The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-12
FREIGHT AND LABOR.

considered in the framing of q wise tar
if law, the subject Of wages and that OF
transportation under existing condi-
which the pending bill is framed. And
this may be said to be one of its chief
characteristics. Any fair competition
between foreign products and own
depends upon an equalization of condl-
ditions. To give the foreigner sub
stantial advantage is to destroy compe-
tition with him on the part of our W
citizens and subject us to foreign mo-
nopoly, just as to enact prohibition Is
to subject us to the possibility OF home
~monopolies. The advocates OF protec-
ton do not demand anything more
than that conditions be equalized SO as
to enable us to compete in u W
markets at rates Just to our own CAPT
tai and labor.
The national platform of the Repub-
lican party simply asks "that on all i'm
portations coming into competition
with the products of American labor
there should be duties levied equal to
the difference between wages abroad
and at home" Even the Democratic
platform as originally reported to the
Chicago convention recognized this I'M
portant principle. 1t said: THAT when
custom house taxation is levied upon
articles of any kind produced in this
country, the difference between cost of
labor here nd.labor abroad, when such
difference exists, fully measures any
possible benefits of labor"
But this declaration the convention
refused to adopt. and, in the line OF the
refusal, the bill under consideration
wholly ignores the interest OF Arneri-
cans in the matters of freight rates and
wages. He who takes no account OF
steam and electricity and the kindred
neighbor-making factors OF our modern
life leaves out of his calculations a OF
the most important elements from a
practical point of view OF our present
industrial conditions. Formerly dis
lance and time had a substantial bear
ing upon the question OF protection.
When our first protective tariff bill was
framed, ocean freights had q potent in
huence in fixing its figures. In 1872
transatlantic trade was carried on in
small vessels OF slow movement and the
cost of transportation was very large.
Now, vessels OF immense capacity and
Wondrous speed carry cargoes swiftly
and at little cost. A bushel of wheat
can be carried to-day from New York
to Liverpool for six cents. One hun
bred years ago, therefore, natural pro-
lection of American products of an i'm
portant character was afforded by the
ocean, a fact recognized by Alexander
Hamilton, who, in his famous report on
manufactures inrl791, said: '"rhe great
distance from Europe imposes very
heavy charges on all fabrics which are
brought from there, amounting to from
l5 to 80 per CEN on their value"
Protection from this source has al
most entirely ceased. and the duties
now necessary represent only the legiti-
mate means employed to preserve the
original protection.
Freight rates by land have fallen as
they have upon the ocean, but land
and water rates still maintain their rel
alive differences, as they always must.
Hence the foreign manufacturer dealing
across the ocean with New York has an
advantage by way OF freights over the
inland American dealing with the same
point.
TIE FOREIGNERS ADVANTAGE.
Let me illustrate. An order for 100.
tons of pig iron can as readily inc as
quickly be given from New York to Liv-
erpool, England, as it can to Birming-
ham, Ala. When given it will be as
speedily filled, in all probability, by ves-
sci from abroad as by freight train at
home. But the freight from LIVERPOOL
to New York may be nothing, if the iron
comes as ballast, as it very frequently
uOeS, "IIllo= Guo 1ISlSnb Ill II
ham will be 81 per ton by rail and water
and by rail alone $50 per ton, a differ
ence in favor of the foreigner on that
shipment, you will observe of from $500
to $3.50.
The foreigner may have to pay a
shilling a ton, say % cents in that event
his advantage issthe difference between
% cents and 81 or % cent and So so on
each ton of his cargo, amounting in the
!, + - /, Al, n ~ ny ECQQT orl -
the other to a difference of 1927. But
let us assume that the foreigner pays
5s., which is an extreme rate, equal to
81 10. Then he will have an advantage
over the lowest inland freight rate of
50 SIS per ton, or S2S5 on his entire cargo.
The foreigner, therefore, has an advant-
age of from 35 to 100 per cent, as the
case may be overthe domestic manufac-
turer in the matter of freights. lie has
an advantage in the matter of wages of
100 per CEN
This bill gives to the pig iron manu-
facturer of Alabama q protection of 224
per cent on his product, while freight
rates and European wage conditions
have given his foreigner competitor q
protection of from l35 to 200 per cent.
Surely Ineed not stop to ask the ques-
ton, is this far? My statement can be
answered by the advocates OF this bill
in only one of two ways. Either they
must deny my facts, and that they can
not with truth, or they must say
European pig iron is cheaper than
American, and we should cease to make
pig iron and rely upon the foreign pro-
duct.
Are you ready to do that? Aside
from any question as to rendering use
less American mines, sacrificing Ameri-
can furnaces, American labor and capt
tai, are you ready to subject yourselves
to European monopoly OF q product
that lies at the foundation of the great
iron and steel industries of the United
States2 I might pursue this illustra-
ton and offer you the same kind OF
proof as to many other articles as to
which foreign! rates have an important
bearing, but I refrain for the present.,
because in the discussion to follow this
general debate IshalIshave opportunity
to so into the subject more a length.
I satisfy myself Q with adding to