The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-06-23
High Tariff
and Wages
LUMBER SCHEDULE HASN'T APPRE-
CIABLY RAISED WAGES-PR0TEC-
TION TO AMERICAN LABOR GOOD
CAMPAIGN CRY BUT THAT is ALL.

/ CAMPAIGN CRY BUT THAT Is ALL.
The memory of man runneth not to
the time when campaign spellbinders
did not mourn for the poor laboring man
if this nation should ever forget Itself
and change the protective tariff system.
Away back in the early days the cry
was protection for our infant industries.
The stranglehold on trade which modern
industry has procured through trustifi-
cation has silenced that cry but we still
hear the doleful strain eve must protect
our American labor from the cheap labor
of Europe" How this beautiful tariff
system works out may be illustrated
right here at home.
We have had occasion before to use
the big mill company at Mukilteo as
horrible example" of the rapacity of
profit mongers. Twill serve again. The
history of the Mukilteo Lumber COM
pany from a labor employing standpoint
has been written before in these col
umns. Everyone knows it to be a Jap
herding concern. Everyone is acquaint
ed with the numerous attempts of the
Mukilteo citizens to replace the Jap
with white labor and the absolute fail
ure of all attempts.
We have between this country and
Canada tariff wall that makes it i'm
possible for Canadian manufacturers to
successfully compete in American mar
kets with the lumber manufacturers of
this country, During the last special
session of congress the lumber interests
of the United States made frantic repre-
sentations to congress in behalf of the
lumber schedule. The old war cry went
up take away the tariff protection from
our lumber industry and our laborers
must suffer wage reductions and many
mills unable to meet the competition
must close" The lumber schedule was
retained. Did the big plant at Mukilteo
show its gratitude by putting white
labor for the protection of which it
Joined so vigorously with other manu-
facturers when tariff schedules were
threatened. at work?
1t did-NGT. We'll tell you what it
DID do. The Japanese gradually began
to feel that THEY were not getting the
wages they ought to receive. Many of
them were intelligent and had worked
into positions of some skill and response
bility. They began to demand better
wages and when their requests were un-
needed, threw up their jobs. italian
workmen were hired by the company to
take the jobs of the dissatisfied Japs
aud quite a number of them are there
now working for the wages the Japs re
fused.
The whole system, you see, with this
company is to get maximum amount
of profit with the minimum amount of
expenditure for labor. Tariff for pro-
lection to labor is a fraud. Why should
the products of Canadian mills be barred
out and the cheap labor of Europe and
Asia welcomed if they are really in
earnest when they say they want to
protect American labor? Did You ever
hear of prominent lumber manufac
turer petitioning congress to pass more
stringent immigration laws? Did you?
! Wages in the lumber industry have
advanced scarcely at all in the past ten
years The cost of living has risen
enormously in the same period. The
purchasing power of a lumber employees
dollar is one third less today than it
was ten years ago Where has the lum-
Der tariff helped him? He is getting it
in the same old place-between the head
and the shoulders. If he doesn't like
his two dollars a day he can quit. He
doesn't have to work. He can tramp
But great is the high protective tariff.
l If the workman becomes discouraged
and discontented trying to make a
monthly income of $4,000 pay a living
expense of $4,000, explain to him how
the protective tariff on lumber helps
wages. He'll appreciate it.