The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-10-06
THE FREE TRADE
BUGBEAR

President Wilson and the Democratic
majority in Congress, has resulted In
putting burden of $24O, 100000 an
nually on the people Of this country,
in one item alone-sugar," said Sen,
ator Reed smoot of Utah, in the Sen;
ate the other day. =.
Last year the Democratic party
enacted law reducing our import
duties. Let us buy in the cheapest
markets in the world, was their slo
gan. They predicted unprecedented
prosperity and general reduction
IN the high cost of living In this coun-
try, the passage of the Underwood
bill. The Democratic majority III
Congress singled out sugar as the
one food to reduce the high cost of
living. The Democratic tariff has
greatly curtailed the production Of
American sugar.
Think of the great financial bur.
den which the American people are
bearing today because we are not
producing at home this great food
necessity which we easily can pro.
duce under a safe and sane fiscal
policy. Owing to the war in Europe
the wholesale price of sugar In the
world has increased at least 3 cents
per pound since the first of August.
On an annual consumption of 1000.
900 tons, this means an increased bur;
den on the American people of $780,.
100000. How, long the present Eur.
opean conflict will continue 1t is
impossible to forecast, but even tho
peace be brought about within the
next two months, the present high
price of sugar undoubtedly will con.
tinue to prevail for at least another
year, and the enormous sum of $780,.
100000 will be added to the sugar bill
of the American consumer"
Regardless of what other things
the European war teaches, one thing
stands out which it might be well for
free traders to ponder over and that
is. thanks to the policy Of protection
which has endured sufficient mum
Der of years In the United States to
give us n number of our important
industries we are in q way indepen
dent, except for sugar and a few 9th
er things of the warning nations on
the other side. Fortunately for us
the war came before the Underwood
tariff had time to actually put many
American industries out of business
The war shows up the weak spots
in the favorite argument of the free
traders; that what we can not pro
duce as cheaply as 1t can be produced
elsewhere (plus transportation, we
take it ALSO would be Better passed
up while we turn our attention to
other things. Due to the high wage
any number of things that can be.
produced more cheaply in Europe and
in the tropics than here, and II the
whole world were run for the bene-
tit of mankind, and all state and ma
| ,ional boundaries We're swept away.
maybe plan whereby different pro
ducts We're allotted to different parts
of the world might be made to work
out. But one thing Is certain and
that Is II certainly works out better
to be a producer of the necessities OF
life than an imported, except posi-
bly, in the case of small island like
England, entirely surrounded by bat.
tleships and with an auxiliary supply
of dreadnaughts forming an unintor-
rupted right OF way to the food sup
ply.
In times of peace 1t Is possible to
find food and clothing supply out
side country's own borders-pro.
viding of course the money can first
be found 10 pay for it--but IN war
times a suit OF clothes or a pound
| of sugar at home looks bigger than
. whole clothing store or h complete
modern up to date foreign sugar fac
tory.
There is a lesson in the big war,
but will II soak in? When consider
Ing any new policy, or reconsidering
some of the old ones, the Wilson ad-
minlstration might take into consld'
/
Grafton such incidentals as war and
plaques. A country like the United
States that expects to remain neutral
and provide the necessary food and
clothing for its people, while the rest
OF the SO called civilized world is