The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-10-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Washington Correspond
ent of The Times.

illustration of how excessive tariff
rates protect" the common people
Italy is one of the most highly pro
tected countries of Europe. 1t ii
famous as country FLOWING with
milk and honey"
Yet they never talk about Italy, de
the upward revisionists.
While in Italy three years ago, the
writer learned at first hand some Of
the reasons why our protectionists
never say, Look at Italy,"
Italy puts heavy duties on both ag'
ricultural 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 understand the situation clearly
we must go back to 1887. About tina,
time violent revolution in the sys.
tenn of Italian customs was brought
about. A powerful political group Of
textile manufacturers Joined forces
for their own ends with a powerful
political group of large land owners.
Tariffs were heavily increased. But
not on everything. That powerful
band of textile manufacturers took
good care that lesser manufacturers,
who made articles needed in textile
factories, were not enabled to put up
their prices.
Hand in hand with the powerful
manufacturers the big land owners
came out "for "a slice of the tariff pie. "
In order that they should be suffi-
GENTLY compensated for being in pol
itics, the landowners had a heavy tax
placed on wheat. In Italy it is only
the big land owners who grow wheat.
Three out Of every four landowners
in Italy are possessors Of small prop
critics, cultivating fruit for wine. They
have to buy a considerable part of the
wheat they eat. So it happened that
where one large wheat farmer got
bigger profits, three small fruit farm
ers got hit. That is the way protec-
ton invariably works out. What is
one mans protection isanother mans
poison.
Hank, however, this further result
of the Italian tax on wheat: Millions
of Italians never eat wheat bread ex-
cept in cases Of illness or on special
festivals. They make bread maize.
In this and in other respects the stand
ard 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 rose 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 80 manufacturers of
the sugar syndicate might levy upon
consumers yearly tribute"
Far and away the chief of the Ital-
ian industries are silk reeling and
silk throwing. These industries have
been seriously hampered by protec-
ton. And Italy is the home of the
silkworm.
One of the chief troubles of Italy is
that the general rise in prices has so
greatly lessened the purchasing pow
er of the wages of the people that the
great mass Of the small dealers and
the workingmen and women suffer
bitterly.
It 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
Italy are sacrificed to the one in ten.
In other words, excessive tariffs
the cost of living to the
italian people juast as the Payne-Ald-
'ich law is increasing the cost Of liv-
ng in the United States.
Is it any wonder that the protec-
ionists never ask usto "look at Italy?"
Both are Right
Theodore Roosevelt, candidate for
third term as president, said recent
y: 'Taft now represents the bosses s
nd the Republican party is composed
# them and the vested interests of
he country"
And President Taft said: "Roose-
elt is not a Republican, but repre-
ents a one-man party whose chief
dvisers are the harvest and steel
rust magnates.
Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin,