The Arvada enterprise., 1912-11-07
UNMASklNG THE
TARIFF DELUS|0N
Franklin Pierce Shows That La.
Dor Is Not Benefited by
Unjust Tax.
MANUFACTURER KEEPS PROFIT
ness Cited In Reports OF Wage In
vsstIoatlons.
BY FRANKLIN PIERCE,

FOR hundred years of our history
the manufacturers, believing that they
received a benefit from the protective
tarhs, have ingeniously devised plnus
tble prets1ts for imposing increase ii
prices upon the noCsssaTles Of life Al
hrst thay 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 and WAS not blessing.
Driven from every one OF these indie
fensible 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:
In the most highly protected indus
tries. such AZ cotton and wool, steel
ana iron. tho wages OF the laborers are
the lowest paid In any OF our indus
tries"
Proof OF this statement is found In
reports Of many recent ohl cial investi.
cations OF wages in the United States
Wages In Cotton Industry.
Under the existing PayneAldrich
tariff law actual imports OF cotton
cloth paid in 1910 average duties OF
66.A per cent.
In 1908. when work and wage condi.
tions in the cotton industry were ex.
eeptionally good. the wages OF 202 ,21l
cotton mill operatives in the United
Statesmen. women and children-av.
eraged only 36.47 week. The average
wage for men was but $7.7l week
for women $500 and for children. 1921
AS to the profits. seventeen leading
cotton mills. with total capitalization
OF &25.llo.oo0 and total surplus OF s21,.
363. sol, paid in nine years dividends
averaging % per cent
Tho cotton manufacturers turned out
in 1905 &ii2.45l.21S worth OF goods and
paid In wages therefore $94 1897 ,G95, or
2l per cent. OF the value of the finished
product.
EstortIoo Of Wool Tariff.
Outside OF the duties on two or three
commodities OF comparatively little i'm.
portance, the duties on wooden cloth
are the highest OF any in the tariff
schedules According to Senator Reed
Smoot. owner Of a wooden mill at
Provost, Utah. and chairman OF the
nnnnce committee in charge of tariff
lcgislation in the senate, wearing ap
parel valued at 30 cents a pound now
pays 206 20 per cent. duty.
This and other corrcspondingly high
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 five
times tho 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.
f"cted Industry the laborors were
obliged to strike even for living
wage. Thousands OF adult males were
receiving only from Sc to 50 a week
and many only 81 TO So n week. AS n
result OF the strike the American
Wooden company gave its cmployccq
slight increases In wages.
Tn" wool tarlr bill vetoed by Prral.
dent TAFT reduced the duties on raw
wool from +22O to 20 per cent. and on
manufactures OF wool from S7G5 10
1876 per cent. MIR. TAFT said he vc.
to"d II because the proposed rates did
not comply with the findings OF the
tariff board. Senator La Toilette con.
tradicted the president, saying that
the proposed rates varied from / per
cent. lower to 1ls higher than the
tnrin boards findings Justified.
Low Wages In Steel.
Manufacturers OF iron and steel in
1905 paid In wascs only 10 per cent
OF IN" total value Of their production
while the duty then would ayrrago
nhout tj to ~ per cent, and on arl
metals It now averages 81 81 por cont
American wages are really th.
cheapest wages In the world when you
take Into account the amour. OF nro.
duetlon per man.
An Illustration OF this appcnrg I'm
the Stanley report. Investigating the
steel trust. ns follows:
The labor cost Of producing pIg
iron In Pennsylvania fell from yl25 n
ton In 1909 to ~ cents ton in 1909.
yet the realized value OF the pig iron
output was 'l5.6i in 1902, whorcaa II
"as f7ii in 1909. In other words
Sng""orkers in 1902 got 'l25 for pro
dnclng only il5.si worth Of pig iron
and in 1903 only SO cents for produc.