Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-25
Even the Blind Should See.

Farmers ell over the country are be-
coming aroused to the menace of con-
ditions should the European war end
before the Underwood tariff law is re-
vised. For many months they were
too much occupied with making the
most of present opportunities to even
listen to the voice of experience Now,
with industrial interests and labor,
they are awakening to true conditions
and sure returns. They have only to
read the facts from across the water
to understand.
The Washington Post of a recent
date deals with THE Danger of
america" in the following editorial:
Far-seeing and prominent English
men. leaders in commercial and indus
trial affairs. openly express the opinion
that at the close of the war the 20OO.-
900 or 100000 women who have TAX
en- the place of men in the various ac-
tivities of agriculture, industry and
commerce, who have proved them
selves capable of good and competent
work in the many branches of public
utilities operation. will insist upon re-
tention In service and will compete
with the disbanded soldiers for en-
ployment at the close of the war.
The result will be more numerous
forces employed in the industries of
Great Britain and much lower scales of
wages owing to the pressure for work
by both men and women.
Those industrial workers will be
paid far lower wages than those in our
own country, and the products of Brit
ish millssand shops and factories will
seek markets in every section Of the
world.
From Maine to California, from
Alaska to Key West the products of
low. priced foreign labor will take pos
session Of the markets here while our
own mills and shops and factories will
be compelled to cut wages of all their
employees or stop business unless tariff
schedules sufficiently high to shut out
such foreign products are provided by
Congress.
Germany holds now 100000 prison.
ers of war. More than half of this
number have been prisoners for more
than one year. OF all that great num-
Der. not one man At to work is allowed
to be idle. They are to be found in the
fields OF Germany cultivating the soil,
in the forests cutting fuel and timber
in German mines, quarries and on
roads. busily working for Germany.
They are to be found in German mills
at FORCES. looms, lathes and spindles, in
shops and factories, producing vast
quantities of manufactures for Ger.
many and to supply overseas trade
once the war is closed.
The German government feeds these
men at the expense OF the state and al.
lows each of them the equivalent of 8
cents day for tobacco or other SUD-
plies.
When the war closes Germany will
have billions of dollars worth of sur
plus products to rush to other markets,
ana much of this surplus will be the
product of this prison labor.
This is no theory that confronts the
industrial classes of the United States,
nor the commercial classes, nor any
other of the classes dependent upon the
prosperity of the industries of this
country or the continual employment
OF the millions of persons now working
in our industrial plants.
The conditions abroad all make for
dumping" the outputs OF cheap labor
on the markets of this country at the
close of the war.
The Congress to be elected in Novem-
Der must be depended uron to save the
workingmen of the United States from
the DANCE: which is so apparent to all,
and no man not fully pledged to giving
the country such protection should be
given support by the voters at the
polls.