmen received. GA. slS.e74 !
Leaving the employers profit - 81, 900, 4Os, oOs |
This sum ($1, 900, 40S, OO3) was the |
manufacturers profit on the capital |
invested ($2, 22S, 5O6). What was
the value to him of the tariff "pro- |
tection?" Ten per cent. profit on the |
capital invested is regarded as a fair |
compensation. Ten per cent. profit on |
capital of $2.7OO. 223, 500 is $27, OO2,-
235. Deducting this fair profit from |
the actual profit gained by the manu-
facturer gives a remainder of $685.
4O5. 769, which is the sum that was |
transferred to the Golfers of the manu-
facturers from the earnings of the peo-
pie by the protective tariff. In other |
words, protection" gave to the manu-
facturers a sum above the fair profit |
on their capital almost equal to one
half of the amount of the capital it
self-this in one year-while the work |
men receive In the same year the |
average wage of 1916. 78 each.
1t is herein demonstrated that the |
wages of the workmen could be doubled |
and yet leave a fair compensation to |
the employers for their capital en- |
barked in the business. It is shown |
that the tariff which has given $685. |
4O5, 76S to the employer above his fair |
profit has added nothing to the gains |
of his workmen. The facts prove,
also, that this excessive profit of the |
capitalist is drawn from the earnings |
nf this nnnr,l0 ho lal 20
pay this egregious profit to our ''in- |
FAINT industries by the protection tar |
iff laws.
Here the question comes forward |
again: When will these Infant indus |
tries" become adult industries? When |
will they be able to stand without the |
prop of succor from other mems earn
ings? If a profit of more than one bill |
lion a year on a capital investment of |
two and two-thirds billions, or of more |
than nine hundred millions above what |
would be fair profit, is not test of |
their ability to stand alone, what profit |
will furnish such a test? Must the |
protection prop be maintain ed until |
the profit on capital amounts to one |
hundred, two hundred. three hundred |
OF four hundred per cent before these |
struggling industries will cease to be |
sucking industries, or consent to be |
weaned? What is the point in this ar
bitrary appropriation of other peo-
pies earnings to these insatiate in
fants where the weaving will begin?-
Chicago Globe.
Presidents Grant, Garfield and |
Arthur all thought the war tariff need |
ed to be judiciously scaled down in the |
interests of the people and of good
government For agreeing with them |