Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-08-07
Cost of Living.

Ii the constitution had not provided
for free trade between the States this
country wonld never have advanced to
It's present position of power and
wealth. Each special interest or prod
uct produced in every State would soon
have been clamoring for protection from
the competition of its neighboring and
sister state and virtual embargo
would have existed against Interstate
commerce. But what cannot be done
10 prohibit trade between the States
has been accomplished to prevent trade
with other nations and to tax the peo
pie of the United States If they under
take TO import foreign products At the
outset, when this country was strug
Cling to establish manufactures ana free
itself from the extortion of the mother
country. tariff on imports was desir-
able. both for protection and for rev
enue. But the tax imposed did not ex-
coed 10 per cent, whereas now II ex'
ceeds on the average 80 per cent. Ii
these present enormous tariff duties
were necessary to support the govern
ment there would be some excuse for
their imposition. but on many manu-
featured products the duties are so high
as to be prohibitive and actually pre-
vent imports, in many cases exceeding
100 per cent and in some cases 200 pei
cent.
This high tariff has naturally fos
tered combines and trusts i'll this coun
try, to take advantage of the oppor
tunity for monopoly Prices have in
creased enormously, in consequence OF
lack of competition and the cost 81 liy
ing has advanced As per cent siTce the
present tariff law was enacted in 1891
But a small percentage of this increase
is collected by the government, but he
far greater percentage is collected by
the trusts and combines, which control
about all tho general products consumed
by the American people.
This trust taxation has led to vigor-
Gus protests by the plundered taxpayer
and i'll many States the independent Re
DuDilNdlAo are us IOSlAlC W TIC l'ACSNl''
tariff system as the Democrats are. But
these protests have fallen on deaf OF
Indifferent ears and the party in power
is still standing pat. 1t is no eXaggera
ton to say that there is a compact be
tween the Republican leaders and the
trust monopolsts to continue this IN
holy alliance for mutual advantage
The trusts and combines getting the
lions share of the plumber and the Re
publican campaign funds good per
centage, to keep that party in power.
If this same tariff system was in
operation between the several States
each one would have its tariff monop-
olists and commerce between the States
would, on many products be almost at
standstill. The vast concentration of
th4 great industries at the points where
the raw material is most available, or
where the skilled labor is located
would have been impossible, for the
rival interests in other States would
have been clamoring for protection and
tariff wall would have been erected
around most of the States to prevent
the free imports of other States. Such
wall exists to-day between us and
Canada, between us and Mexico and
even between our own colony of the
Philippines, not TO mention the wall
between us and Europe
In spite of this tariff tax and restric-
tons, the necessities of our people have
forced importations from and exports
to all these countries. If the tariff wall
was lowered to a reasonable tariff for
revenue basis there would be more
trade and therefore more money made
and more important yet the trusts and
combines would be compelled to reduce
their profits and the cost of living
would decline from 4S per cent above
the normal to the proportion that the
tariff rates are reduced, or thereabouts.
Those who work for wages would thus
benefit, for to reduce the cost of living
Is virtually to advance wages, and as
every home provider knows, the in
creased cost of living has made it nee
essary for him to spend $1.4S for what
used to cost him 81, and if his income
has not increased 4S per cent he is
really getting lower wages according to
the increase of his wages from the nor
NAL in 1897. Those with fixed incomes
are even greater sufferers under this
unfair system.