The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-09-03
HIGH TARIFF FAILS TO
PROTECT WORKINGMEN
Ida Tarbell Shows Up Fallacy of Time Worn
Political Argument.


benefits of prohibitive duties
The town lies at the heart of dis
trict in which is produced from one
quarter to one-half of all the various
kinds of American iron and steel, as
well as a goodly proportion of all our
tin, plate-glass and machine shop pro-
duets. All of these articles have for
years had the American market practi-
cally to themselves. All of these arti-
cles have for years been exported and
sold at less prices than the American
consumer can buy them. All these in
dustries have produced enormous for
tunes. SO many, so conspicuous are
they, that a recognized American type
in Europe and the United States is the
"Pittsburg millionaire Now it is GER
tain the tariff produced the Pittsburg
millionaires, but that was not what the
tariff was fixed for by the congress of
the United States. The tariff was laid
to protect and help the Pittsburg work
man. According to the protectionist
argument Pittsburg, as the bulwark and
center of protected industries, should
produce the happiest, most prosperous
and best conditioned workmen in the
United States. How is it?
There has just been published in
"Charities and The Commons" (now
"Thc Survey') one of the most signifi
cant pieces of investigation the country
has seem 1t is the result of a year
or more of work on the part of band
of trained Investigators commissioned
by the Charities Publication committee
1t gives blue print of Pittsburg-the
place itself, the people, and their work.
What does this blue print show of the
workingman under protection?
1t shows him working twelve hours
IA day for seven days in the week, and
once in two weeks doing long turn"
or twenty four hour shift. 1t is not
simply the exceptional man who over
works in this cruel fashion. The twelve
hour day is the extreme of an 'alto-
gether incredible amount of overwork
by everybody" so the Survey" de-
clares Can you make a man work these
hours? Is it any wonder that those
who lived and walked among these men
preparing this Survey" report their
saying TOO tired to read-too tired to
work and eat and sleep?" Any
wonder that they report the God-fear-
ing women crying out for the old coun-
try, 1--WE might not have been able to
live so well there, but oh man, we could
have brought up the children in the fear
o God and in land where men rever-
ence the Sabbath" Any wonder that
those men who have not the restrain
ing influence of family drown fatigue
at night in saloons and brothels?
And what do they earn for their toll
In the tariff protected industries, steel
and iron, the greatest number receive
a wage, says the report, so low as to
be inadequate to the maintenance OF a
normal American standard of living.
Wages adjusted to the single man in
the lodging house, not to the response
bic head of family" And this in in
dustries where ito protect the working
man" this country has for years taxed
itself millions upon millions of dollars
The estimated tariff profit in the steel
trust alone in 1907 was $S0,OOO,OOO. Who
cot the money? Go look at the steel
palaces and chateauX in New York and
Paris. Go ask the Pittsburg millionaires
who fill the glittering palaces of pleas
ure in the great cities of Europe and
this country, who figure in divorce and
murder trials, who are writing their
names on foundations and requests and
institutions.
How does this protected" working
man live? What kind of households are
these "builded ON steelT The reporter
of the situation summarizes them;
evil conditions were found to exist
in every section of the city. Over the
vaults, graceless prlvy
sheds flouted ones sense of deeency.
Eyrie rookeries perched on the hillsides
were swarming with men, women and
chiIdren-entire families living in one
room and accommodating boarders in
corner thereof. Cellar rooms were the
abiding places of other families. In
many houses water was luxury, TO
be obtained only through much effort
of toiling steps and straining muscles.
Courts and alleys fouled by bad drain
age and piles of rubbish were playing
for rickety, palefaced, grimy
children. An enveloping cloud of smoke
and dust through which light and air
must filter made housekeeping trav-
esty in many neighborhoods; and every
phase of the situation was intensified
by the evil of overcrowding-of houses
upon lots, of families into houses, OF
people into rooms"
Among the worst illustrations of these
typical conditions are certain properties
owned by the very corporations who are