The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-10-05

Under the New Tariff Wages Cannot Reach the
Old Level.


An exchange truthiuly remarks that
while wages have advanced under the
industrial revival that followed the
Democratic panic, and because the cleo
tiOns last year went Republican, il IL
becoming apparent that the workingmen
oI the United States will have to be sat
islicd with "a lower average compensa-
ton under tariff reform than they
received under the protective system
The manufacturers will ALSO be compelled
to accept smaller profits II they are to
continue business under existing cOndi-
tons. That was predicted ut the time
the Mckinley law was destroyed.
The recent advance in the price OF iron
and steel has proved the correctness Of
the prediction. Under the duty OF 2
lilo cents n pound provided by the Me-
kinney iaw Il was pursibic 10 manu-
Iacture tin plate in this country in COM
petition with the Welsh manufacturers
and pay good wages TO the workers.
The Democratic law cut the duty a cent
a pound.
Now the price OF steel has advanced TO
~ point where it Is impossible TO make
tin plate, paying the present rate al
wages TO the workmcn, and sell il in
competition with tin plate from Wales.
While wages and the price of materials
entering into tin plate were low, the
Democratic law was TO n certain extent
protective. With higher wages and high
en- prices for materials the duty OF 1-l0
cents n pound Is not protective.
The samc Is true OF iron and steel
liesscmer pig iron Is now selling at a
price per ton higher than the English
iron OF the same grade, plus the freight
and tht duty, SO that IL is possible to
market at lower price than that
charged for the product of the American
furnace. What will be the result Of
that2 Surely, IL means British compe-
tition, and when the present brisk lie
mnnd has beee met the American price
must come down il Americans are to
control their own market.
Wages in the iron and steel industry
are regulated by the selling prices OF iron
and steel. Wages have gone up because
the price OF the product has risen, yet
they have not reached the level from
which they were reduced i'm 1903. They
never can get back 60 that level under
the present tariff law, without opening
tho American markets 10 a Hood OF
British iron and steel.
TIE free traders declared in their
speeches advocating tariff reform that
mon Go n level 81 the worklngincn ol
England and Belgium. Could the radi-
calls have had their way they would have
accomplished their purpose, but the
senate amended tho Wilson bill so TINT
IL was protective to n certain degree
under conditions materially different
from those which had prevailed under
the Mckinley law. A lower level has
been established for both wages and
capital, and neither can get above that
level without inviting competition from
abroud That viii force both the wages
and labor and the profits of capital
down uean.
The higher protection OF the Mckinley
law was preferable 20 tariff reform be-
cause while the Mckinley duties were.
perhaps, prohihntive In few cases, they
established a higher level for wages, and
stimulated home competition % such Am
extent as TO prevent the manufactures
from taking advantage OF all the pr0tcc-
ton afforded them by putting prices 81
prOductu up 20 the extreme limit
The Mckinley law reserved the Arncfi-
can market Tor American products and
gave work 60 American workingmen III
good wages. The Democratic tariff law
compclls American manufactures Go