Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-10-26
Franklin Pierce Shows That La
Dor Is Not Benefited by
Unjust Tax
MANUFACTURER KEEPS PROFIT
Proof Of Democratic Platforms Sound
ness Cited In Reports Of Wage In
designations.
By FRANKLIN PIERCE.

| The manufacturers, believing that they
received benefit from the protective
tariffs. have ingeniously devised plausi.
BILE pretexts for imposing increased
| prices upon the necessaries Of life. At
first they said that industry In our
country was in its infancy and needed
protection. When those industries had
become strong and needed no aid the
manufacturers invented the theory
that the foreigner paid the duty. This
theory was exploded. and they declar-
ed that cheap clothing meant cheap
men aud was not blessing.
Driven from every one OF these inde-
feasible positions. their final and only
argument left today Is that the tariff
is imposed upon foreign imports to en-
able the manufacturer to increase his
profits and pay higher wages.
The Democratic platform declares
that:
I'm the most highly protected indus
tries. such rs cotton and wool. steel
and iron, the wages Of the laborers are
the lowest paid in any Of our indus
tries"
Wages In Cotton Industry.
Under the existing Payne-Aldrich
tariff law actual imports OF cotton
56.4 per cent.
In 1905, when work and wage condi-
tons In the cotton industry were ex-
ceptonally good. the wages OF 02,211
cotton mill operatives in the United
Statesmen, women and children-av-
eraged only SCAT week. The average
wage for men was but s7.Ti week.
for women $3.50 and for children. 1921.
As to the profits. seventeen leading
cotton mills. with total capitalization
OF sos. 900 and total surplus Of S21,-
863.50l. paid in nine years dividends
averaging % per cent.
The cotton manufacturers turned out
In 1905 S442.451.2lS worth OF goods and
paid in wages therefor S94.33I.695. or
81 per cent OF the value Of the finished
product
Extortion Of Wool Tariff.
Outside of the duties on two or three
commodities OF comparatively little i'm
| DOitditCs tHC uuiiCo va OV'iCh NiOtn
are the highest OF any in the tariff
schedules. According to Senator Reed
Smoot, owner OF wooden mill at Pre-
vost, Utah. and chairman of the finance
committee I'm charge Of tariff leglsla-
ton in the senate. wearing apparel val
ued nj 80 cents pound now pays
206 2-3 per cent duty
| nit tasrfx- hfsrl.
duties on the manufactures Of wool
are made TO enable the manufacturer
to pay his labor an increased wage
over those of foreign countries. But
the duty on wooden goods Is nearly Eve
times the entire labor cost. while the
American manufacturers In 1905 paid
in wages only is per cent Of the total
value OF their production.
At Lawrence In this most highly pro-
tected industry the laborers were oblig-
ed TO strike even for living wage.
Thousands of adult males were receiv-
inly only from SO to so week and
many only So TO SO week. As re-
suit OF the strike the American Wooden
company gave its employees slight in.
creaSes in wages.
The wool tariff bin vetoed by Presi.
dent Tar reduced the duties on raw
wool from 1920 TO 20 per cent and on
manufactures OF wool from S7.G5 to
4S.36 per cent. Mr.. Taft said he We.
toed II becalse the proposed rates did
not comply with the findings Of the
tariff board. Senator In Toilette con
tradicted the president. saying that the
proposed rates varied from per cent
lower TO III higher than the tariff
boards findings justified.
Low Wages In Steel.
Manufacturers OF iron and steel In
1905 laid 10 wages only Is per cent
OF the totpi value OF their production.
while :he duty then would average
about 45 to q per cent. and on all
Metals 1t now averages 1851 per cent
American TRACES are really the cheapest
scdges IN the irorld irhen von take into dc
count the amount Of production per man
An illustration OF this appears in the
Stanley report. investigating the steel
trust. as follows:
1.-The labor cost OF producing pig iron
IN Pennsylvania fell from Sl.25 ton
In 1902 TO So cents ton In 1000. yet
the realized value OF the pig iron out
put was $500 in 1902. whereas II was
$17.44 in 1909. In other words. wage
workers in 1902 got 81 % for producing
only S15.G4 worth Of pig iron and In
1000 only 81 cents for producing si7.4f
worth"
While thus treating labor the indus
trial combinations that have grown up
under the protection OF the tariff have
fixed the prices OF commodities NJ the
highest point the home market would
stand
When will the laboring men OF the
country cast of this delusIon that the
tariff Is for their benefit and with their
votes strike down this monstrous injus
tice?