Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1911-09-15
TRUSTS AND LABOR,
WHEREIN ARE THE "eLEssiNos"!
or PROJECTIONS
echwah's Evidence Before consres
sIonsI Committee elbows That Policy
Only eerves to Swell the Profits
Of the Corporations

Recently Mr.. Charles M. schweb.
former president Of the steel trust apI
peared before the committee OF con-
gress to testify as to the blessings Of
protective tariff. There was fine
stroke OF humor in his opening dec
laration that the trust OF which he,
claims the original conception was
organised to develop the steel indus,
try OF America, not at all to maintain
prices and restrict competition. While
not caring TO argue the tariff. he
could not for the life Of him see the
disadvantage to America from liberal
protection"
Andrew Carnegie, the patron Of Mr.,
Schwab, has testified that there Is no.
longer need Of protective tariff for
the steel industries Of this country
At the same time Judge q. H. Gary
testified that, while the steel corpora
ton needs no protection. he feared
that the independent companies could
not do without tariff. Not 80 ME,
schwab. The tariff evidently cannot,
be too high for him. selfishness and
greed oose out Of every pore. He
does not think that under the benign,
influence OF the tariff t2B q ton is;
enough for steel rails. having never;
sold them for less than $40 o ton
since he became president Of the
Bethlehem company, Yet he has
sworn that rails could be produced inl
this country more cheaply than any,
where in the world. and the trust seiisI
them In foreign lands at much less,
than s2S ton. II is only In this coun-
try that, under cover OF the tariff,
such a price can be extorted from the.
railroads and levied in turn by the.
railroads upon the public.
Reverting to his tariff ideas, Mr.
schwab cited the examples Of Ger
many. France and other countries "eXl
oept England" In preventing foreign
competition. The exception is worth,
all the rest England. thanks TO free;
trade, is foremost Of the nations of
Europe IN commerce and Industries,
There was no need for Mr.. Schwab,
to tell why the steel trust was organ
lied. Its object was to make multi
millionaires out Of millionaires. and to-
that everything else wac subordinated.
When asked as to the conditions OF
labor Mr.. Schwab had the daring to-
assert that tho $4,000 or 10000 en-
ployes OF the Bethlehem works re-
ceive an average Of $1,000 year.
The strike In the works last year was
TO obtain q far lower rate Of wages
than that. The truth Is that the con-
ditions Of labor In the steel trust are
q Disgrace to the monopoly and re-
proach to the country that tolerates
It Investigation has shown that the
great majority Of the employees earn
scarcely s10.50 week. working seven,
days and twelve hours day. Hardly
two per cent. Of all Of them secure
more than $40 week. II Is only by
constant recruits by immigration from
eastern and southern Europe that the
labor force In the mills Is maintained.
Such Il the protection that the tariff
gives to labor IN the most highly pro
tected combination Of capital in this
or any other land. Yet the Payne
AMrich tariff, which puts . prohibi-
tory duty OF Is per cent on building
materials Of steel. Is not quite lib
eral" enough for Charles NJ. Schwab,
j president Of the Bethlehem company.
There was time. NOT very remote.
when his testimony III behalf Of the
tariff would have been eomplacently
received By a committee OF congress-
but that time has gone.