The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-16
NO TARIFF NEEDED

The Worlds Greatest Steeimakers,
 Carnegie and Sehwsb, Declare That
 American Labor Is Really the Cheap
 est and That tho Steel Industry Is
 Ready For the Competition of tho World.
 The foremost men of the iron and steel industry in the United States have declared publicly that steel needs no protection whatever; that the man. ufacture of iron and steel is actually no longer an infant industry" but able to stand on its feet and compete with the world.
 No one disputes Andrew Carnegfe's pre-eminent ability in steel manufac- ture and knowledge of it's conditions. In his article in the Century Magazine of December. 1908, he states unequivo- cally that the time has come for free trade in iron and steel products. He says, ''The day has passed when any foreign country. can seriously affect our steel manufactures. tarin or no tariff" And again in the same article: ''The writer has co-operated in making several reductions as steel manufac- turers became able to bear reductions. Today they need no protection unless perhaps in some new specialties un- known to the writer, because steel is now produced cheaper here than any where else notwithstanding the higher wages paid per man. Not a ton of steel is produced in the world at as small an outlay for labor as in our own country
 Carnegie Advises Payne.
 Carnegie also appeared by request at the hearings by the ways and means committee while the Payne tariff bill was being prepared and gave the mem bers some plain truths. He told them to use their brains and not take the figures as to cost of production submit ted by interested parties, saying: ''They are incapable of judging justly. No judge should be permitted to sit in a cause in which he is interested, and you make the greatest mistake in your life if you attach importance to an in- terested witness. You would not do it in court of justice, would you" And again, There are as many ways of figuring costs as there are of szinning a cat" And he added these significant words: "It is not possible for the WOI1u lO COnupctc W1tu tue uOIue pro- ducer. But agree with the president elect TafD that the effect of a tariff Is to render easier combinations raising their prices to an excessive degree be yond what they could do under free trade"
 Payne Favors the Steel Trust.
 Payne and his committee listened to the suggestions of the steel trust and reported a merely nominal and iAef- fectual reduction in the steel schedule. These reductions would not bring low CT prices, except possibly in the case of steel rails. And the senate has in- creased the Payne rates on various items in the steel schedule more nearly to the Dingley figures. This is for the profits of the trust, Of course.
 Sehwab Knows American Labor.
 Next to Carnegie, Charles NJ. Schwab, formerly president of the United States Steel corporation and now president of the Bethlehem Steel company, is most conspicuous for thoroughgoing experi- ence and ability in steelmakinz. He said publicly in an interview reported in the Journal of Commerce of New York on March %: Gut the tariH on steel or anything else you please. Amer ican labor can stand it. I believe in a reduction I feel just as Andrew Car negie does on that matter. American labor can make the best steel in the world, and with it we can compete with the world.
 q have been in contact with labor of all kinds for many years," Schwab continued, "aEd I know what 1t can do. I know that American workmen can produce more steel in given time than any others in the world. know that they can put out better steel thar any others. We have nothing to feal from cut in duties, because we have the best goods. It is true that we pay our workmen more money than other nations, but you always have to pay skillful workmen the highest wages Therefore the highest paid labor is tt most profitable to the employer. I'll skillful man makes money for the enl