The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-07-25

Payne law was fixed at a point where
the duty just about equalized the diff
ference in wage scales here and
abroad and permitted the American
manufacturer to refine, roll and pol.
lish copper sheets and supply the
home, markets as cheaply as the Ger.
man manufacturer could.
The Wilson tariff disturbed this
equilibrium and the German mills are
now Able to buy crude copper in Am
erica, machine 1t in Germany, send 1t
back here and undersell the home
manufacturer. The only advantage
that German mills have is that wages
are so much lower over there. II the
same wage scale prevailed here, the
Germans could not market sheet Of
copper in this country, even II cop
per sheets were admitted duty free
The situation thus reduces 10 this,
that the American copper manufactur-
er must either sell his output below
cost, cut wages or go out of business.
II any fourth course is open to him
we have not been able to study II
out and would appreciate the sugges-
tions of some low tariff man who has.
Our information is that nearly ev-
cry firm in Rochester which uses cop
per In this form has within the last
few days given an order for the Ger
man product. Presumably the cop
per buyers in other cities have o.
will do the same thing in which event
an American industry is PROSTATE and
American money pays wages to Ger
man workmen while our own are out
Of jobs. OF course the stock argu-
ment is that 1t is better for us to
buy copper sheets in the cheapest
market even II our industries go to
the wall. This may seem reasonable
but II home industry disappears and
the plants are dismantled the price OF
the foreign product will surely ad-
vance unless the German mQhufac-
turers go crazy, as there Is little rea-
son to believe that they will. It may
seem trining thing that few thou
sand American operatives are thrown
out Of work. But they must live, and
in order to do so must invade other
occupations and their pressure for
Jobs must bring the wage scale down. |
If the Wilson tariff similarly cripples |
enough other industries 1t is evident |
that we must cease to be a manufac-
turing nation and thus cease to be a |
nation; for no purely ag-
ricultural people ever rose to wealth.
Night does not follow day more
than a reduced wage scale |
must follow tariff reductions which |
open our markets to the products oil
countries where low wages are paid.
IL is an utter waste of time to argue
this. All men of brains must see
that il is so, and men who cannot
see II at a glance can never see it
We shall not attempt to make this
clearer for such people, merely sug-
costing that they take a course In
Montessori institution for detectives;
but intelligent American artisans |
must see that their interests as wage |
earners demand tariff under which
the American wage scale can be main
tanned. The Democratic arguments |
to the contrary are sophlstry and
sham. If an, American copper mill
shuts down and its operatives are
turned out to look for other jobs,
what difference does 1t make to them
that copper sheets are cheaper by
cent or two pound? What differ
ence does 1t make to them that any
other manufactured product is tri.
fie cheaper, when their weekly pay
has failed?
The Gripping Of a single great In
dustry in single city infallib)y. a.
ects every business in the whole