The Washington herald., 1913-06-01
Will stimulate
TRADING ABROAD
Secretary Red6eld Tells Audi
ence This viii Be Result
Of New Tariff.
NO WAGE REDUCTIONS
Despite High Prices for Labor and
Machinery, Americans Can Com
pete with the World.
NO WAGE REDUCTIONS
sn.c,., 10 The washington Herald.

Special to The Washington Herald.
Pittsfield. Mass. May 3l-Before the
local Chamber of Commerce. at banquet
( in his honor here tonight, Secretary OF
Commerce Redfeld outlined the Demo
cratic economic theory as applied 70
foreign commerce and as carried out
through the tariff reductions of the Under
wood bill.
Invading industrial New England. he IN
formed a large gathering of business men
and manufacturers that some of Their
fellow-manufacturers had proven beyond
doubt that despite high prices for labor,
buildings, machinery, and new materials
they could compete with and beat foreign
competition in foreign markets
He informed his hearers that If they
will substitute efficiency for unsystematic
MANAGEMENT, with the aid the Democratic
party seeks TO give them through indus
trial education and lower prices on the
means Of production. <hey will have no
trouble increasing their output and main
tanning a fair margin of pront whlle
lowering prices to the consumer, at the
same time meeting foreign competition n
this country and In foreign markets.
Not for Wage Reductions.
Mr.. Redfield's remarks made distinct
impression upon his audience. Closing his
remarks with a reference to labor con-
The Democratic party does not stand
for a reduction of wages because 1t
knows that American economic history
has laugh that the highly paid workman
is the cheapest producer in the world,
else with our handicaps We should not
be selling s1,5Oo.oOo.oo0 annually abroad
now
Opening his remarks with statistics as
to our recent growth in foreign COM
merce Mr. Redfield pointed out that the
figures from which he read had been pre-
pared by Taft appointees in the Bureau
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce OF
the Department of Commerce.
During the last ten months" he said,
we sold abroad Of these various classes,
tured. S271OO0.0OO; manufacturers for
further use $40 coo. 900; finished manufac-
lures S641. 900. 900; a total of 81 81, 100000.
The total shows an increase for the
ten months of $l54, co., 600, or an average
monthly increase of $1,000, 600. which is at
the rate of half a million dollars daily.
What is more important the increase Is
chiefly in the two items which are not
foodstuffs The sale of manufactured
foodstuffs has actually fallen off little
during the ten months. The increase is
wholly in the other lines of manufacture
Daily Foreign Trade S5,oOO,00o.
We have sold cur manufactures abroad
and are now selling them at the rate of
sl25, Oc0. 900 monthly: that is. the products
of American manufactures of one kind or
another and covering many varieties of
goods have gone abroad. generally speak
ing, at the rate of 100000 for every
working day this last year. Abroad.
Won say. into the fields where We meet
foreign competition Yes. just there.
And not only have these goods been sold
-, ltnci lS
rapidly increasing. II has increased at
the rate of about half million dollars
daily all through the last ten months.
But YOU say. we have been told by
many that we cannot meet the competi- |
ton of foreign manufacturers. The
answer is that we do meet II and We
meet it best on the very goods which are
the most
In 1892 the sales abroad of all our
were but $i3S, 100000, about |
two-thirds. you see, of what We sell in |
finished manufactures now. In 1872 the |
sales of all our manufactures had risen |
TO S7S3. GOO OOo Between 1902 and 1872 the
total sales of manufactures abroad In |
ased by SIS coo. OO0-to the magnificent |
total of S1.SS9. 600 900. and in the present |
year this bids fair to exceed 81 100000 |
so that YOU observe that the progress of
American manufacturers in the foreign !
field has not only been triumphant, but /
continues and at accelerating speed.
"A high tariff in this country has
kept prices of buildings, machinery.
and materials at a much higher level
than they are abroad. How is it that
in spite of greater expense in these
three important directions we have yet
managed to sell goods abroad in COM
petition with the world at the rate
Of about $500, 100000 year in manu-
featured goods alone this year?
cit is because of the high efhciency
NJ our weIl-paid labor when combined
with the fine emechanical equipment
NJ many of our factories.
observe do not say of all our fac
tories" for il is. unfortunately. not
true of all our factories. We have in
justries that are highly efficient. as.
for example. steel, though in this in
iustry there are wide variations in eff
iciency. In other industries, we have
Individual factories that are highly
efficient, while others are less so. You
will find for example, in various lines
# machinery one factory selling its
goods all over the world and another
selling none outside the United States.
md variations of efficiency exist from
n per cent of a good standard up to
70 per cent and even higher.
"our factories are very much alike,
md n good many of them have gotten
,Ionr somehow ut n rather high cost
20 the public i'm the price of the goods
hey make, because, being free from
'oreign competition, they have not had
% be efficient.
Need Industrial Education.
But these are not the only handi-
APPS that have troubled our Industries.
We have almost wholly lacked in J
lustrial education, and we still lack
[ sadly. Again and again the cry
comes up from factory and mill, We
.annot get trained help There is al
ogether too much truth in II. Ger
many has met this problem in her ]
thorough way, and now
S teaching her boys and girls to be
# some definite use. The great States
4 Indiana and Pennsylvania have this
ear taken fine steps forward toward s
universal system of industrial edu-
alton, and Massachusetts, is well in
dyance But the work is only begun,
nd as yet its effects have been but lit r
lie felt. v
yet. does not the very fact of the 7
ronders that have been worked, de- s
pite such distractions, point forward
! the time when wonders yet I'M Q
reamed shall come to pass, once these T
are removed?
aIf for q condition In which most of 7
mr. Industrial plants come under the $
cad of sunsystematized management
e substftute another where plants
,ust become system attic; II for the ig-
ORANGE as to cost and the earelessness
) to waste there shall be substituted j