Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-02-14
GOVERNOR Foss' OPINION.
Cause of Strike Is High
Cost of Living"

Boston. Feb. 13.-The fundamental
cause of the textile strike at Lawrence
lis the high cost of living, in the opin-
ion of Governor Eugene \. Foss, as
expressed in letter to Rep. Oscar w.
Underwood, Democratic leader of the
House of Representatives at Washing
ton. made public by the governor to-
night.
Gov. Foss in his letter urges the i'm
mediate removal of the duties from
food stuffs and other necessaries of life
and particularly condemns schedule *
of wool tariff The letter says in part:
"As a manufacturer and employer of
several thousand workmen in various
industries, | know that our existing
tariff system, unless modified prompt
ly immediate revision downward, will
deprive our country of her natural in
dustrial expansion and progress. The
recent disagreements between capital
and labor painful as they are, should
prove to both sides, and to all parties,
the necessity of settling the tariff
promptly, and settling it right.
Il am as governor of this common
wealth, endeavoring to adjust a most
disastrous strike among the textile
operatives of this wool manufacturing
section, which already involves 10000
operatives. This strike does not in
volve my own Industries. nevertheless
because of my official position in this
state. l am deeply concerned by it.
Back of whatever local causes there
may be for this strike, the fundamen-
tai cause is the high cost of living
from which the working people of all
sections of the country now suffer, due
in large part to the present excessive
tariff
"The present strike in Massachusetts
will be settled within the state, but the
high cost of living can only be remedied
by the prompt action of Congress; and
until Congress acts, the working people
in this state and throughout the country
can hope for no permanent relief.
THE purchasing power of the dollar
with respect to the neeessaries of life
continues to diminish.
Mill owners and workmen suffer alike
from this conditions. which affects all of
our industries equally The mill owners
insist that they cannot give more under
present conditions, and the workers COM
plain that they cannot live on what they
are getting.
II believe that only by an immediate
removal of the duties from food stuffs
and other necessaries of life can Con-
gress reduce the cost of living and avert
the rapid spread of these industrial dis
turbances.
1T is significant that the present strike
arose in mills operating under the exces-
sive protection of schedule of ths
Payne Aldrich tariff which undoubtedly
raises the cost of clothing but which
does not protect the workers In that in
dustry from a wage rate so low that
they say they cannot live on it. Presi-
dent Taft has condemned theis schedule
as indefensible.
ut is still further stripped of defence
through the unanimous protest raised
against it by the most important branch
of our woolen industry which includes
the making of blankets, underwear and
cheap, warm woolens for winter cloth
ing. And | am convinced that the ma
jority of the men within the woolen in
dustry itself, who are best fitted to
Judge, regard the present schedule as an
injury to their business
Free access to the supply of raw ma
terials is quite as necessary to oar man.
ufaeturers in their competition with for
eign manufacturers as is free access 10
the food supply to the workers. Com
mand of the supply of raw materials IS
| as essential to power in the market fof
! the finished product as is tariff protec-
| ton. Every one of our industries should
have it's raw material on as favorable q
| basis as exists elsewhere in the world
j and by raw material I mean not only
| what goes into the manufacture of the
! product but the food and clothing and
the neeessares and comforts of life foi
every operative employed.
II now repeat, as | have urged for i
, years, that these imperatively needed
tariff concessions should be granted pri
marily to those countries which will ac
cord similar trade concessions to us, II
order that our fundamental principle o.
reciprocity shall be given force and eff
feet. But under the burdensome con
ditions to which an excessive tariff an,
the prolonged failure to establish sucl
treaties have subjected us, the United
States should take the initiative in ex
tending broadly the benefits of tariff
reduction as a guarantee of good faiti
and an invitation to other countries t
seek still further concessions from III
through reciprocal trade treaties.
Two dogs got among n flock of q
high bred sheep owned by William b