The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-05-29
Democracy's Contention
as to Cheap Labor.


Thanks to our now having "A Demo
cratic administration that has cour-
age and efficiency, official figures
now corroborato and prove the con-
tention always expressed by Demo
cratic tariff reformeTs who would re-
wise the tariff downward, that the
greater efficiency Of American labor
more than c0mpensates the manu-
facturrr for the higher wages he
pays AS compared with the wages OF
European labor, and its Importance
is obvious, for with this contention
proved the protection argument col
lapses like house Of cards. If the
labor cost in the United states is
less than the labor cost In Europe
then long farewell 10 that hoHry
old bugHhOO Of "thc ruiuOus com
petition Of the cheap pauper labor of
Europe and the "fprcing Of Ameri.
can standards Of living down to II
level with the European standards. "
Secretary Rcdheld OF the depart
mcnt OF commerce has Just made
pubic the report Of the recently
created bureau Of foreign and do
mcstiC commerce. II makes eX.
tended comparisons OF the census
data Of the United States and the
United Kingdom. The comparisons
show that in the United Kingdom
uue-sixth more power and two and "A
half times az many wage carners are
needed to produce IA net output Of
equal value 10 that produced In
American manufactures. These
figures apply to the principal textile
industries, certain metal manufac-
lures, shoes. gloves, furniture and
shipbuilding.
In fifteen ol the seventeen indus
tries IN which comparisons were
made the outlay for actual wages,
for an equal net output, was higher
an England than in the United States,
the difference in favor Of the United
States ranging all the way from to
20 per cent.
For the entire seventeen industries |
The average daily wages paid were |
only half as high in England AS in
the United States, yet the eXpeudi-
ture for wages to obtain an equal |
value of net output was ~ per cent |
higher there thsu here. To quote
from the report
1.-THE result shows remarkably high
efficiency on the part Of the Ameri-
IAN industrious hs compared with the
British. Not only, az would he ex.
rected, are more Iabor"rs employed
n the United Kingdom than in the
nited States to add by manufacture
u 900 to the valuo of products, but
'lso the machinery is Of much great
r capacity. In British factories
learly II per cent more power and
Yearly two and One-half times the
number of labOrers are required to
'btain equal results measured on
he value added by manufacturers -
In the seventeen selected indus.
rles the average wages in the United
states were almost twice those In
he United Kingdom, yet the total
Expenditure for wages was only $40
. the United States as compared
nth SOL in the United Kingdom for
very 81 900 added by manufacture.
In a few words, the bureaus in
estlgatiOus show that while hours
I labor are slightly shorter here
han in England, and while wages
or day are almost twice as grca,
ere as in England, that $40 paid to
ibor in the United States resulted
; the production OF as much wealth
5 SOIL paid Ia labor In England.
Instead "i the English manufac-
ircrs getting their labor cheaper,
icy pay almost 2Opcr cent more for
than do Tia" American manufac- ]
Irers, measured, not in day wages,
1T in the value 81 the output
The stern logic 1T the official fig.
res is that it is England that needs
election against American COmpe-
ton rather than vice versa. And
IL an tina bnsig nI ttaua official ia,
res that the Democratic admins
alton hus determined tn investigate
id expose aWy American industry
htch, following tariff reform, an
,pnces "A cut in wages as essential
its continued existence, st. Jo-
pin Observer.
There never was time when pcO-