The Butler weekly times., 1897-02-18
fn American Manufacturer On
High Tariff Duties.
ut Only Unnecessary, But BIght'ng
Curse Upon the Nations Industrial
Independence.
The Republic Bureau
Penn Ave. and l4th St.

Washington, Feb. 9.-The Repub.
.!eans of the Ways and Means Com
nittee have not invited appeals for
reducing tariff taxation, but have
gather encouraged appeals for in
ereasing it, so that very few of those
manufacturers who are opposed TO
high tariff taxation have presented
arguments on their side of the
question to the members Of the
committee.
Mr.. A. b Fa,quahar, the well
Snown manufacturer of agricultural
supplements at York, Pa, is one of
shose who have taken the trouble to
write the members of the committee
IN opposition to increased tariff tax
. alton, aud his letter is perhaps the
best of it's kind which tn. committee
tas received. It is as follows:
ITO the Wavs and Means Com
!. mittee, House of Representatives
Honorable Gentlemen: You have,
naturally, in your public hearings of
testimony aud r. recommendations and
pleas for amendments to the revenue
laws, had far more to do with those
/. 1esirous of Increased duties than
with those in opposition. The inter
eat of people in quest of favors ia
always more intense, as well as more
p definite, than that of people who
have simply to protest against grant
sne favors to others at their expense;
Z ough the former may be few aud
th- latter 10000, yet your committee
may easily hear much from the small
number and nothing from the great
Easy as it is for all concerned only
a. individuals of the 70.000.0OO to
be silent, thinking that where no
peculiar interest exists no peculiar
exertion is called for. yet the easy
course is sometimes the wrong
course. Personally, 1 have nothing
to ask Of your honorable body except
chat you will refrain from putting
obstacles in the way of my business
and from strengthening the arms
that are aiming q blow at my inter
ests; otherwise, my cause is merely
identical with that of the great mass
. Of your fellow citizens. What is
bert for them is best for me, and
might be asked as we'll in their name
- in mine.
"The great practical problem be
tore US, as before all nations and
=" people,is how to apply the force and
opportunity at our command so as
to derive from them the greatest net
result in comforts and conveniences
OF life. That application of human
tabor which brings the largest result
ia these comforts is the one that
best serves the body polite and
thereby raises to the highest point
tho demand for labor and, hence. the
reward for the laborer. Since the
best paid labor is.therefore, the kind
that produces most. it may easily
follow chat such labor is of excep
tionally low cost in proportion to
product. We know that this is true
in some instances. The wheat of our
Western States must necessarily be
produced at lower labor cost than
that of Egypt or India, because it
sells freely in the same British mar
ket to which the cost Of transporta-
tion is greater. And yet our lower
cost is made up of payments at the
rate OF a dollar day, while their
higher cost is paid at rates not far
from 10 cents day. This is posi-.
BILE. partly because the Western
taborer furnishes labor of higher
quality than the ryot or fellah partly
because it is better directed. by
improved machinery and better
methods.
IA similar state of facts exists in
all productions that meet foreign
competion on equal terms No labor
IN the country receives better nav
than that employed on exportable
goods, in direct competition with
foreign labor; wages running high,
although the price of the product is
low, and proving really cheaper
because directed by higher brain