Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-11-07
Labor's Share.
Examiner.

ed by authority of the Administration,
that the cost OF labor in producing
iron, coal, coke, steel ingots and steel
rails was an insignificant fraction OF
the total cost of production, in scarce
ly any case approaching the amount
OF the duty levied for the alleged pro-
lection OF the American workman, and
that, such as it was, it was often high
er in Europe than in this country.
The facts are simply crushing, and un-
less explained away they leave the pro-
tectionist theory, so far as it effects the
articles named, not leg to stand up
on.
There is only one possible shift that
seems to offer any chance of disposing
of the Objectionable figures. 1t may
be said that the statistics of labor-cost
relate in each case to only a single
stage of production, and that when we
say that certain establishment pays
$l.3S for the labor in a ton of steel
rails and $25.96 for materials, the lat.
ter head includes great deal OF previ-
GUS labor in mining ore and coal, ex-
tracing pig-iron and manufacturing
steel ingots. We epropOse to-day to dis
pose of OF this objection once for all
to show just how much labor gets from
the time the ore is lying in the ground
until the finished rail are turned out,
and to compare its share with the
duties which are supposed to exist ex-
clusively to give it protection. We
draw, as before, from the report OF
Commissioner Wright, published by
authority of Speaker Reed and Mr..
Harrison's Administration.
To produce ton of pig iron at a
typical American furnace there are re-
quired .76S OF ton OF coal, .461 of
ton of coke, 1859 of ton of iron ore,
and .307 Of a ton of limestone. The
average labor-cost of producing bitumi-
nous coal per ton is 89.9 cents-duty
IS; average labor-cost of coke, AL
cents-duty 20 per cent, or about so
cents; average labor-cost of iron ore,
$l.145; duty, rs cents; average labor
cost of limestone, 3O.7 cents; no duty.
A ton of coke represents a labor-cost
of SLABS for the coal it contains, in
addition to the 4O.7 cents in its manu-
facture.
Recapitulating we have the following
labor-cost of ton of pig iron:
Coal directly used Observation-Disclosures. .$JSO
Coal in 46l ton coke. ........... ...... &c?
| Labor in producing coke. ........ Isl
iron ore .......'.'-....'-..-- %.So %s,
Limestone. -............---....--- go
Labor in smelling. Observation-Disclosures. 1,2so
Total labor cost per ton of pig iron. $s17o
We have here the entire amount
spent for labor in producing ton OF
pig iron whose total cost is estimated
at $15452. Only one-third of the cost,
therefore, from the time the ore is ly-
ing in the ground is for labor. The duty
designed to protect this $5.1S worth
of labor is $6.72.
Let us proceed now to the higher
grades of manufacture. At a represen-
tative American establishment the
production of ton of steel ingots
require IL tons of pig iron and 25
pounds of ferro manganese. The cost
of the latter article is not analysed;
so we shall generously assign it all to
labor. We have then for the labor
cost of ton OF steel ingots:
Ferro-Manganese (tOtal cost .627
Labor in manufacture. ure................... L7l6
Total labor cost. :. STA
Total cost Of production .2l 6s4
Finally we come to the manufacture
of steel rails. This requires, in the
establishment under consideration, IL
tons steel ingots. The total labor cost
foots up thus:
Steel ingots,i IL tons at ss.lH. H....-...... sssSi
Labor in final process. ................. 1882
Total cost Of labor from the ground up. Sl0.477
Total cost of production -. ........... 27.6S7
Duty under the Mckinley bill l............ l3.44
Here we have the whole thing set
forth from the beginning, with every
thing allowed that could possibly be
said to deserve a place. We find that
the duty, which we are told is merely
to make up for the difference between
American and foreign rates of labor, is
a third greater than the total cost OF
all the labor employed in the American
manufacture from the time the miner
begins delving for the ore until the
finished rail is turned out. The aver
age American labor cost exceeds the
average European only twenty-seven
cents. In many cases the American
labor is cheaper than the European;
but even if the European producer did
not have to pay one cent in wages at
any stage OF his operations he would
have an advantage of $1O.477 per ton,
while the tax levied ON American farm
ers, who have to transport their grain
to market over protected rails, Is
$l3.44 per ton. Will some of our con-
temporaries tell us candidly who is ex-
pected to profit by the difference?
And will some of our Republican
readers, who have unselfishly voted to
tax themselves because they thought
that by so doing they were helping to
keep up the wages of American labor,
ask themselves whether they think
labor has profited enough by their
sacrifice to make it worth while. 1t
is noble thing to deprive yourself Of
the comforts and necessities Of life for
the benefit of the toiling masses, but
when the benefits you design for the
toiling masses are all absorbed by
gentlemen who pay more for single
coaching trip than you can pay for
! your home, it seems to he time to call