The Bourbon news., 1912-10-04

Why do protectionists never point to
Italy as an illustration Of how exces-
sive tariff rates protect the common
people.
Italy is pne of the most highly pro-
tected countries: of Europe. 1t is ia
nous as country Flowing with milk
and honey"
\ Yet they never talk about Italy, do
the upward revisionist.
Italy put heavy duties on both agri-
cultural and manufactured imports.
She pays her people exceedingly low
wages. She charges them very high
prices for the necessities of life. They
emigrate in large numbers.
TO unde rstand the situation clearly
we must go back to 1887. About
that time violent revolution in the
system OF Italian customs was brought
about. A powerful political group of
textile manufacturers joined forces
for their own ends with powerful po-
litical group of large landowners.
Tariffs were heavily increased. But
Tot on everything. That powerful
band of textile manufacturers took
good care that lesser manufacturers,
who made articles needed in the tex
tile factories, were not enabled to put
up their prices.
Hand in hand with the powerful
manufacturers the big landowners
came out "for q slice of the tariff
pIe." In order that they should be
sufficiently compensated for being in
politics, the landowners had a heavy
tax placed on wheat. In Italy it is
only the big landowners who grow
wheat. Three out of every four land
owners in Italy are possessors of small
properties, cultivating fruit for wine
They have to buy considerable part
of the wheat they eat. So it happened
that where one large farmer got big
ger profits. three small fruit farmers
got hit. That is the way protec tion
invariably works out. What is one
mans protection is anhother mans
poison.
Hark, however, this further result |
of the Italian tax or. wheat: Millions |
of Italians never eat wheat bread. ex-
cept in cases of illness or special festi-
walls. They make bread maize. In
this and in other respects the standard
of living of the Italian people is very
low, because prices are too high.
An enormous fiscal and protective |
tax was also put upon sugar. The |
prices grew so high that Italian farm |
ers watched their Oranges, lemons,
peaches, and other products of warm
and generous sun rot on their trees in
order that the 33 manufacturers of the
sugar syndicate might levy upon con-
sumers yearly tribute
Far and away the chief Of the Ital-
ian industries are silk reeling and
thl cad thro wing. These industries
have been seriously hampered by pro
lection. And Italy is the home of the
silk worm.
One of the chief troubles of Italy is
that the general rise in prices has so
greatly lessened the purchasing power
of the wages of the people that the
great mass of the small dealers and
the workingmen and women suffer bit
terEy.
1t is calculated that while ten Ital- /
ians lose by protection, only one
stands any chance of gaining. He |
does not always gain, for the country
does not progress. The interests Of
Itsly are sacrificed to the one in ten.
In other words excessive tariffs in
creased the cost of living to the Italian |
people just as the Payne-Aldrieh law |
is increasing the cost of living in the |
United States.
Is it any wonder the protectionislts |
never ask US to "look at Italy,"