The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-10-03
NOT A VERY WIDE SWATH.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(By Clyde H. Tavenner, special
Washington Correspondent to The
Reporter)
Washington, Sept. 2S.-Why do
prOtectioniStS never point to Italy
as an illustration of how excessive
tariff rates 'protect" the common
! people?
Italy is one of the most highly
protected countries of Europe. 1t
is famous as country flowing with
milk and honey
Yet they never talk about Italy,
do the upward revisionists.
While in Italy three years ago,
the writer learned at first hand some
OF the reasons why our protection
lists never say, Look at Italy,
Italy puts heavy duties on both
agricultural and manufactured i'm
ports. She pays her people exceed
ingly low wages. She charges them
4 high prices for the necessities OF
life. They emigrate in large num-
bers.
To understand the situation clear
ly we must go back to 1887. About
that time a violent revolution in the
system of Italian customs was
brought about A powerful politi-
cal group of textile manufacturers
| Joined forces for their own ends
with a powerful political group OF
large landowners. Tariffs were
heavily increased. But not on ev-
erything. That powerful band of
textile manufacturers took good
/ care that lesser manufacturers, who
made articles needed in the textile
!! factories, were not enabled to put
up their prices.
Hand in hand with the powerful
manufacturers the big landowners
came out "for a slice of the tariff
pie' In order that they should be
sufficiently compensated for being
in politics, the landowners had
| heavy tax placed on wheat. In Italy
! it is only the big landowners who
grow wheat. Three out OF every
four landowners in Italy are possess
sors of small properties, cultivating
fruit for wine. They nave to buy
considerable part of the wheat
they eat. So it happened that where
one large wheat farmer got bigger
profits, three small fruit farmers got
! hit. That is the way protection in
variably works out. What is one
mans protection is another mans
poison.
Hark, however, this further result
of the Italian tax on wheat: Millions
of Italians never eat wheat bread,
except in cases of illness or on spec
ial festivities. They make bread
I, in, 1{h rocnoNfo
the standard of living of the Italian
people is very low, because prices
are too high. 80.
An enormous fiscal and protective
tax was also put upon sugar. The
prices rose so high that Italian farm
ers watched their "oranges, lemons,
peaches, and other products of
warm and generous sun rot on their
trees in order that the 80 manufac-
turers of the sugar syndicate might
levy upon consumers yearly trl-
butte"
Far and away the chief of the
Italian industries are Tx Keeling
and silk throwing. These industries
have been seriously hampered by
protection. And Italy is the home
of the silk worm.
One of the chief troubles OF Italy
is that the general rise in prices has
so greatly lessened the purchasing
power of the wages of the people
that the great masses of the smaller
dealers and the WOrkingman and
woman suffer bitterly.
1t is calculated that while ten
Italians lose by protection, only one
stands any chance of gaining. He
does not always gain, for the country
does not progress. The interests OF
Italv are sacrificed to the one in ten.
In other words, excessive tariffs
increased the cost of living to the
Italian poole just as the Payne
Aldrich law is increasing the cost of
living in the United States.
Is it any wonder that the protec-
tionists never ask us 70 look at
Italy?"
Both Are Right.
Theodore Roosevelt, candidate for
a third term as president, said re-
Gently: "Taft now represents the
bosses, and the republican party is
composed of them and the vested
interests of the country"
And President Taft said: 'Roose-
volt is not a republican. but repre-
sents a one man party whose chief
advisers are the harvester and steel
trust magnates."
Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin,
also republican, says both Taft and
Roosevelt are telling the truth about
! each other. And LaFollette has had
enough experience with both Messrs
TAFT and Roosevelt to know what he
is talking about. -,
! The answer is: WIN WITH Will
| SON. All