The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-04
Mothers Friend

But, Mr.. President, if no factories are
established there; if a new Japan shall
not arise there to interfere with our
trade in cotton goods; if the archipelago
shall continue purely agricultural
country and is developed to the fullest
and becomes valuable market for the
sale of our manufactures, it will be dear
ly purchased trade if the farmers of this
country find the markets they already
have abridged for the sale of their sur
plus products or find those markets less
profitable by reason of increased supply
resulting from Filipino overprOductiOn.
Mr. President, we hear much these days
about the increase in our foreign trade
and the new markets we have found
abroad for our products, especially for
our manufactures, for there has been
but little increase in our agricultural eX-
ports. 1t is true the growth in recent
years OF our foreign trade in manufac-
lures has been so phenomenal as to have
attracted the attention Of the world.
But to what are we indebted for these
new markets? Through what agency
have they been secured? | answer. We
got them because we had to have them;
because We needed them and sought them
with the intelligence and zeal which the
American trader always displays under
the spur Of necessity.
For a long time our industrial expan-
sion had been rapid, but there was
ready market at home for all that our
mills and factories could make. No other
market was sought. not only because
there was a ready customer at hand, but
because, by the exclusion of outside COM
he rpnfi tglhl 10 p11c-
toner than could be found anywhere
else. New factories continued to spring
UP and multiply, until in the course of
time home production grew more rapid
ly than home consumption and finally
greatly exceeded it.
In these circumstances, our manufac-
turers were suddenly confronted with the
always troublesome problem of sur
plus The question was what should
they do with the surplus, what could they
do about it? There were two alterna-
tives They had either to find outside
markets or stop building new factories
and curtail the production of those al
ready built In this eXigency the decis-
ion was what might have been expected
Of American pluck, energy and resource.
It was in favor of trade expansion. In
pursuance of that decision other mar
kets were sought. The means necessary
to secure them were employed and they
were found, as they might have been and
would have been found years before if
thew had been sought with the same de-
gree Of intelligence and determination.
That our manufacturers have found
themselves in a position to successfully
compete in the markets of the world
with the manufacturers of other nations
is subject for patriotic rejoicing. do
not myself altogether sympathize with
the criticism now current against some
of our manufacturers who are selling
their products in foreign markets at
from 25 to So per cent less than they
are selling them to our hoLIe people al
though | condemn their extortion against
their home patrons, and l condemn the
methods and devices to which they resort
for the purposes of sitting home compe-
tition---
Mr. Culberson. Mr.. President
The presiding officer (Mr. Simon in
the chair) Does the Senator from
North Carolina yield to the Senator from
Texas:
Mr.. Simmons. Certainly.
Mr.. CulberSOn. | should ike 10 ask
the Senator in that connection if he does
not also believe that the American manu-
facturers are enabled to sell to foreign
ers cheaper than to Americans by reason
| and by virtue of the high protective
tariff laws that we have now in force?
Mr.. simmons. BY reason of those laws,
undoubtedly.
was going to say, Mr.. President, they
have got to sell their goods cheaper
abroad than they are now SELL
| ing them at home or not sell
them at all abroad, because
| abroad there are no discriminating tariff
duties to protect them from competition
while in the home market our tariff per-
| mits them, within certain limits, to fix
prices Like every other trader, the
American manufacturer wants the best
price he can get for his wares, and If he
refuses to content himself with reason
able profits and takes advantage of our
tariff laws to obtain higher prices here
| than abroad the blame lies more against
our tariff laws than upon the manufac-
| turer.
The fact that these manufactures are
able, after adding transportation, to sell
! their wares in foreign markets at these
lower prices and make reasonable profits
and that their profits in these markets