Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-22
Goodwin in RousingE||sWorthR aNyShows
Up Democratic Broken Promises
And CTaft--FeTna|d and Lib
by Speak at Auburn.
SHELTON ON TARIFF.

Leeds Center, Me-, Aug. 21-(Spe-
ciaD.-The Republican rally here, to-
night, was addressed by Hon. Scott
Wilson of Portland and Hon w. b.
Shelton of Lewiston. Mr. Wilson dis
cussed State issues, showing wherein
the state had collected more in the
different forms of taxation and could
not help making an improved showing
so far as the bookkeeping balance was
concerned. They collected 81, 300, 900
more in direct State tax. Dedueting
they still had an excess of 81, 109, 900
from this one source. How could they
help reducing the states net indebt-
edness $ss7 900 as the auditor claims
in his annual report? They didn't
have TO spend anything for new con-
struction.
Mr.. SHELTON discussed the tariff and
trusts, first pointing out the difference
between protective tariff and a tariff
for reyenfe only. The great danger
in this campaign. he argued, was that
the voters would not realize the inn
portance of this issue until too late
The Democrats try to draw attention
away from it in this State by talking
about other things, out we must not
lose sight OF the fact that compete
ton is no longer confined to European
countries. Asia is making terrific
strides
Take Japans progress in the cot
fnn irA try fer OK a Ia he
tinued Between 1903 and 1911, she
increased the total. number of spindles
from 1,379,9G6 to 2099, I64 An even
more significant indication is the
amount of raw cotton she imported
for manufactures In 1905 this was AS,
S66,o0o pounds valued at s44.947.632. In
just two years she increased it to GEO.
42G,53 pounds valued at 1922. 460 She
exported cotton yarn in 1909 TO the
value of sl5.s2s.3s6, and in 1910 OF
$22, 673,4S2 an Increase of more than
33 per cent In 1909 she had 7S6,13s
persons employed in the manufacture
of silk, cotton and hemp fabrics
Now what is the comparative wage
cost in weaving mills in the two coun-
tries:
U. S. Japan
Spoilers receive per day. s1.o0 $.13
Wrappers ....,.............. LIS 10
Weayers .................. 159 .1Sls
and so on through the different de-
partments, as found in an exhaustive
investigation by the Tariff Board.
Congressman McGillicuddy is re-
ported to have stated at Norway, this,
week, that our manufacturers could
compete with foreign mills without re-
ducing the wage scale. because of the
superiority of our workmen. This is
the argument advanced by William c..
Redfeld of New York. prominent
free trade Democrat, who declared in
Congress in June, 1911, that my one
American carpenter did as much work
as four Frenchmen.' 1T generalizes too
much. 1t does not take account of
facts. 1t is complimentary to native
workmen. but II is not true. 1t for
gets that over 60 per cent. of the en-
ploves in our wooden and worsted
mills are foreign born, that GO per
cent. of the wool sorters and " per
cent. of the weavers. two of the high
est-paid occupations. are foreign
born. These operatives would be and
are just as skilful in their own coun-
tries as here. They~are here because
we offer to help of the same capacity
better wages and better living condi-
tions. They had the same commodity,
their capacity to labor, but they
lacked the market at home. 1t is
ridiculous to assert that men and wo-
men of foreign birth are not as COM
petent operatives. Much of our finest
fabric even now is imported"