The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-04-15
PROTECTED TRUSTS
WANT CHEAP LABOR
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WANT CHEAP LABOR
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houses, and railroads with men will
ing to work at a cheaper wage than
those who are born here.
The opponents to this test make
the argument that common laborers
would belong to the class that could
not pass the literacy test, and that
this country is very much in need
of that particular kind of labor.
The great industrial companies of
this country have more men today
than they can employ, but they want
two men for every job. They know
that unemployed men must work to
live and their necessities will force
them to accept any wage set by the
companies. Hence the workers
wages are literally. held below liv-
ing wage by the hunger, misery and
distress of the unemployed.
American Standard First.
'"The organized wageworkers have
declared in favor Of restriction of
immigration to maintain uncovered
the American standard of life. Those
who oppose restriction are repre-
sentatives Of companies and associa-
lions composed of employers of labor
whose dominant interest is the dol
lar, and associations that depend for
their existence upon contributions
from the employing class.
"They feel that reduction of i'm
migration will result in a higher wage
for their workers which will disturb
1;x,;1 o1c
ducts manufactured by them, or per-
haps they have been informed that If
the steamship companies do not re-
ceive $60,00O,000 a year for trans
porting aliens they will raise their
freight ates.
This eason will account in a great
measure for the opposition Of societies
Of various nationalities composed
wholly or partly Of business men and
the attorneys Of business men. Re-
strictions may interfere with their
profits.
Opposed to Exploitation.
1--WE oppose any, attempt to lower
the standards or American life. We
want to raise them, and we are OPP
posed to the exploitation of millions
of aliens with it's attending evils to
swell the profits. of the steamship
companies, even If it adds to the re-
sources of those companies 100000
a. year, even If it enables the United
States Steel Trust to- pay dividends
and interest on $400,000,000 Of stocks
and bonds, which never cost that
company one cent.
II wish to call your attention to the
fact that industry is protected by a
tariff, but labor it not; that the pro-
dues Of labor are protected, but we
have a. free flow Of labor coming to
our shores all the time; that manu-
lecturers have protection against pro-
ducts manufactured by cheap labor
in foreign countries, but labor has not
protection against the importation OF
cheap labor. . =.
Protect Labor Too.
"The opponents of this, measure say
that if the products Of labor are pro-
tected. then labor itself must be bene-
fitted, because the. manufacturer can
sell the products at a. much higher
price than can be obtained In otner
countries and will be in a. position to
pay higher wages to- his employees.
The protected manufacturer does re-
ceive a higher price than the pro-
ducts can be sold for in other coun-
tries; and the second contention
that they are thus made able to pay
higher wages to their employes-is
also true but the fact. is they do not
pay higher, wages. They pay lower
wages.
I'VE find that the most highly pro-
tected industries, particularly. the IN
dustries that are now controlled by
trusts, such as the steel trust, rubber
trust, sugar trust, packing houses
and textile industry, pay to- their en-
ployes the lowest wage in. the country,
and some of them less than living
wage for a family. A high tariff has
nothing to do with the wages In these
industries.
VIII Compel Reform.
1--WE hold that limitation of immi-
grafton to our country will compel
social and industrial reform In the
countries from which the immigrants
flow. The fact that these countries
have an out let for a great number of
their people means that there is an
outlet from the oppressive conditions
in these countries. For that reason
those countries delay social and in
:dustrial reforms. As a consequence
industrial and social misery is per.
petuatel in those countries, because
! + IA Eel{y s.