The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-04
PROTECTION AND THE WORKING
MAN.

The tariff policy of England comes the
nearest of any nation to the absolute free
trade" advocated by Mills, of Texas. 1t
imposes heavy duties on tea and coffee,
and some other necessaries of life which
are admitted free into the United States,
and on tobacco and spirits, but otherwise
it has removed all duties on imports.
What would be the consequence to the
workingmen of the United States if DEM
ocratic success should substitute for protec-
ton the free trade policy of England?
VIII any sane man deny that the wages OF
the American workingman would be low
cred? If the protective tariff was removed
then American employers would have to
reduce wages to the English or Continental
standard, or go out of business. There is
no intelligent, candid workingman will
dispute this conclusion.
Let us compare the wages of America
with those paid English skilled labor.
According to the testimony taken by the
parliamentary commission last summer
on this subject the average wages of adult
weavers in Lancashire was lbs to las a
The average wages in New England for
similar work is over 100 per cent. greater.
The highest average wages in any of the
various industries inquired into by this
English parliamentary commission was S.
a week. 1t was generally less, but the
average was never more. Free trade in
the United States then would mean an
90 60 ioI
workmen, or else the closing of our cotton,
wooden, iron and other mills that now
compete directly with similar mills in
Great Britain. With the closing of our
mills the millions of unemployed labor
would crowd into agriculture and other
non-competing industries and thus force
wages down on all sides.
The answer of the free trader is that
lower wages would mean reduced cost of
living. This is not true. and the follow
ing English market quotations of the
cost of the necessaries of life are
proof of the falsehood: Ordinary
beefsteak, not the choice cuts known
as porterhouse or tenderloin in this
country, but ordinary round steak,
retails for % cents a pound, and other
meat as follows: Roast beef, % cents;
boiling beef, 16 cents; mutton, 90 cents;
veal, % cents; pork sausages, 25 cents;
butter, 81 cents; eggs, 81 cents dozen.
and so on. Tea and coffee, on which du-
ties are imposed, and sugar and -four are
higher than in the United States.
Coal was selling at wholesale in London
on September 26 for $4.75 ton, which is
more than the average retail price for SIM
liar coal in this country; petroleum was
selling at wholesale for 10 cents a gallon,
and all the necessaries of life were higher
than here. Cotton prints and other man.
ufactures of cotton generally used by work
ing people are cheaper in the United
States, and coarse wooden clothing is just
as cheap here. The same is true of boots
and shoes.
Silks and satins, laces, fine wooden
goods, kid gloves, diamonds, champagne
and other luxuries used by the rich are
cheaper in Europe. 1t is clear, therefore,
that the adoption of the English system
oftaxing tea and coffee and few other
necessaries of life while admitting all
other imports free would be most effect
i've method Of picking the pocket of the
American workingman. 1t would reduce
the average wages of skilled labor to S.
week or else close up our mills and manu-
factories and crowd the unemployed
labor into other callings already
crowded, thus forcing wages down.
The workman under free trade would have
TO pay just as much for the necessaries of
life. If he got them cheaper it would be
at the expense of the farmer. who would
get nothing in return, because nearly all
he buys now is as cheap here as in Eng
land. The figures quoted of the market
prices of the necessaries of life in England
are confirmed by those recited in the re-
cent letter of the London correspondent
of the New York Sun. Democratic paper,
but not an advocate of the Mills policy Of
"absolute free trade" The only persons
who could possibly profit by this change
would be the rich, who live on accumu-
lated wealth; the free trade policy of
Cleveland and Mills would reduce skilled
labor N Uares af * uaek