The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-28
IT WOULDBE OUR RUIN
Free Trade Means Competition
With the Orient.
FACTORY HANDS. 10 CENTS A DAY.
They Could supply the worid-Eviis OF
Cheap Money THE Bufchcry
OF Christians.

The note OF warning sounded by stu
dents Of the Oriental problem as 70 the
corning srdussriai conflict between INC
orlcaf ard Occldent has been taken up
~ T.. s. J. Hunt. who has spent the great
er uart OF the last nine months IN japan
rua China Mr. Hunt arrived IN Sfattis
last Friday from Ecw York. ana IeIt yes
terday for that city. He ~ll Re IN seafue
again in about three weeks, ana WIN 'h'h
leave again for China. Air. Hunt Is CON
WINGED that Jspan and China VIII IN a rev
years be able to manufacture for the
vyfoIa world. and that the CHEAP labor of
these counf~fen. once the opportunity -
rsreaented will defy competition. II ~ sell
dom that M Hunt will allow himself 70
be interviewed. but when ne was IN M
caco n week ago he gave the Ttmes-hef-
aid Of that city a. interview on this dief-
lion that was considered of such impor-
lance that the next day IL occupied the
rankin. position on the first page Of that
paper.
Tf.ea Trade Means Ruin To America.
Mr.. Hunt declares that no American
can afford 70 visw with compiacency Inc
effect Of Oriental cheap Labor on the mar
kets OF sfte United States. and that any
free trader who goes 10 china or Japan
viii return an ardent prOteetionist- lie
said.
u
wages paIa TO operatives in Chinese cotton
mills The Industries OF the United states
nerd protection not from Europe particn-
LARRY, but from the results OF cheap labor
Ga tae orient. Should the ports OF ibis
country be thrown open free TO the brl-
entail manufacturer, the producer or IA"
materials would suffer alike WITH the
American manufacture. Free trade with
China and Japan would be ruinous 10 the
United states and anyone who has
watched the growth OF industries in the
Orient will soon learn that there Is more
20 fear from the latter than from all Inc
countries In the Old World. Take the most
radical free trader OF this country and let
him make a careful study OF the indus
trial conditions Of China and Japan. If he
is a falr-minded man and has the great
ness Of character 10 admit mistake when
once convinced OF n. IL ne places the vel
fare OF his counlrymen above and beyond
the question Of party. you can rest as
sured he will return TO the land or the
Stars and Stripes a pTotectionist.
II am not disposed to criticise the poll
cy Of our government In excluding Chi
nese labor but why should not that policy
he broadened and the japanese excluded
az we'll? However. the American laborer
viii find that Asiatic labor in its native
home Will be "A far more dangerous rival
than Asiatlc labor transferred 10 the Unit
icy ever becomes one that admits Oriental
goods free. Either China or Japan can
today ship cotton from Liverpool. manu-
facture IL into fabrics. ship the manufac-
tured goods hack 10 Manchester. the home
OF the spindle. and underbid the English
men In competition for American trade.
1.-The only reason why China and Japan
are today large buyers of English and
American piece goods Is because they only
learned 10 manufacture "A few years ago
and have not yet the spindle capacity for
their home demand. | advise political
economists In their theorizing, however.
10 consider the development that VIII take
place I'm China and Japan IN the immed
ate future. as no mean factor In the for
mula OF their teachings. Osaka, Japan,
within the past six years has grown to a
city OF smokcstaeks which no New Eng
land cotton center can equal ] predict
that Shanghai. China. which is the New
York OF tho orient. Will become, under
the new treaty. one of the greatest manu-
featuring centers In existence.
Ten Cents for Twelve Hours Work.
cit viii become more so If this country
Should adopt free trade policy, thus max
ing IL necessary for our manufacturers to
move their mills TO the home of cheap la
Dor. where millions OF Industrious people
are ready and anxious to work twelve
hours n day for a scale Of wages ranging
from 10 10 % cents Ia silver. which means
to ~ cents a day I'm our good American
money And I'm your reckoning YOU must
not lose sight OF the fact too, that China
IN ono Of the most productive countries In
the world and that In furnishing raw ma
terials with the advantages of cheap labor
u viii make the producer OF raw materials
IN the United States suffer alike with the
manufacturer"
In speaking Of the relative canacitv Of
China a Il N he fFfv. Of
materials. Mr., Hunt said at Is hardly
possible 10 make a comparison. as China
has an almost unlimited capaeItv for the
production or raw materials while Japan's
output Is largely confined 10 tea. rice, silk
harley. coal ana vegetables Now that ia
pan has Formosa she Will doubtless be-
come a very large sugar producer I Ger
talnlv do not look upon n further develop
mcnt OF the export trade with tho Orient
es very promising, The question Of tho
hour Is not how can ~ Introduce our
goods Into those Asiattc countries. hut
how 10 keen tho results OF their cheap la
Dor out 81 this country"
CHANGING down az the handsome suit he
was wearing, Mr.. Hunt continued, Here
IA q sample object iess0n IN the clothes 7
Am wearing now. This suit was made "a
order Ia Chinese tailor shop and IS nnade
OF French goods ANY one Or your leading
tailorS would charge me sixty gold dollars
for like suit. hat n only cost ne, nffecn
silver dollars. or about S. N IN gold The
shoes wear may not he iu harmony with
your fastidious Chicago stvies. yct am
sure they would cost $40 made % order
here. while made 20 order ia I Chineae
shoe shop they cost nae 81 ~ And WHY
this great difference in coste because. and
| am glad IL Is 50. tfic American tailor ls
able 60 make 81 Ia & dsy IN gold. while
the professional Chinese Coatmakcr gets
hlft 1ei3 cents Ia gold"
Iumboi and Flour for tho Orient.
on being asked " neither there vas any
promise o. trade in any hro for Americans
81 China and Japan. Mr.. Nuut said. The
Pacific coast may be able 10 build ,ip a
fairly good lumber trade and the f1uf
trade. which has grown within the mast
eight Years 10 he OF no uleaa Importance
VIII continue 20 be good u1tn the Siberian
railway IS completed 60 Nladivoetack
which VIII roe he latcr than fSaS
In the rebuilding Of tire Chinese navy
end likewise the stFepg thentng 81 the Iar p
nNcse. our American Nhin building arms
ought 20 te able 20 secure = roaa slla 81.
80 tho contracts. Rut l admit We r4nr,I
hope 20 compete with England tn tho tr.,r
trade. unless IL be Oh bridge building tn.
Orient Is now and VIII continue to De- fa-r.
buyers ~ machinery. Thus far tha 1ff,tat
states has secured Nut small rart ~ ana
trade what We can dc in the fltt5~, 80
mains 10 ~ seer 60
silver currency - the Orient NJ tf.sr. -,
turned 20 the United States a stronger ~
iiever than ever N sound money he So