The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-08-22

Of wages and that the encouragement
Il gives to the home industry operating
under the influence Of an energetic
competition between American manu-.
facturers, induces such improvement
in the methods Of manufacture and
such economies as to reduce greatly
the price for the benefit Of the Ameri-
can public and makes 1t possible to re-
duce the tariff without depriving the
manufacturer of needed protection and
good profit.
Free Trade Revision Disastrous.
"The present business system Of the
country rests on the protective tariff
and any attempt to change It to q
free trade basis will certainly lead
only to disaster.
"It is the duty of the Republican
party, however. to see to 1t that the
tariff on imported articles does not
exceed substantially the reasonably
permanent differential between the
cost Of production in the foreign coun-
tries and that in the United States,
and therefore when changes take
place In the conditions Of production
likely to produce very large reduc-
ton in the cost of production in the
United States, It is time that sched.
ules be re-examined and II excessive
that they be reduced SO as to bring
them within the justification for the
rule. by which the amount OF tariff
to be imposed under the protective
system is properly determined.
whenever the tariff imposed is
largely in excess Of the differential be-
tween the cost OF production in the
two countries, then there is formed at
once a great temptation to monopolize
the business of producing the pacticu-
lar product, and to take advantage of
profit In the excessive tariff. This de-
MES to the people altogether the econ
omies of production that competition
under protective tariff should de-
velop. -
Action. Of Manufacturer.
II am not myself a tariff expert and
am not sufficiently familiar with the
cost of production of the various arti
cles covered In the many schedules
to point out the particular ones In
which such a change has taken place;
but my general conclusion formed as
above finds striking support In the
action of the National Association of
Manufacturers of the United States
upon this very question. A committee
appo nted by that body for the pur-
pose investigated the question wheth-
er the tariff had not In respect TO
many artic es by a change In condi-
tions become excessive.
This National Association OF Manu-
facturers is composed almost wholly
OF protectionists, and think we may
safely say. therefore, of Republicans.
am advised that the association rep
resents all classes Of manufacturers IN
this country and that majority Of tho
manufacturers of consequence are
members. The committee reports:
Eve are all protectionists-there are
very few brilliant exceptions. but so
few that we may repeat the statement,
We are protectionists.' The COM
mittee lays down In its report the fol.
lowing doctrine, which seers to me
Of the orthodox Republican type:
Protection, as the word implies, re-
quires that the tariff sche lules be
such as protect our manufacturers
against undue press"re from foreign
competition, and maintain cur high
wage scale and standard of living.
The minimum measure of protection
Is, therefore. as President poosevalt
said, The difference In the cost of pro.
duction In this country and abroad
These protectiv sehedules. this figured
must carry with them very ample
margin for safety II must make full
allowance for the possibility OF hard
times abro; | ard good times here;
for dumping. and all ether contin gen.
cies. This done, II Is truly protective;
and 1t is only so. as 1t covers these
features and nothing more"
Many Schedules Excessive.
"After referring to the fact that there
were some articles In which the tarifl
was hardly high enough. the con
clusion of the committee was stated
a. follows:
"'Confining ourselves to the protec
tive principle. We find many schedules
some Of them upon the prime
necessities Of life-returning the gov
ernment no revenue OF consequence
and yet under the claims OF the pro
tective theory, bearing tariff schedule
mot merely equal TO the difference
in the cost OF production here and
abroad with all reasonable contin,
gencies allowed for--but decidedly in
excess OF the total wage cost of pro
duction In this country. fb
1--WE find some of these schedules
many times In excess of the difference
between the cost OF production here
and abroad. We find that individuals
n