Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-12-28

home market and the alleged injurious eff
reefs OF such competition upon the interests
OF domestic labor have not only been greatly
exaggerated in the past but are less now
than at any time heretofore, and must con-
tlnue to grow less hereafter.
Inc number of people in gainful occupa-
IionS increased from II, 1872, 099 in 1880 to
* !3o, 66l in 1890, gain of 5,343 562. and
Whlie the increase in all such occupations
u t,l the ten years was 30.12 per cent
the increase in manufacturing and mechan-
lcal industries, which are supposed to be
most subject to foreign competition, was
49:l5 per cent. further and most graft
is to Be Of found l0M the greay n
creased exports of the products of DO
nestle manufacture, which now constitute
one.fourth the total value Of all our sales
In foreign markets. If these products were
not at least equal in quality to similar
products Of other parts Of the word, and
not as low as the prices demanded by our
foreign competitors, they could not find
a market outside the limits of our own
country. The expectation OF manufactured
products would not go on continuously year
after year at an increasing rate unless there
was profit for our people i'll the operation
nor unless the markets in which they are
sold are in some manner benefited by Civ
ing preference to the American article
over like articles produced elsewhere. The
annual increases since 1892 in the qualities
and values of exported manufactures, not
withstanding the extremely low prices
which have prevailed i'll all the markets of
the world are without parallel III our
commercial history and furnish such con-
elusive evidence of industrial power ana
a capacity to compete successfully with
the outside world in production and trade
as ought to convince our people that pro-
tective duties on imported goods cannot
be hereafter justified or excused upon the
plea that they are necessary for the en-
enlargement of capital or the security OF
labor in this country.
But an examination Of the various gain
full pursuits in which the people of the
United States were engaged in 1880, which
is the date of the latest official returns
upon the subject, will show that, even. If
we are not more independent OF foreign
competition now than we were: then the
number of those can be adversely affected
by the importation of products from abroad
is so small in comparison with our total
population that it would be both impoltic
and unjust to persist in any system OF
taxation designed for the protection of their
interests at the expense OF all others.
OF the five great classes or groups into
which the total population engaged in gain
full occupations is divided. three-profes-
SIGNALS, 944, 1928; domestic and personal serv-
ants. 4,360 506, and persons engaged in
trade and transportation, $500. 962.nay be
excluded at the outset as exempt from for
eeign competition No tariff duties can ar al,
cost of many of the commodities which
they are compelled to buy and use. OF
the agricultural. mining and fishing groups,
age can be subjected to direct competition
with the foreigner. and this part is located
on or near the SeacOaSt or other borders
of our country. 1t is safe TO say that not
more than 100000 persons, or about 515
per cent. of those engaged in agricultural,
mining and fishing in this country can be in
any degree adversely affected by competi-
ton flOm abroad and all these are wholly
or partially compensated for foreign inter-
ference in their home market by the in
creased sales which international trade Sc
cures for their own products in foreign
markets.
In considering the manufacturing and me-
chanical industries for the purpose of as
certainng to what extent they can be
subject to foreign competition, the follow
ing general propositions may, l think, be
accepted as the basis for just conclusion:
lar class of articles proves an ability to manu-
facture as cheaply as any foreign competing ma
ton.
2 Natural advantages. such the proximity
special aptitudes and facilities secured by
extensive of superior machinery are suf1i-
cient in most eases to exclude foreign competi-
ton.
blacksmths, carpenters, masons and others, are
necessarily local; the work must be done at
particular place. and consequently foreign COM
petition is impossible.
transportation, insurance. loss of interest. etc
prevents competition from abroad in many kinds
of manufacturing and mechanical products.
Applying these propositions in the investiga-
ton of the industries known as manufacturing
and mechanical the result may be most briefly
and conveniently stated in the form of Il table
in which the interests subject to more or less
foreign competition are classified as nearly as
possible according TO the tariff schedules AID in
accordance with an extremely liberal view of the