The Irish standard., 1911-01-07

the western states are paying higher
! than the middle states. In fact some
of the western states are paying as
! much wages over the eastern states
as the eastern states are paying over
| some foreign countries. True, we
might take the average as base, but
: that would still leave the states pay
ing above the average in the same
need OF protection from the states pay
ing below the average, as the latter are
in need of protection from the for
elgner. True again, as some have put
it, that the freightage on articles be-
tween the lowest paid state and the
highest would answer as protection,
but it is just as true that the freight
; age across the ocean, on the same
kind of articles, would suffice to pro-
tect the lowest paid state from for
eign nations.
Take all iron and steel manufac-
ture for instance. Carnegie acknowl-
edged that the freightage across the
ocean would more than protect the
home manufacturer and still we have
an import tax on all iron and steel.
Carnegie also states that steel rails
are turned out in this country mot
Wlthstanding the higher wages paid
here) for one-half what they cost in
England. But to be conservative, let
us say two-thirds. We have laid down
American manufacture In Swansea,
Wales, for S21.90 per ton, after pay
ing the fleightage across the ocean,
SO that the cost there must be about
$1,000 per ton. Now if we can turn
them out here for two-thirds, that
would be about $14.0O; therefore, to
equalize the cost of production be-
tween home and abroad, as far as
steel rails are concerned, would re-
quire an internal revenue tax of $500
per ton instead of an import tax of
$500 as we have now. am not in
favor of such a tax, however, as it
would interfere with export trade, and
it's a poor rule that won't work both
ways. If an internal revenue tax is
wrong, because it would check export
trade, any tax that checks import
trade is also wrong. Therefore, a tar
if tax to equalize the cost of produc-
ton between home and abroad, is not
practical unless We give every state
in the union the right to collect a
tariff from any other state that has
an advantage on account of lower
wages.
| l can say for fact that right here
in Minneapolis We are competing as
best We can with the eastern states
and not with foreign countries, and
as far back as 1881, while l was Presi-
dent of the Boiler-makers' union in
| Chicago, and when trying to get an
! increase in wages for our boiler max
ers, I was told by the employers to
go down east and organize the trades
men there and bring the wages up a
bit, so that they would have some
chance to compete. I got the increase
We asked for, then I went east and
organized in eleven cities and brought
the wages up to more of level. The
Chicago employers did not complain
about the competition of foreign coun-
tries; they only complained about the
! competition of the eastern states. The
! same condition exists between states
today.
I am opposed to the third PROPOSE
ton because it would not be an equal
reduction on all protected articles.
For instance, some articles are now
taxed 200 per cent and others 10
per cent. Then to reduce all over 100
per cent to 100 per cent would be
reducing the 200 per cent article 100
! per cent and the 10 per cent article
only 10 per cent, and so on Some
articles are now taxed 100 per cent
and others IS per cent and to reduce
all between so and 100 per cent to so
per cent would be reducing the 100
per cent article SO per cent and the
SIS per cent article only per cent, so
I that the third proposition would no
more answer the purpose than the
other two.
How, then, may we reduce the tar
| if? Why, it's as plain and simple as
ABC. The only way to reduce the
tariff is to reduce it. How much to
reduce it is the only question the next
Congress should consider It is not
worth while wrangIing very much
over the amount, because in one-half
year after they take their seats the
National Convention will be in ses-
sion and let that convention declare
itself as to it's future course; but in
the meantime would suggest a 10
per cent reduction all along the line.
That is to say, that if the present