Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-10-25

ali ARTICLES enumerated in the bill of
az. rs per cent. it would actually retain
bur 22.51 per cent.
The statement of reductions furnished
4 by the House committee does not en-
/ brace the reduction which would be
4 produced BY putting German booking
/ glass plates. bags Of jute. jnta nacbin
! cry, aud several other articles OF less
! importance upon the free list. nor does
| il include the reduction which would
| be made by an important change OF
classification in Schedule b. reducing
| the dn,ies on several kinds of china.
| porcelain ware. etc. from go to 80 per
cent If these reductions are taken into
consideration it is apparent the measure
reduces the rates of duty more than
one half upon all articles Affected by il
except sugar.
LABOR COST OF PRODUCTION.
II is asserted that the rates of duty
retained by the House bill must be
sufficiently protective 10 the labor EN-
pln,ed in our various manufacturing
industries. as these rates on all manu-
featured article. are greater than the
entire sum paid in each case for labor
in producing the article. For illustra
lion, il is claimed that, AZ the average
rate proposed by the bill ON manufac-
lures of cotton is 1907 per cent, and
as the assumed average labor cost in
these manufactures is but Il .06 per
cent, it may be said Gwen though com
pe,ing nations should reduce the wages
of labor in this industry 10 the lowest
possible minimum) that the duties re-
IL than fnnul.Uia
the larger sum paid by the American
producer tor labor. The census OF
1880 and the first annual report OF the
Commissioner of Labor are quoted IN
confederation of these anu similar
statements in regard Ia other industries
The labor cost of producing ton OF
pig-iron in various parts Of the Unitei !
States il assumed To be from s 50 to
1911 per cent. If the total cost OF pro-
duciion, and rs the rate of duty pro-
posed by the bill on pg-iron is SO ton
or nearly 55 per cent. of the foreign
prices. il is therefore said to be evident
that this duty could be still further re-
duced more than one-hslf AID yet be
amply protective of the labor employed
in this industry.
The extravaganza of these statements
and the falsity of the de iuction made
from them are apparent when We con
slider that the percentage OF labor cost
la each case Is based upon lhe amount
paid for labor at a single stage OF the
long process of manufacture,
In the ultimate analysis. the cost Of
production of manufactured articles Is
the cost OF the labor or services Of man.
rhe cost If the Original elements in
their natural state, before they are ad
vanced in value by labor, is nsignlii'
cant. Ii, in computing the cost of pro-
ductiOn, we should exclude the sums
paid for taxes, insurance. inter 81, and
retained for accruing profits, a large
portion of which req resents pay menls
tor labor and services, and which
together would rarely amount To 10 per
cent. of the entire cost we should then
lind the labor st in all eases To b. at
least 80 per cent. of the total expendl |
turs.
DIR. Edward Atkinson, in carefully !
prepared statement published IN April,
1887. demonstrates that of the total
cost OF producing medium shirtlngs,
worth CT cents a yard. the proportion
paid for labor Al v,rious stages ION the
plan alton. in transportation, in fac
torres. etc was 81 II per cont, the re-
naming portion, z So per cent, being
absorbed in interest. Insurance, pr 'il6s
etc. This estimate is confirm, in
striking manner by tho following state
ment of Hon. A S Hewitt, made ~
hearing before the COMMITTEES on Ways
and Means of the House of Representa-
tives, February 81. 1884. tho subject
under discussion being the percentage
of labor COST in the manufacture of
iron.
Mr. Hewitt said
Tho percentage Of labar involved ia the pro
duction of any given article q, ponds npoh where
you begin TO estimate the percentage. ~ you
begin with 4 steel rail mill, which uses pigiron,
the lahsr will DO fran ~ TO - per cent. Tho
actual wages paid by wire-Inlll will srAnunt TO
sbont % per cent Ii yon include labor in the
blast furnace. that word make 1t 90 per cent,
but IL yon 90 on back to the ore bud, and put in
everything which was paid ont from the ore
bed the percentage OF labor would have been
about 81 per cent say this because the gen
tleman SIR Thomas 6 sherman. OF Brooklyn,
NJ Y proposes to overthrow facts within my
knowledge and for which | pay. say Inc
amount which pay out for labor. when IN 4
cude every particle Of raw material beginning
at the ground-and | am a miner both OF ore
aud coal--I have never, with all my anxiety 10
get it down. got it below o. per cent. on the
value OF the nnirhcd pfouuCts
Mr. NuLs What i the flushed product'
Mr. HEWITT Any finished product | make
Mr. MILLS. Is pig-iron finished productf
Mr. HEWITT. The labor in pig iron will be 30
per cent OF the cost of the article for labor when
You include everything, from the beginning to
the end.
That which is shown TO be true by
the intelligent testimony Of these two
eminent tariff reformers in regard to
the manufactures of cotton and iron is
equally true In regard to every other
manufactured product The adequacy
of 4 rate Of duty for defensive purposes
cannot properly be- determined by
ascertaning the sum paid for labor in
any one of the many operations neces-
sary 10 transform natural elements
INTO fully Manufactured products. The
larger earning and greater cost OF labor
at every stage and in all coniributory
occupations should be taken iuto con-
sideralion, and the rates should always
be equal To the resulting increased cost
of production. As all of our people
engaged in every occupation contribute
TO and share in The benefits OF proiitahe
production. so all are alike vitality inter.
csted in tho maintenance of policy
which secures and enlarges the area OF
national industrial success.
COMPARISON OF EARNINGS AND COST OF
LIVING or woRKINGMEN IL GREAT
BRITAIN AND UNITED STATES IN
yEARg NAMED