Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-18

all forms OF iron castings except hollow
ware, coated, glazed or timed, the wages
in that occupation increased after it's pas
sage.
do not make this statement for the
purpose OF showing that the act itself in
creased wages in the one case or decreased
them in the other. My purpose is simply
to show that the tariff does not affect
wages at all except to diminish their pur-
chasing power, because if it did we could
prove two wholly inconsistent propositions
to be true-frst that tariffs raise wages,
and secondly that tariffs reduce wages.
The man who wants to employ labor does
just what is done by every other man who
wants to procure anything-he gets it at
the very lowest rate at which the law Of
supply and demand will enable him to get
it, tariff or no tariff. The employer pur-
sues the same course, whether he is in a
free trade country or in protective coun-
try.
The general statement made by the SEN
ator from Rhode Island that the wages of
labor rose 75-100ths of 1 per cent. during the
period Of investigation was true only of
the fifteen unprotected occupations and
should have been qualified accordingly.
have already said that we ascertained
the rates Of wages in fifteen other indus
tries, and will now enumerate them in
order that senators may determine for
themselves whether they are industries
which the tariff is intended to protect;
they are the manufactures of bar iron,
boots and shoes, cotton goods, cotton and
woolen goods, crucible STEEL flint glass,
green glass, lumber, machinery, pig iron,
steel ingots steel blowers, steel rails, win
dow glass and wooden goods Here are
fifteen of the most highly protected indus
tries in the United States, and the wages
OF the laborers employed in them fell 80
10Oths of per cent. after the passage of the
Mckinley act, notwithstanding the rise
of 75-1Oths of per cent. in the wages of
laborers engaged in the unprotected in-
dustries
One of the most significant facts dis
closed by the report in relation to this sub
ject is that the rates of wages in these pro-
tected industries had increased 65-100ths of
1 per cent. between the beginning of the
investigation and the approval of the tariff
act on Oct. l, 1890, and consequently the
entire decrease of S9-lO0ths of per cent. oc-
CURED after this law was passed for the
benefit Of the workingman.
Now, Mr.. President, on these questions
concerning WHOLESALE anu reUall prices, COSG
of living and rates of wages, have pre-
sented the figures made by the statistician
of the committee, based upon the actual
returns made to us by the agents who were
sent out, not to take anybody's statement
or anybody's testimony OF hear anybody's
argument, but to go to the books showing
the actual transactions in the retail stores
in these seventy cities; to go to the pay
rolls in the manufacturing establishments,
and take from them the exact amount of
wages paid on the first of each month
covered by this investigation, and conf
IDENTIFY submit the results to the senate
and the country as complete vindica tion
of the judgment pronounced by the people
upon the policy of high protection at the
election in 1890. There was no attempt at
Misrepresentation or deception except upon
the part of those who had become alarmed
at the consequences of their own favorite
measure of legislation. The people were
not deceived then and they will not be de-
ceived now by any false deductions made
from this report, OF by any frantic appeals
to save the country from the imaginary
horrors of free trade
A Tax on Poor Peoples Clothes.
AS I have already said, the articles Sc
lected by the committee were with few
Insignificant exceptions, the products of
our own country, and the sums which 1
have given to the senate as representing