Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-09-19


The Homo Market
Yesterday we commented on the Am
erican prospects at the end Of tho war.
Today We nnd in thu Washington Post,
an independent newspaper. tho Same
subject treated from a different angle
It II worth the consideration Of even
the very busiest man among our read
ersI
On August there was a surplus Of
ie.7@ empty freight cars in the United
statas. BY September this surplus
had been wiped out and there was a
shortage Of 14.2S1 cars. "A year ago
there was surplus Of 1S3.569 empty
cars.
Tho net revenues Of $50 railroads dur
ing July were sss.415.2e4. against s75.-
62S.ess during July. 1915.
Tho railroads are making money
enough to pay the brotherhoods their
new Congress-made wages several
times over and still pay dividends.
There is more gold in the United
States than has ever been gathered in
any other spot In the world.
The United States is selling more
goods abroad at higher prices than ever
before in Its history. It is getting such
good prices for wheat and meat abroad
that its own people are facing war
time prices.
The nations at war are pouring out
billions to MI the bellies Of their SOL
diers. put clothing on their backs and
arms In their hands. Besides sending
gold in unprecedented sums, Europe
has sent over $4,000. 100000 worth Of
American securities and the Americans
have absorbed them without a break in
tho market. These securities are worth
more now than when tho war began.
This American prosperity is on ac-
count Of the war. Stop the war. and
what would happen? Turn millions Of
men from consumers into producers Of
food and manufactures, and where
would America be? Would it keep its
gold and maintain its immense exports?
The United States is huge reservoir
Of wealth. The war has caused gold to
flow into It. Unless a valve Is installed,
tho gold will run out faster than it ran
in. as soon as peace turns the current.
Europe and Asia. working for low
wages and forced to produce cheaply or
60 under. will flood the American
market with cheap-labor goods and
take away the gold.
There must be protective tariff.
Common sense and prudence impera-
lively demand it as means of national
defense against foreign trade invasion.
American workingmen cannot get high
wages If the goods they produce can
not be sold. and the goods cannot be
sold If foreign goods can come in for
nothing and be sold at half the price.
The United States does not need
cheap foreign goods. 1t can produce
goods of its own, at reasonable prices
to the consumer, and still pay high
wages II foreign cheap-labor goods are
not permitted to cut under American
products.
The protective tariff does not in
crease the cost Of living. If it did, the
removal Of the tariff by the Democrat
ic party would have cut down the cost
Of living.
In the American market Americans
should compete solely with Americans.
All Of them pay high wages, and they
are all on the same level Americans
should not be forced to compete here
with Japanese. who pay their men la
borers 80 cents for fourteen hours work
and their women and children laborers
II to 20 cents. Let the Japanese keep
their home market and let US keep
ours.
The first thing to do is to preserve
the home market forAmericans. Then
tho foreign markets can be worked for
what they are worth. All combined,
they ara not worth as much to Amer
leans as their home market.
Every nation in the world except the
United States is making secure its own
home market for its own people.
Maine has got a good deal of adver-
tising through having an election. but
some Of the Mainiacs would like to have
more said about the attractions OF the
State for hunters, and nshermen' ana
Summer boarders.-Boston Globe.