Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-12-15
High Tariff and Reduced Wages.

the cotton mills of New England have
had their wages cut 10 per cent, and
they do not view lower wages and
high cost of living as prosperity for
them, whatever it may BE for the pro-
tected trusts. Then again the employees
of the American Tin Plate Company
part of the steel trust-have returned
to work at 20 per cent reduction of
their wages, and they do not feel pros,
porous. If the Republican party had
permitted the amendment to the Gu
ban reciprocity bill abolishing the diff
ferential-extra duty-on refined sug-
ar, the saving of seven or eight million
dollars TO the cotton and tin plate OPP
eratives and other consumers would
have helped to tide over the long. cold
winter that has just begun. But the
sugar trust was more influential with
Republican Congressman than the peo-
pie, and by taking off 20 per cent of
the duty on Cuban raw sugar they
presented the sugar trust with the OPP
portunity to make, as increased profit
almost to dollar what the people
would have saved by the abolishing OF
the extra duty on refined sugar, when
the Democratic amendment proposed
to abolish. The leaders of this slime
Republican Congress have agreed With
President Roosevelt that reciprocity
for the sugar trust and the Cubans
was the most important legislation
that was necessary, and they have fur
Their agreed that no reform of the tar
III in its shelter to the trusts is needed.
With no reduction or abolition of tariff
taxes, the numerous trusts, that are
protected like the sugar trust, can con-
tinue TO eXtort their enormous profits
II the tariff taxes We're reduced to n
reasonable figure, enough to produce
what the government needs, honestly
administered, the trusts would have to
reduce their profits to corresponding
ratio, or competition from abroad
would come in and supply the market.
That most of the trusts are able to
make ample profits without any pro-
tective tariff is shown by their export
ing their products to foreign countries
and selling them in competition with
the foreign manufacturers after pay
ing the high duties which are demand
ed there. In many instances it has
been proven that the price the trusts
obtain abroad are much less than they
charge our own people.
If the trusts were making no profit
on the goods they export, they would
not long continue such business, or be
so anxious to extend this trade by
sending agents to increase it, so the
excuse that the trusts are losing money
on the goods they are selling in for
eign markets, or dumping their surplus
for whatever it will bring, is not
borne out by the facts. The trusts,
like other people, would not continue
to do losing business and be seeking
more at the same improbable rate.
The steel trust is bidding on foreign
contracts against the English, Ger
man, French and Belgian manufacture
ers, and successfully, too, at 80 per
cent less on some of its products. To
enable it to compete with the foreign
ers on their own ground it reduced the
wages of its employees, but does not
lower the price of its products at home.
The workmen, the farmers and the
balance of us would all be better off
if the tariff was reduced and compe-
tition was allowed to keep the trust
prices down. If the cost of living was
reduced one-third, the workmen could
what a blessing the lower cost of liv-
ing would be to those with limited In
comes. The farmer would get the same
price for what he raises under a low
as he does under a high tariff, because
the price of agricultural products is
based simply upon supply and demand,
and no tariff can change that immu-
table law, and the farmer has no pro-
lection to aid him except the duty on
wool, and that has proven to be a
boomerang. The wholesale and retail
dealers make a larger percentage of
profits the cheaper they can buy the
goods they sell, so they would gain
by tariff reduction. The whole army
of those who work for wages. be the
wages large or small, gre benefited by
a reasonable price for all they buy.
The high tariff adds to those prices di-
rectly, and in a much greater proper
ton through the increased profits the
trusts and protected monopolies charge
under the shelter of high protection
The Republican masses feel that pro-
lection is robbing them and are pro-
testing, the "Iowa idea" being a sam
pie protest, but the Republican leaders
have succeeded in putting even that
small effort TO sleep.