Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1911-06-22
BERGER GIVES
CONGRESS ATALK
Socialist Tells Representatives
of the Old Parties a
Few Facts.

In the end. We find trusts i'm high
tariff America and in free trade
England. We find trusts in Germany
and even in little Holland. As amat-
ter of fact, every flourishng industry
winds up in a trust
At. first, said Berger, manufacturers
want protection to conquer the home
market. They demand IT," he said,
las a matter of patriotism. Business
men are always patriots when there
is profit in sight.
But the business man after he has
gained control of the home market,
and reaches out for the profits in
other countries. changes from the pat
riot to the eosmopoiite. lie suddenly
finds that the high tariff is a chain
on his legs when he wants to conquer
the world market Therefore he Is
willing to drop the tariff"
To substantiate this assertion, Bcr-
ger quoted Carnegie as being in favor
of a reduction of duties in the iron
industries.
Leaving the subject of the tariff
from the manufacturers point OF view
on the ground that they ARE well able
To take care of themselves and az
exceedingly well represented in the
House." Berger denied that the tariff
was meant to protect the workingmaI. &.
That pretense was simply an after
thought because the workingmen have
votes Only American manufacturers
have dared to tell this falsehood to
their workingmen. Why? Because un-
iii very recent years American work
ingmen were more ignorant on econ
omic and social questions than their
brothers in Germany and France"
Berger advised the Representatives
who assert that the tariff has bene-
fitted not to make such a claim be-
fore an audience of workingmen OF
Pittsburg, Chicago or Milwaukee just
where there is a strike on for living
wages in an iron industry.
Declaring that while manufacturers
have enjoyed a protective tariff. the
American workers have in the last 20
years have had to compete with inn
ported labor with a lower standard OF
living, Berger said:
In the steei mills of Pittsburg,
Chicago and Milwaukee. where thirty
years ago, the so called princes of la
Dor used to get from $40 to SIS a day,
the modern white coolies get 81 Il for
IL hours day. seven days in the
week. having no time to praise the
Lord and no reason either.
las fort he manufacture of wooden
goods, Bulletin 81 of the Census Bur-
eau, which gives figures on manufac-
lures for 1905, shows that 44,452
youthssand men. 24,552 girls and wo-
men and 3,743 children under 16 en-
ployed in the manufacture of woolen
goods receive a yearly average of sSsS
and a weekly wage OF s7.61
The same bulletin shows that 29, $50
youths and men. S2,130 girls and wo-
men and 1888 children under 16 en-
pfoyed in the manufacture of worsted
goods receive a yearly average OF 1919
and a weekly average Of $3.50.
According to social workers who
have made a study of family budgets,
the minimum requirement in the
United States for a decent living for
family consisting OF father, mother
and three children is $3.50 a year
1 believe that estimate is much too
low and that none of the gentlemen
of this House want to live on it. How
ever. the average wages in these high
ly protected industries are but little
more than half this sum-"
While being opposed to al tariffs.
high or low, Berger declared that he
did not believe free trade would be
panacea. Free trade, said Berger.
would mean that great deal of our
manufacturing would be done accross
the sea,
Labor does not need the so-called
protection OF tariffs" hes aid. It has
protected itself by strikes and boy