Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-10-26
Protection and Wages.
DAILY Oregonian, August 2, 1881

lDhiiy OIekoHldIl, august Z, 1851
The census of 1880 is full of excellent
reasons why tariff revision should he
both immediate and permanent. OF
course it does not discuss the question,
but it collects and presents facts which
with their relations carry their lessons
to all who will study them. Among the
false claims of protection it explodes is
the pretense that our almost prohibitory
tariff makes work plenty and keeps
wages high. Hardly any formal answer
is needed to that assertion. The an
tagonistic relations OF labor and capital
in those sections whose industries are
most strongly protected would be a suffi-
cient reply, but the census report makes
more elaborate one though in the same
direction. The man whom the govern
ment commissioned to make a report on
the iron and steel industry is secretary
Of the American Iron and Steel Asso-
citation and not likely to furnish figures
that tell against the protection theory,
simply with that end in view. Iron and
steel are the most highly protected of all
articles in common use. In 1880 there
were sos companies producing iron ore,
and they produced 1871, 7O3 tons, en-
ploying to do the work 81 ,66S persons at
daily cost of $3l .79l, a few cents over
81 per day for each person, which is less
than the average of workers in any I'M
protected business in the country. The
total number employed in the produc-
ton of pig and bar iron and steel was
14O,975, who received $lS4 1923 a day or
$l.30 each, their service coming more
under the head OF skilled labor than that
Of the miners. This is certainly beg
carly pittance for skilled labor, and
something that is without a parallel in
less protected industries Of the country.
The Free Trade League OF New York
has issued pamphlet which deals in a
fOrcible manner with the infant Industry
plea. In this connection it says: "In
the first place our infant industries are
century old. In the second the compiler
Of these statistics acknowledges that our
superior skill places the world at dis
advantage with us. Thirdly, our coal
and iron are generally situated SO close
together that the former can easily be
worked with the latter. Fourthly, while
the iron and coal OF Europe are far down
below the surface ours are almost upon
it. Filthy, our iron and coal supplies
are in close proximity to the market.
Sixthly, they are adjacent to the great
food producing center Of the United
States, which is relied upon to supply
half the food eaten by the iron workers
of Europe. Therefore, without any pro.
lection at all it is shown our iron mas
tiers could afford to paw one hundred DER
cent more wages to their workmen than
they do before foreign com petition would
affect them" But the protectionists do
not care for demonstrations. When the
next presidential campaign comes on
they will have their threats to working.
men posted up in their furnaces, factories
and mills, just as they did in 1880, and
not until the people who labor turn their
to some account, stop striking
and redress their grievances by voting
will they make a positive advance
toward independence and better circum-
stances.