Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-10-06


much protected BY tariff law; cabinet
makers, carpenters of whom the same
thing may be aaEd as Of bricklayers: COM
mon laborers farm laborers. maehinisfs.
masonswbo lay stone In wall which
cannot be Imported m0lders Of iron, paint.
ers. plumbers stonecntters, tailors md
tin9miths. These are the fifteen general
occupations selected by the COMMITTEES. and
they are the occupations upon which the
rates Of wages rnae ~ l0Cths Of per cent.
during tho period covered BY the ingesti.
| cation, and they were that much higher az
ita close than they were al the beginning.
The senator from Rhode Island stated
generally. as will be aeen from his printed
| speech, that the committee had found. that
while there had been u decline ID prices
there had been M increase Of 75- lOoths OF +
per cent In wages, whereas assert now,
with the tables before me. that the only
instances In which any increase Of wages
occurred, taking tbs whole together. were
In thsNv fifteen substantially unprotected
industElV. and / viii show presently that
n tie fIf!een highly protected industries
In which che rates OK wagns had increased
before The Mckinley bill passed there was
decrease after II passed. II any Of these
fifteen general occupations are or can be
Z NttANr4E4t VI Az nay Way t+HHiHtttA WJ VIC
tariff II must be cabinet makers and
moldera Of iron. and vet. although tie Nc.
KinIey tariff act increased the duties on
household o. cakfnet furniture, the wages
81 cabinet makers fell after lta passage,
and although Il reduced the duties upon
| all forms of iron castings except hollow
ware, coated, glazed or timed. the wages
IN that occupation increased after les pas.
sage
| do not make this statement for the
purpose Of showing that the act itself 81.
creased wages SO the one cese Ok decreased
them IN the other. My purpose 10 simply
to show that the tariff does not Affect
wages nt oil except 70 diminish their pur.
chasing power beemuse II II did we could
prove two wholly inc0nslstent propositions
10 be true--nrst. that tariffs raise wages,
and secondly that tariffs reduce wages.
Tho man who wants 10 employ labor does
| Just what IN done BY every other man who
wants 10 procure anything-he gets Il az
the very lowest rate 81 which the law 81
supply and demand will enable him 70 get
| IA. tariff or no tariff The employer pur
sues the same course, whethcr he Il ID 3
free trade countFy or IN 9 protective coun
try.
The general statement made by the sen,
at0r froEl Rhode Island that the wages Of
labor rose 75.iO0shsof per cent during the
period q Investigation WAS true only 81
the fifteen unprotected occupations and
should have Eren qualified accordingly.
hare alfeasy said that We ascertaincd
the ratea u wages IN fifteen other indus.
srlrs, and win now enumefatu them ID
order THAI senators may determine for
themselves whethef they nrc industrie1
which tie tariff l. Intended 70 protect:
they are the manufactures ~ bar iron,
boots and shaea, cotton goois. cotton and
wooden goosie, crucihic tteel, hlht glass
Rrren glass lumber. machinery. pig iron.
stcel ingota. steel blowers. steel rails. win
dow glaAa and woclen E0o;s Here are
! fifteen 81 che most highly protected tndas.
| tries ia his United States. and the WAGES
q the lahors employed IL them fell So
i0othA If per cent after he passage OK the
Mckinley act notwithstanding The rise
81 1s-io0ths 81 per cent. ID the wages 81
IhOorsfs engaged IN the nonprolacted TO-
dnstfiea
One ~ the most signsfcant facts dis
closed BY the report in relation 70 this sab.
lccs Is that the rates u wages "a these pro
tectcd industries had increased g. .i00thh 81
1 per cent. betwsen the beginning az the
/ Investigation AMI the approval of the tariff
ncs on Oct I, 1890. and consequently tina
entire decrease 81 sa-i0othA of per cent oc.
enrred after this law was passed for the
benefit II the wnfkinguann.
Now, Mr. President, on thcse questions
concerning v bolesaiunnd retail prices, cost
Of living and rates o. wages, have pre-.
scented the figures made 81 the Etatistician
| of the committee, based upon the actual
returna madu 10 US by the agents who were
sent Outs not to take. apybedy'a statement
Of anyboiysN testimony or hear anyhody's
argument. but % go 50 The books showing
the actual transactions IN the retail storcs
/ 10 these seventy citiess 70 70 70 the pay
/ rolls insfhe manufacturing establishments,
/ and take from them tho exact amount of
wages paid on the FIRST Of each month
/ covered By this investigation. and conf.
slently submit kho results to the senata
and the country ns a complete vindication
~ the Judgment pronounced by the people
upon the policy Of high protection 1T the
election In 1880 There was no attempt at
misrepresentation or deception except upon
tho part of those who had become alarmed
~ tho consequences Of their own favorfte
measure II legislation. Tho people were
not deceived then aud they viii not be do
ceived now BY any false deductions made
from this report, or by any frantic appeals
to save the country from the imaginary
horrors Of free trade
A Tax on Poor Peoples Clothes.
| As 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 !
have given to the senate as representing
the increase In prices and inr the cost Of
living are based upon them and not upon
any rise which may have taken pface ia
! tho prices or imported articles on account
| OF the very large increases in the rates Of
duty contaiaed In the tariff act Of 1890.
4 Why, Mr.. President, the increased price a.
/ the tlg 59t, $50 worth Of wooden goods which
were Imported into this country between
Oct. 1 1890, the date Of the passage Of the
Mckinley bill, and the s0th day Of June,
1891, the end Of that fiscal year. amounted
to many millions Of dollars
The report Of imports and consumption
for the fiscal year 1891, Furnished to US lsy
the treasury department. embraces and
4 fningles together al the inportatlons
which were made during that year, for the
purpose Of showing the nd valogem rate Of
tax. whether they were made before or
after Oct /. 1890. and therefore reduces che
average I'D vniorem rate Of taxation 20 a
much lower figure than It actually was
under the Mckinley act At theexpansp
of 4 great deal Of time and labor have 81.
lected from this report those articles Of
z wooden manufacture which were supported
after oct. (, 1890, aud which therefore
paid the increased rates of duty imposed
By the Mckinley tariff act. and find tho
result TO 30 that the total importatlons Of
wooden manufactures, including yarns,
which cost as abroad eiDb9I $50, paid ali