The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-06-01
Here are the Figures, Judge for Yourself.

No argument in favor OF our high
tariff is 81 often used and so strenuous
| iy insisted upon as the one that it bring.
higher wages to labor. And up to the
present time this claim has been large
ly accepted as true. The popular be-
lief in this country has been that labor
ers here received much higher compen.
sation for the same amount of work
than they do in England and high
protectionists say it is entirely owing To
the tariff They shut their eyes and
ears 20 every other cause, and claim il
all for protection"
Notwithstanding this belief, and the
claim supporting it, we assert that Ia
Dor does not receive any higher CON-
pensation in the protected industries OF
this country than it does for an equal
amount of similar service in England.
We do not mean by this to say that
workmen do not receive more monev
for weeks work here than they do
there, but to assert that for a given
amount of work the English laborer
gets as much money as does the Ameri-
can. and in some cases more.
Mr.. West, a member OF Congress from
New York, has paper mills in that State
and in England. Not many months
ago he stated that he paid more money
for the labor that produced a ton OF pa
per in England than for the labor that
produced like amount in New York.
Mr.. Howard Nswhall in an article in
Harper's Magazine in 1885 says the la
bor cost in pair OF ladies's shoes made
in America. wholesaling at 81. 30 per
pair, is % cents, while the labor cost in
a pair of ladies' shoes made In England,
wholesaling at 81. so per pair. "a cents;
and that the labor cost in 4 pair OF
mems shoes made in America. whole
sailing at $500 per pair, is 33 cents.
while the labor cost in pair OF mems
shoes made in England, wbolesaling at
g. 60, is so cents.
The following is the cost of weaving
5S yards OF cotton cloth of a given kind
at different points in the United States
ard England At Ashton. England
24.6S cents; at Blackburn, Eng. 25.4
cents; at Providence, Rhode Island,
17.2 cents at Stockport, Eng, 25.4
cents at Fall River. Mass, 10. 90 cents.
In every instance the laborer receives
more for the same amount of work in
England than in the United States.
To produce Z yards OF print cloth 1t
costs at Fall River. Mass. G. 907 cents :;
at Lowell. Mass, 6. So cents In Rhode
Island. 6.422 cents IN Pennsylvania,
6.44 cents; in England, 6.96 cents !;
showing the laboTer receives more mon
ey for the given aDsount of work in
England than in the United States.
The labor cost OF producing a ton Of
bar iron is ST.75 in England, aud 90
in the United States.
These figures show clearly that in the
industries receiving the highest prutec-
tion under OnI tariff laws, thc English
laborer receives fully as much money
for the same amount of work as does
the American labOrer, ard In many
cases more. II this be- true. aud il is
absolutely true, what becomes OF the
claim that our tariff adds SO largely TO
20 the wages OF the working man II
is a delusion and falsehood.
But IL will be asked. il the English
laborer receives as much for the sans
amount OF work as does the American,
how is IL that that the American has
more for his weeks labor The an
sweI is plain and simple The AmeT!-
can laboIer works more hours each day,
has the advantage of better methods
and better machinery, aud has the abil-
ity and disposition TO do more work in
the same length of time.