The times., 1901-06-07
BLESSINGS OF PROTECTION
Mr.. TayIer Gives His Views TO tine
Industrial Commission.
The Greater Cost of Labor Here Must
he EGunIized. He Says. by the
Tariff - No Defence of the Trusts
Made Prof. Gunton's Opinion.

Tariff No Defence of the Trusts
Made - Prof. GuntOD's Opinion.
Robert w Tayler. of Lisbon. Ohio, a
representative OF the American Protective
Tariff League. testified before the Indus
trial Commission yesterday concerning
present industrial conditions and their re-
lation to the tarifT. The last few years,
or rather the Industrial lessons that had
been taught during that period, demanded
that there be no relaxation in the pro-
tective tariff Whatever view one might
take of the trusts the good that had been
done by them. or the evils that might en-
sue from further Capitalization of capt
tai. as the ease might appear to the indi-
yidual. It was impossible to deny that the
trusts themselves, from the viewpoint OF
their relations with the tariff were mere
ly incidental.
The principle OF protection ms now em-
bodied In the Dmgloy t8rin measure was
the all-importaut question. When the
labor cost in the United States was
greater than i'm competing countries, MIR.
1ayler thought IL absolutely necessary
that equalization be brought about IN
some manner. This equalization could
only he attained by means of protection
and the principle of protection itself was
cNempliiied In the Dingley bill. Mr.. Tay-
ler argued that there should be no
change; that there was no necessity for
change: that all arguments to the con-
trary were met by the condition of pros
pevity that has prevailed in the United
States since the protective tariff has been
in operation.
The benefits ef protection resulted
chiefly to labor. There were others Of
course, who participated in the rewards,
but labor first and above all was the
direct recipient of the favors conferred
by a protective tariff. When it was not
necessary to maintain the mode of iiv-
ing now obtaining as result Of protec-
tion, then it would be time enough to
foster tendency toward free trade
Mr.. Tayler precipitated an acrimonious
discussion among the Commissioners pres
ent by stating that the farmers of Ohio
We're strongly in favor of a protective
tariff Assertions and denials. points Of
order and rulings by the chairman min
gled in inextricable confusion for several
minutes. When the smoke cleared away
Mr.. Tayler was allowed 10 state that he
thought the farmers OF the country as
whole favored the principle OF protection
as the farmer depended mainly upon the
rewards OF labor for his prosperity
Mr.. Tayler said that he had never been
dDie 10 DrllS HlilStlI TO DGlltNE lIdl the
trusts were good thing. From his ex-
tensiVe experience with men and affairs
had grown the conviction that power,
when welded by one man. or set of men,
had always been useC TO the furtherance
of their own ends AID without any re-
gard for the rights of the rest of man
kind.
lie did not know of any remedy for the
evil. for evil il certainly was, unless 1t
might be publicity. The path Of the
trusts, he thought, pointed the way to
an inevitable socialism and eventually.
he thought, If not checked, would reach
a condition of Government socialism.
When the people of the United States
discerned that instead of the vaunted
diversity of interests in industries these
interests were centralized they would
seize the opportunity, he thought. to
enter a protest against the principle OF
by the few for the few, as exemplified
by the trusts, and substitute a motto Of
their own, by such means as may be IN
their power the principle Of which would
be by the many for the many
The United States Steel Corporation and
other similar great companies would I'M
dOubtedly be able to continue in opera
tion were the protective tariff removed,
but only by reCouping the losses on fin
ished products. of which 3abOr formed a
large part of the cost, bt a rise in the
prices Of products made possible by i'm
proved machinery, and IN any case there
would be an appreciable reduction in
wages.
The Commission during the afternoon
heard an academic discussion of prOtec-
tive tariff VS.. free trade. The witness
was Prof. George GuntOn, OF New York
City, a social economist of some distinc-
ton. Among his other differences he
concluded that present conditions de-
manded the passage of laws to lessen
hours OF labor, to compel the education
of poor children, 10 improve sanitary con-
ditions in factories. and to broaden Op-
portunities for education. To the pres
ent maChinists' strike the witness advert
ed long enough to approve the demands
Of the strikers and condemn their failure
TO abide by the arbitration awards.