Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-06-29
TARIFFS AND WAGES.
DUTIES PROTECT THE MANUFAc-
TURER NOT THE LABoRER.

FAlIneious Arguments and Absurd State
msnts Of Protsetioni.t Exposed-Pro-
tset shs Worker. Not the Products Of His
skim
The American Economist, the organ
Of the protected manufacturers, has for
three months been publishing letters
criticising the proposed tariff bill of the
Reform club. These letters were solic-
tied by The Economist from manufac-
turers, workingmen and from members
Of the American Protective Tariff
league. TIE letters from workingmen
were o sorry lot. Not only were the
criticisms puerile, but the writers are
mostly unknown and without influence
In labor Circles. Indeed there is in some
Of their letters internal evidence that
they have been used as mouthpieces of
their employers.
There is one letter, however, from
workingmen which merits attention. 1t
Is from Mr.. George e. Murray Of New
York city. Mr.. Murray Is chairman of
the board Of arbitration of District As
sembly No. 40, knights Of Labor, and
has been master workman and statisti-
clan in this district. He is painter by
trade and is recognized among laboring
men as an honest, conscientious man
even when he is advocating protection"
and other theories and measures not in
the interest of the laboring man.
Mr.. Murray sees great bugaboo in
the increased importation--nearly $780,
000, 900 worth7-which the Reform club
estimates would occur the first year un-
der lower duties. Then, upon the as
sumption that 'labor represents 90 per
cent Of the cost Of all articles that man
uses" (which, however, to be liberal he
estimates at rs per cent?, he says that
'severy $1,000 worth of goods brought
here from another country means that
81, 500 worth of labor will be done in
some other country; $1,000 worth of la
Dor at o fair average represents the labor
of three workingmen for year."
This is the foundation for all of Mr..
Murray's criticism. He is full blooded
protectionist who regards all importa-
tions as curse, because 90 per cent of
their value is just so much lost to the
laboring men of this country who are
thus denied the privilege of making
these goods. He entirely loses sight of
the fact that we pay for imported goods
with the products of our labor, and the
sole reason why we import some goods
and make others is because we can in
this way obtain more for our labor.
We import tea, coffee, sugar, rice, lem
ons, etc., and export cotton, corn, beef,
pork, agricultural implements, hard
ware, etc., because it is in this way that
we can get more Of the necessities and
luxuries of life.
All men and all countries are not
adapted alike to the production Of the
same articles, and if they were it would
still pay some men and some countries
to conline their attention chiefly to GER
tain industries and products, and to ex-
change to obtain other products. Mr..
Murray evidently would stop all of this
exchange. He is so anxious to do all of
the work himself that he will not trade
with man in Canada or Europe, whe
can produce the required article for one
half what 1t will cost to produce it al
home He prefers to make it himself
and to save the labor cost, even though
in doing SO he must neglect the making
Of some other article. where his labor
would produce twice as much value.
But let us follow up the application Of
Mr.. Murray's theory. He says that
'sunder 'Earthenware, ETC., the Reform
club by their own figures admit that
S4,S73,OO0 in value of additional goods
will be imported into this country
This means of course that just that
much goods will not be produced al
home, and that on the basis above named
(75 per cent of the importation represent
ing labor) over 1900 people will b'
thrown out of employment, and this re
suit is attained by the Reforms club
figures. Do potters at Trenton, Eas
Liverpool, O., Baltimore and othel
points want to see 1890 Of their numbel
thrown out Of employment
Let us examine these statements. Mr.
Murray omits to notice that unde
"Earthenware, etc., the Reform clul
includes not only all kinds Of china ant
stoneware, but also bricks, tiles, etc
Our manufactures of these articles vii
probable exceed 81 ZOO, 100000 in value
The value of imports is $s,727, 900 unde
an average duty of 57.65 per cent. TIL
Reform club committee thinks that un
der 25 per cent duty the import
would increase to $130,0OO, ,0OO--a fright
full showing, thinks our protectionis
friend. But as most Of the imports ar
Of china and stoneware we will accer
Mr.. Murray's figures. Suppose that th
potters would lose nearly $4,000, 900 i
wages, what would the people gair
They would save about 25 per cent 0
che cost of their pottery wares. AS the
purchase yearly over $50, 100000 of thes
wares, the saving would amount to $5
100000. Hence it would be better to pa
the potters their wages and support thel
in idleness in order to give the peopl
cheap wares, We will test this in a,
other way.
{ Twenty-Five dozen Of assorted whit
granite ware (see Tariff Reform, volum
4, No. g. cost at wholesale $19.12 ]
England and $32.01 in New York. III
labor cost of making in Trenton is $5.8
nm l..4,, -, 4l.a sx,,,,n,.tod Ep o,1{o1, xxyo,
is S10.51. Mr.. Murray will observe
that the labor cost is here less than
per cent (about what Porter's presel
census figures will show and not 75 (
90 per cent, as Mr.. Murray says; (s) th'
the duty is about twice the labor cos
leaving considerable margin for Il
pottery trust; (8 that by abolishing d
ties on granite ware we would save abol
So for every 81 paid labor.