The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-06
WHERE THE TARIFF FAILS

/ Whenever there is tariff legislation
| founded upon !hc difference of produc-
J ing cost in this country aud in other
countries. that tariff rests on firm,
! substantial basis, where its benefits
I reach rs iricndcd. But there Is some
thing further 10 hc said. When comb-
nations likc those Of the WOODEN manu-
| facturcrs aud OF the cotton mauufac,
turcrs take to themselves all the bcDc-
| fits of the tariff protection designed
| for ihc protection or American labor,
and skimp that labor to lis lowest
terms. then the tariff fails of It's Iast
and proper purpose,
| There Is nov. rs all news readers
! know. a general strike Of operatives IN
tho mills AT Lawrence. Massachusetts.
| The tariff upon goods manufactured,
either Of wool or of cotton. is suffI-
cicnt Ia insure good wages for all the
employees Of the WOODEN and cotton
tac' oriCs of the United States. But.
through the strength given hv combi-
nations OF manufacturers. both OF
wooicn and of cotton goods. thc manu-
Occurring concerns take 10 themselves
the benefits Of the tariff and screw
.hc Labor price down to The lowest
Limit The Lawrence operatives arc
striking against wages of 500 = week.
Now. the tariff on wooden goods and
on cotton goods. which arc made mostly
in the East. and thc latter chiefly i'm
New England factories. ought go in
sure good living wages for ali of the
operatives in those factories. And
yet. the operatives at Lawrence are
held down 10 scale Of 500 n week,
these being skilled operators, and draw
ing less moucy than scrub women do in
salt Lake.
Here, surely. is n miscarriage. not
only Of tho purpose, but Of the terms
of the tariff law. When it comes to
.'hc fact. as tho case seems TO bc here,
that the tariff is utterly diverted from
IFS proper purpose of protecting Amer
Ican labor. and is used mainly TO swell
the profits of trusts and combinations.
then there should clearly be Il revision
That viii do Justice to American labor
The tariff intends 10 protect American
labor and insure good wages to Amer
lean workmcn. But combinations among
the manufacturers secure 10 them not
only the control of the selling market
for their goods, bu' thc control of the
labor market also in this country. And
they fix the price Of labor far below
what the equities of the case aud the
intent of the tariff law Justify. There
should clearly bc some means of follow
ing ny tho intcri OF the tariff IcgisIa-
tion and insurng that the American
workmcn receive the protection which
the tariff means TO give In the alb
sencc Of such means, tho tariff itself
is mockcry and deceit. and is made
the cause Of oppression upon labor in
place of thc aid to labor which it
clearly is meant TO he
Let there be something done for the
workmen, so that they will get the
wages which arc shown TO be the diff
ference between the wage cost abroad
and at home. II this cannot bc as
SurcI 10 American workmcn. then the
thrift is Il sham and deception. II
docs not assure TO worlImcu IN the LAW
renee mills. and generally in the cotton
and woolcn mills of New England
talr wage. Therefore. Congress should
make an inquiry into all the facts. and.
II possible. enact legislation which will
withdraw from those combinations the
power To absorb to themselves the bcnc
iits Of the tariff and take away those
benciitS from the workmcn for whose
cause the tariff is intended to hc
framed. For. unless this intent is en-.
forced. it is scarcely worth while 70
advance the claim that the tariff is
designed 10 benefit American labor.