Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-04
Free Trade Fallacies and Deceptions


list all raw materials used In
manufactures. Workingmen are
told that the result of thus cheap
ening raw materials will be to
enable manufacturers to increase
wages. While one set of orators
are preaching this to wooden mill
operatives, another set are telling
the sheep raisers that putting wool
on the free list will so widen the
markets for wooden goods that
manufacturers will be enable to
pay higher prices for wool, and
still make money.
Aside from their inconsistency,
a glance at the experience of
England shows the fallacy of such
claims. With free raw materials
for all lines of their manufactures,
English employers pay77 per cent
less wages than are paid in the
United States. This on the author
ity of the Chief Of the Labor
Bureau, himself free trader. To
the intelligent workingman it thus
becomes evident that the cheapen-
ing process Of English free trade
affects the wages put into manu-
features rather than the price of
crude materials, and such is really
the case.
The accommodating theorist seeks
to allay all anxiety on part Of the
manufacturer by pointing him to
that fountain Of wealth, the foreign
trade. Just where this trade is to
be found is a detail with which the
average free trade advocate does
not trouble himself. He reflects
that England does that way,
hence that is the proper thing to
do. But the more practical man
is likely to hunt for the facts, and
when he finds them he sees that
two Of the leading textile industries
of the United States, cotton and
silk, have all along enjoyed the
advantage Of free raw materials.
He sees that the products of neither
of these have to any great extent
gone into foreign markets. With
cotton at their doors, and raw silk
imported with out duty our manu-
facturers last year sold abroad but
SI4,929,342 Of cotton goods, and
only S52,5I3 Of silk goods. The
reasons for this are plain. 1.
Foreign markets are already sup
piled from Europe with goods
manufactured by labor which is
paid less wages than are paid in
the United States. 2. The manu-
facturers of the United States have
not been able to supply the wants
of our own people, as we last year
imported Of cotton goods s2o,I5o,-
$50, and of silk goods S3I.264,276
Here is a market of over S6o,ooo,-
900 within reach of our own
manufacturers, but from which
they have been crowded by foreign
competition, and that amount of
money sent abroad to pay labors
and capitalists who contribute
nothing to the support of our
government, and whose interest in
our welfare ceases with the receipt
of our money.
But the fallacy of the alleged
necessity Of free raw materials to
enable manufacturers to export
their products is all the more ap-
parent when we consider that
under existing tariff laws ninety
per cent. of the duty collected on
any material Of manufacture will
be refunded when the finished
product is exported. This leaves
but ten per cent. difference between
the present law and absolute free
trade in raw materials, SO far as
the export trade in manufactures
is concerned. Why, then, is our
export trade so limited? Because
manufactured products find bet
ter market at home, where, under
the influence of wise fiscal policy
higher wages are paid for labor
than anywhere else in the world,
and where a larger percentage of
the people are purchasers of man
ufactured products.
England has for centuries been
on the hunt for foreign markets,
and has already occupied ali those
over which her diplomacy or force
could prevail. Her subsidized
steamers are blowing every sea in
quest of trade, her emissaries are
intriguing at every port for COM
mercial advantage. The conces-
sions in the Mills bill, advocated
by the President and his party, are
quite as much as the American
people could be expected to grant
without suspecting the real object
OF the COnSDlratOrS. and this reason |