The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-08
THE WAGE-EAIiNER AND THE
TARIFF.

THE WAGE-f;AlSNER AND THE
TARIFF.
We have previously pointed out the
hypocrisy of the Republican party
leaders in demanding higher tarin ou-
ties to protect American workmen
against the products Of the so-called
pauper labor of Europe. when. con-
tcmporaneously, southern and Eastern
Europeans oflcw standards OF work and
living have been rapidly displaciny ma
tive American wage earners in the
factories and mines of the North and
West. We now nnG from study of
the recent reports of :he Tarifr Board
and the Bureau OF Corporations that
our Industrial workers, OF whatever
race or nativity have not participated
III the befehts OF our protective tariff
system. Neither of these governmental
AGENCIES have conscientiously prepared
- brief for the wage Garner. Tho re-
suits of their studies, however, of
comparative costs OF production for
number of leading articles are no less
conclusive because OF their lack of in
tent IN this respect
II was nscerta!ned by the Bureau of
Corporations in its Investigations OF
the United States Steel Corporation
,hat the labor cost of producing pig
iron was only 90 cents per ton. The
Payne Aldrich law. however. levies n
duty of $3.50 per ton on this commod-
lily lin order ostensibly, to protect our
wage earncrs. Furthermore. the cost
81 NO 70, -,
tc he only Sl.17 per ton. but the exist
Ing tariff act imposes A duty of ss.92.
in the case OF other iron and steel
products the present customs duty is
from three to sixteen times the labor
cost per ton of output.
The wide disparity between what
labor actually does get and what IL
should receive is even more startlingly
apparent from an examination OF the
reports OF the Tariff Board on the tex
tile Industries. BY way OF illustration.
the rate OF pay to the weaver OF mems
"orsted suiting was asccrtained to be
only cents per yard OF. cloth which
cost the mills sl.7l to produce The
tariff rate upon this same cloth, how
ever is Sno2 per yard On a sample
- ali-wool serge the total expenses OF
manufacturing it in the United states
was discovered To be 43 cents, and the
labor cost only ? cents per yard. The
customs duty on a yard of this cloth
is is cents, or li+O per cent. OF the diff
ference between the expense for labor
Ia the United states and England. AS
de
The tariff rates on some fabrics was
200 per cent. OF the difference I'm labor
costs between this country ana Great
Britain.
These cases are typical OF large
number of others. Tho reports show
conclusively that the wage-earners
have failed to gain any advantage from
the wide margin OF protection theorcti-
eaiiy aforded.kx our. high tariff system
The rates PAID 70 workers. for example.
IN the steel and iron. paper and news
print. and cotton. wooden and worsted
goods Industries might be doubled and
st!ll leave handsome profits to he di
vided between the manufactures and
tho wholesale and retail merchants.
az Nhsc-S" HtIS III THESE ana other
branches Of mining and manufacturing
are not securing their share OF Drotec-
ton from the tariff because there Is n
free and unmpeded influx Of alien
labor which cannot be organized and
controlled. Labor unions and other or
CARNATIONS for collective action have
been weakened or disrupted. the bar
gaining power arising from skill ana
taining has been destroyed, and our
industrial workers have not been able
10 maintain their status or to demand
their share OF the output of Industry.
The bargaining power OF the Inanufac-
turer. on the other hand. has been
strengthened. ana he mas secured more
than his fun share OF protection
From the standpoint Of the wage
Garner our protective system has been
complete failure. When the Ameri-
can workman realizes this fact ana
ADOPTS "A course of political action in
accordance with his discovery. ne WIN
have taken an important step IN adj
vencing his economic welfare
=-------
AN AUTOMOBILE Tribunal.
Richmond IL not the only city SUI