Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-23
Protection for Labor.

States ana you VIII see long stretch
OF country, reaching from New York
across Vermont, New Hampshire and
Maine to the Atlantic coast, separated
from Canada by an imaginary line only.
On both sides Of this line, in many
places, are heavy forests, dotted here
and there with sawmills, where i'm
mense quantities of lumber are turned
out. At one of those mills John Smith
had been employed for two years at
fair wages, and had given good satis-
faction to his employer. Thinking he
had job that was permanent he con-
eluded to build him little home and
stop paying rent. The first thing was
to figure the cost of house and see if
his savings would be sufficient to
meet the expense incurred in building.
just across the line, few hundred
yards from where he worked, was
another mill, and he thought Is would
be good iaea TO have both the mill
owners figure on bill Of lumber for
his house. Both furnished him figures,
neither knowing that the other was
Bidding. In looking them over he
discovered that his boss was just two
dollars on the thousand feet higher
than the man Oyer the line. Not want
ing TO go to another mill for lumber
if he could do as we'll with his boss he
concluded to go to him and explain the
situation thinking THAI his boss would
giYe hihl lumber al the same figure
offered by the other mill. He shows
his boss the bid of the other mill and
says to him.
Il am poor man and want to build
as cheaply as possible; can't you sell
me lumber at the same price he offers?''
'Yes, my bid is the same as his,''
"Oh, no, boss, he l. two dollars on
the thousand below you, which is quite
an item to me-"
Mr.. Smith. you do not seem to un-
derstand. There is a tariff OF Cana
dian lumber of two dollars per thou
aand, which would make his lumber
cost you the same that mine would"
Boss, what is tariff for?"
For our protection, Mr. Smith.
We have got to be protected against
the pauper labor on the other side OF
the line, or our mills will have to shut
down and you would be out of job. u
"Oh, Yes, see, boss, it is for our
protection
Winter is coming on. Smith is-=suSi
moved into his new house and the
family are happy. One night, sL.ortr1
after this, the mill On me other sids
burned down burning up all the lum
ber +he, ,.rd and throwing all hand:
out. right at the beginning of long
cold winter. Mrs. Smith expressed
great sympathy for the poor families
over the line, while Mr.. Smith consoIet
by saving it could not be helped, bu
that it was an i'll wind that blows NJ
one good luck-that his boss woulf
profit by it, competition would be re
moved, less lumber would be sawed
prices would go up and the boss woult
raise their wages.
A few days after the burning Of th'
mill Smiths boss notified his men tha
he wanted to see them all in his office
Smith was jubilant. He says:
''Boys, we are going to get better
wages.'' But when they had all assem-
bled in the Office the boss says:
ssGentlemen, we find it necessary t
cut down expenses, and 1 wish to moi
ify you that after to-day your wage
will be reduced twenty per cent" Th
meE Withdrew, held hurried COZ
sultation, decided to strike rathe
than accept the terms, appointed Smit
as spokesman and returned TO the offict
Smith says:
BOSS, we cannot accept your term
we are willing to continue work at ii
old price, but for nothing less"
ssMr.. Smith, the men thrown out {
employment by the burning of tt
mill across the line are all here an
ready to take your places at reductio
of twenty ger cent. If you cannot
cept my terms I will discharge you
and employ them. They understan
the business as we'll as you do and ca
do just as much work, and twenty p
cent, to me is qnite an item."
But says Smith, ''those men a
{ from the other side Of the line al
there is a tariff that protects u.s.
2 Mr.. Smith, you do not seem to u
derstand the tariff question. II
tariff is to protect my lumber again
5 competition on the other side OF Il
$ line, but there is no tariff to prote
your labor against competition"
To make a long story short q
Canadians got the job and Smith can
west to grow up with the country al
figure how much he was protected
}, the tariff.-Kingman Democrat.
:
WAIT, before pledging yourself
5 anybody for president. until next We
{ when we hope to place at the head