The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1912-10-25
UNMASKING THE
TARIFF DELUSION
Franklin Fierce 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
Vestigations.
By PIERCE.

BY FRANKLIN PIERCE.
For a hundred years of u history :
the manufacturers, believing that they
received a benefit from the protective
tariffs, have ingeniously devised plaus,
tble pretexts for imposing increased
prices upon the n%ecessaries 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 and was not a 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 as cotton and wool, steel
and iron, the 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 official investi-
cations of wages In the United States.
Wages In Cotton Industry.
Under the existing Payne-Aldrich
tariff law actual imports of cotton
cloth paid in 1910 average duties Of
56.4 per cent.
In 1905, when work and wage condi-
tons in the cotton industry were ex-
c~eptionally good, the wages Of 202,2l1
cotton mill operatives in the United
Statesmen, women and children-av.
eraged only $6.47 a week. The average
wage for men was but $7.71 a week,
for women $3.50 and for children, 1921.
AS to the profits, seventeen leading
cotton mills, with total capitalization
OF $685. i {, 900 and total surplus of ST.,
1868, sol, paid in nine years dividends
averaging % per cent.
The cotton manufacturers turned out
in 1905 SAP, 451 ,21S worth of goods and
paid in wages therefore 1914, 1897 ,695, or
: 81 per cent. of the value of the finished
product.
}" Extortlon Of Wool Tariff.
Outside Of the duties on two or three
commodities of comparatively little i'm
p~ortance, the duties on wooden cloth
are the highest OF any in the tariff
schedules. According to Senator Ree(
: Smoot, owner Of a wooden mill a
Provost, Utah, and chairman Of thu
finance committee in charge Of tariff
/, legislation In the senate, wearing ap
parel valued at 30 cents a pound nov
pays 206 2S per cent. duty.
This and other correspondingly higl
duties on the manufactures of woo
are made to enable the manufacture
4, to pay his labor an increased wag
- over those Of foreign countries. Blu
the duty on wooden goods is nearly fv
times the entire labor cost, while tn
American manufacturers in 1905 pal
Is In wages only is per cent. Of the tota
IN value Of their production.
At Lawrence in this most highly prt
O. tected industry the laborers wer
BIS obliged to strike even for a Twin
~ wage. Thousands of adult males wer
r .cciving only from Sc to SO a wee
and many only IS to Sc a week. AS
be result of the strike the America
re- Wooden company gave its employed
he slight increases in wages.
to The wool tariff bill vetoed by Pres
to dent Taft reduced the duties on ra
lal wool from 1920 to 20 per cent. and
er manufactures of wool from S7.65
10: 1896 per cent. Mr.. Taft said he V
lie toed 1t because the proposed rates d
de- not comply with the findings of Il
es- tariff board. Senator La Toilette co
no tradicted the president. saying tn
OF the proposed rates varied from l p
cent. lower to 11.6 higher than Il
go tariff boards findings justified.
nd Low Wages In Steel.
,ef Manufacturers Of iron and steel
me 1905 paid in wages only IL per eel
49, Oh Jue pOIAl NhAuo VI Goh pAONASGN
al while the duty then would avera
about 45 to AZ per cent, and on
got metals It now averages S4.61 per Gel
MIC American wages are really I
irg- cheapest wages In the world when y
IAN take Into account the amount Of p
MA duetlon per man.
An illustration Of this appears
the Stanley report investigating {
steel trust, as follows:
ked THE labor cost Of producing
ion. Iron in Pennsylvania fell from $1.2I
,se. ton in 1902 to so cents a ton In 10
,on- yet the realized value of the pig IL
ten. output was 1854 In 1902, whereas
was S17.44 In 1909. In other wor
Of wageworkers in 1902 got $1,25 for ?
did ducing only 1854 worth Of pig Il
era and in 1909 only 50 cents for prod
ills ing $17,44 worth.
While thus treating labor the ind
,on. trial combinations that have grown
ond under the protection Of the tariff hi
oi fixed the prices Of commodities at
are highest point the home market wo
alto stand. For twelve years they hi
nm. been u~njustly transferring through
,ere protection tariff billions Of dollars II
fter the earnings Of labor into their Q
the pockets.
az. When will the laboring men Of