The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-09-23
SHAW TALKS TARIFF
FREE RAW MATERIAL DISCUSS
ED BY THE SECRETARY.
Says Iron Ore in Unclaimed Beds Ii
Raw Material, But is Not When
It Reaches the Mouth
of Shaft.

Chicago, Sept. 22.-Secretary OF the
Treasury Leslie M. Shaw delivered an ao-
dress at North Side Turner Hall tonight
in the interest of Congressman Bouteiie.
The Secretary took for his subject Com
MERGE"
In the course of his speech Mr.. Shaw
said:
II notice the Democratic Party In
Massachusetts recently adopted plat
form reiterating the old Democratic de-
mand for free raw material. to the
avowed end that our manufacturers may
be able to compete with other nations In
the export trade Of the world. | would
not quote this IL 1t were a departure from
old time Democratic principles. for rec
ognize that nations do not consider them
selves bound by State platforms. l recall
that great Democratic State Convention
in 1895 and early in 1896 declared in favor
of the single gold standard. but the Chi
cago convention overruled them and they
generally went home and sought an
opening through the fence into the fold
But as this is time honored Democratic
principle 1t is not likely that 1t will be
overruled.
.Now what Is raw material? Is wool?
No. Is iron ore raw material? Yes Iron
ore In unclaimed ore beds Is raw ma
Ierldl, Out SO SOOn dS tIlc pcuo diO
owned iron is raw material plus interest
on invested capital and at the mouth of
the mine 1t is raw material plus interest
on invested capital and labor. But con-
cedng the Democratic contention that
wool delivered at the factory, iron ore
delivered at the furnace. hides delivered
at the vat, cotton delivered at the spin
die, Is raw material. let us inquire
whether 1t would be wise to place then
OF the free list
1.-THE United States is the home OF the
cotton plant. We produce three-fourths
of the raw cotton of the world. And be-
cause we produce so much and import
the merest trifie and that Of quality we
do not produce, cotton is kept on the
free list. To put 1t on the protective list
would neither yield revenue nor afford
protection, for I may say three-fourths
Of 1t is grown here. We do protect it as
soon as 1t leaves the spindle. Cotton
then affords an illustration of what can
be done when our manufacturers ha ye
free raw material. Now note results: We
actually convert into yarn and textiles.
and l speak in round numbers, one
fourth Of the cotton fiber of the world. OF
this we exports $40, 900 worth. We i'm
port s40000,000 worth of manufactured
cotton. For the sake of the argument I
assume that the fibre In our exported
cotton manufacture about offsets the
fiber in the imported cotton manufac-
lures. This being true. the American pep
pie then actually consume or wear out
one-fourth of the cotton fiber this world
produces.
I'VE do this In the face of the fact that
the people of the world. barring, a little
belt in the Arctic regions, wear cotton
II they wear anything Thus. by means
of protection, we afford and keep for our
selves one-fifth of the ultimate cotton
consumption market Of the world. Does
this prejudice us in the outside market
1t ought not to. The Democratic party
demands free raw material and say we
have free raw cotton. Now. what sue
cess do we have when we go out and
compete In the outside cotton trade of
the world?
1.-The various commercial circles of
the world. including the United States
| export in the aggregate $625, 900 900 worth
| of cotton manufactures of which we ex-
port $S2,000000 In other words, by rea-
son of free raw material we are able to
secure only per cent of the export trade
in cotton manufactures. Mark you we
get 70 per cent Of the export trade in raw
cotton, but only per cent of the export
trade in manufactured cotton. We get
the one because we grow the cotton and
the world wants It, We lose the other
because with cheap labor the outside
world can manufacture it cheaper than
we can. So they take the raw material
off our hands. manufacture 1t. put 1t on
the worlds market. and get 95 per cent
of the export trade. while we. with cot
ton grown on our land. because of high
priced American labor. are able to get
only per cent OF the export trade.
do you say this Is discouraging? Look
at my previous figures. Because of our
high-priced labor and the capacity of our
people to consume. because of the good
clothes we wear. because we do not patch
and mend and sometimes burn to save
laundry bills, we keep for ourselves and
thus actually supply one-fifth of the
world aggregate market for cotton man
ufactures. And we both maintain our
high wages and make our people secure
In our own markets by means Of our
protective policy"
n