The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-05-05

support an honest, efficient and economical
administration of the government that
guarantees him protection 10 "llfe liberty.
and the pursuit of happiness freedom from
all taxation except that which is levied for
the support of the government; freedom
from taxation levied for the purpose OF en-
riching favored classes by the spoliation and
plumber of the people; freedom from all sys-
TENS of taxation that do not fall with equal
and exact justice upon all'-that do not
raise the revenues of government in the way
that Is least burdensOme to the people, anu
with the least possible disturbance To their
business That, sir, is the American policy.
tApplausel
Now, another thing. want to show that
the tariff Is not for the benefit OF the work.
lngman We will have many appeals made
% us for sympathy on account OF the work.
ingman. | have taken from the first annual
report of the commissioner OF labor and the
report OF the census on wages some ilSureS
given by manufacturers themselves of the
total cost of the product and the labor cost or
the articles they are making,
lihu III TINS report one par OF hNe-pounu
blankets. The whole cost, as stated by the
manufacturer is S25l. The labor cost he
PAID for making them is thirty live cents.
The present tariff is $3.50. Now, here is
Sl55 in this tariff over and above the entire
cost of these blankets Why did not that
manufacturer go and give that money TO
the laborer; He is able to do it, Here
is a tariff that gives him $3.50 on that pair
of blankets for the benefit of his labor, but, not
outstanding that the tariff was imposed for
American labor and TO preserve high wages, every
dollar of that tariff went into the manufacturers
pocket The poor fellow who made the blanket
got - cents and the manufactures kept the $3.50.
Mr.. Crain-Will the gentleman please state how
much the committee has reduced that dutyy
Mr. Nlills--ro 81 from S190
Take another pair of five pound blankets The
total cost is S21O. The labor cost is 20 cents.
The tariff is Sl,9s. Now how strange it is that
none of these sums that were intended for tho
laborer ever get beyond the pocket Of the
manufacturer Why is it, when the American
congress enacted this legislation for the benefit
of or labor that every dollar of this aid Intended
for labor, stops in the pockets Of the manufact-
urer, who goes into the highways and hedges
and hires his laborer at the lowest price for
which he can get him in the markets and then
pockets the tariff benefits that We are told every
day is intended for the uborer alone-for the ben
eft of labor?
Here Is another pair of five pound blankets. The
cost is $3.50 The labor cost paid by this manu-.
facturcr, he says himself, is 81 cents. The tariff
is 500. In the pending bill we have left him
Sl3j and We Lave left the other man Sl0S And
We have left all along not only enough to cover
the difference, if there was any difference, be.
tween the labor cost of production in Europe and
the labor cost Of production in this country but
have left enough to pay for all the labor and
bonus besides.
Let us go on a little further, Here is yard
of flannel weighing ounces; it cost IL cents OF
which the laborer got cents; the tariff on it is
cents. How is il that the whole cents did not
get into the pockets of the laborer? Is it not
strange that those who made the tariff and fas-
tened upon the people these war rates in time
of profound peace, and who are now constantly
assailing the Democratic party because it is I'm.
true to the wuriingInau, did not make some pro-
vision by which the generous bounty they gave
should reach the pocket Of him for whom they
said it was Intended; They charge that are
trying to strike down the labor Of the country.
Why do they not see that the money they are
taking out pi the hard earnings of the people IS
delivered in good faith TO the workman:
! One yard Of cashmere weighing l6 ounces costs
lbs; the labor cost is ~ cents: the tariff duty is
/ 90 cents. one pound of sewing silk costs S5GG;
the cost for labor is - cents; the tariff is S69
one gallon of aSced oil costs i6 cents; the labor
cost is cents; the tariff cost is - cents. One
ton of bar iron costs 81; the labor cost is $40;
the tariff fixes several rates for bar iron, | give
the lowest rate, Sl7.92. one ton of foundry pig
iron costs Sll; the labor costs Sl.6i; the tariff Is
S672
| None of these tariff rates go TO the laborer.
| The road is blocked up. They cannot pass the
pocket of the manufacturer. This great Amer
I lean system that is intended TO secure high
wages for our aborers is so perverted that all its
benedcence intended for the poor workman stops
! in the pocket of his employer, and the laborer
only gets what he can command IN the open mar
ket for his work.
| Let us take Bessemer steel rails We are told
that the steel rail industry is in great danger OF
! utterly periShing away and departing from tins
| continent. because we propose To reduce the duty
| from Sl7 to Sll.
The whole cost is put down at S3l, the labor
| ., 10 Mo IIfp rnr
| has 1913 more for each ton than all the labor
cost. The labor cost of this ton is exceptionally
high. have statement of the labor cost OF
ton of steel rails at Bethlehem, Pa, taken re-
Gently by Mr. Schaenof, and it shows labor cost
there S3S5 per ton. The labor cost of u ton or
steel rails in England is not 81 cheaper than here
| Mr.. SchaenOf informs me that ton OF bar iron
COSTS for labor, in England about STD, and here
about SIS But let us leave these and proceed with
the official figures. A keg of steel nails costs
81 "a; the labor cost is e. cents, the tariff is S25
A ton of pipe iron costs S3i.j7; labor cost Sl2a;
| the tariff is S224
Here is a bar wheel weighing 800 pounds; cost,
3d. labor cost, 81 cents tariff rate is 219 cents
per pound, equivalent to $3.50, to cover n labor
cost of 81 cents Laughter Why, Mr. Chair.
| man, these laboreIs of ours ought to get i'm.
mensely rich if they could get all that congress
| votes to them, if the manufacturers did not stop
the bountls intended by the government to reach
| the pockets of the wOrkingmen.
Here is a coarse wool suit of clothes such as our
working people wear in their daily toll in the shop
and field The whole cost is Sl2 The labor cost
Is S. The tariff duty is 40 cents per pound and
| IS per cent. ad valorem. AS the weight of the
suit is not given, cannot get the exact tariff,
but the duty on wooden clothes imported last year
averaged "a per cent, and at that rate the tariff
| stands St. IS to cover 81 of labor cost
cotton suit costs SlO.50 the labor cost is
81 s.; the tariff is S3.67. A dozen goblets cost 4S
cents; labor cost 10 cents; tariff - cents. White
lead, by the hundred weight, $3.50; labor cost, 80
cents: tariff, So a hundred weight Of mixed
| paiuts. s. labor cost, Il cents; tariff, 81.
APPEAL FOR RELIEF.
| Now. Mr. Chairman ] have gone through with
number of articles taken from these official re-
| ports made by the manufacturers themselves,
| and have shown that the tariff not framed
Tor the benefit of the laborer, or that if it was so
| intended by those who framed it, the benefit
never reaches the labOrer, not dollar of it. The
working people hired in the market at the
lowest rates at which their services can he had,
and all the doodle that has been granted by
these tariff bills goes into the pockets of the mau-
ufacturerS 1t builds uppalaces; it concentrates
wealth: it makes great and powerful magnates'
hit il distributes none of its beneficence III the
/ 80, l,nnr