The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-11
BEST PAID LABOR
OF THE WORLD
The American Worker Enjoys an
Enormous Advantage over His Fel-
low In Free Trade England.

admits of no question. The London
Times last year discussed the matter
editorially on the basis OF figures col
lected by the British Board OF Trade:
The workman in America enjoys
an enormous advantage over his fell
low in England-an advantage far
greater than the latter enjoys over
the German or Frenchman. He earns
more than two and a quarter times as
much money, and works shorter hours
for it, so that his hourly rate OF earn
ingc is as 240 to 100. or pretty nearly
twice and a half as much. Against
that enormous difference in wages
there is something to be set In the
way of expenditures. Rent is twice
as high and food is about onethird
higher than in England, but the cost
Of living altogether is only as 152 to
100, or about half as much again. The
margin is clearly large, making pos
sible a command of the nocsssaries
and conveniences and minor Injuries
Of life that is both nominallY and
really greater than that enjoyed by
the corresponding class in this coun-
try"
The Times adds that the advantage
enjoyed by this country in regard to
the cost of food is even less than 1t
looks. A workman living on the
American scale pays only IS per cent
more for his food in the United States
than he would in England. 1t
is clear that prices have not risen SO
much in recent years in the United
States as we have been led to suppose,
and that wages have risen much more
rapidly"
1t may be objected that the Times
is now fighting for return to pro-
lection in England and gets comfort
out of the figures for that reason. Yes,
but the figures were collected and
furnished it by the free traders. The
British Board Of Trade is branch of
the government, originally created in
the reign of William and Mary to
watch the American colonies, and to
keep them from manufacturing any
thing England wanted to sell them.
The president of the board is a mem
Der Of the cabinet, and Of course at
present both a Liberal and a free
trader.
The Times goes on to refute the
free trade assumption that our work
ingmen are prosperous not because OF
protection. but "in spite of It," 1t says
that "if good results regularly follow
that system, It does not much matter
whether the connection is called in
spite Of or not"
Good results for labor have invari-
ably followed the protective policy in
America. A Pennsylvania workman,
whose recollections go back to Presi-
dent Folks timei tells OF the days
which followed the repeal of the pro.
tective tariff of 1842, in letter to the
Philadelphia Press:
Work was hard to get. LAboring
men received so cents day for twelve
hours work. My father was a stone
mason. He got 62 cents. l was eleven
years old. l worked in the cotton fac
tory thirteen hours a day, and re-
ceived SO a month. / remember we'll
how economically we had to live. l
got one pair of shoes a year. During
the summer season l had to go bare
footed until frost came. This was the
general condition Of the workingman.
When the Whig party elected Har-
rison in 1910, and a tariff law was
passed, a number Of iron furnaces
were built l remember one near our
city (Easton). which had fairly started
when the Democrats elected James K.
Polk lin 184D. They cut down the
tariff. The furnace was shut down.
When James Buchanan was
elected, we had Tin 1857 the worst
panic ever witnessed. The best me-
chanics were out Of work, and had to
60 to the soup house. Later on, when
Mr.. Cleveland was elected the second
time lin 1892, we got another dose
of free trade. That, many OF your
readers remember. A friend of mine
said to me: How is 1t that this is the
first time in twenty years that / was
out of work? told him he voted for
it. and had to take his medicine"
Every workingman who helps this
year to elect Governor Wilson TO the
presidency, and to give his party con
troll of congress, will have ito take
his medicine" The Democratic candi.
date hates protection with a perfect
hatred. He cannot refer to 1t in his
speeches without losing his self-con.
troll. And his record in Trenton shows
him ready to use his executive posi-.
tion to control legislation. Forewarned
is, or should be, forearmed.
ROBERT ELLIS THOMPSON,
In Irish World.