Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-29
SATURDAY JANUARY 20. 1916
A TARIFF INQUIRY.

u notice that you came out for
taking the thrift out Of politics by
means Of a non-partisan board.
don't profess to know much about
the tariff. but for some time II has
seemed strange to me that the papers
should tell us that we should have a
4 protective tariff 10 save our manu-
facturcrs from the pauper labor Of
Europe when In the next breath they
tell US that we should prepare 10
conquer the worlds trade. This In
hard for laymnn TO understand. If
II IL necessary TO have q hRh pro-
tcctive tariff for our trade at home,
how can We sell goods in foreign
countries whore we must meet the
same conditions TINT have To- be met
by the European producer who en-
ploys pauper labor?
II know there was "a time when
harvcstcrs were sold in Russia for
half what was charged for them Mt
the factory In this country. don't
understand much about tho workings
Of the tariff system, ana would he
Obliged IL | could have my lack Of
understanding cleared up on some
points.
eREADER.
Albuquerque, January 2S.'
This keen inquiry reaches the heart
Of tho tariff question. The protective
policy served it's purpose we'll by
nursing American industries al a
time when the United States was en-
gagged largely IN exchanging raw ma.
ieriais for finished goods.
That time Of producing raw ma.
tcrlals al home for expectation abroad
and purchasing back the finished
products has not entirely passed as
witness dyestuffs and coal tar pre-
parations generally There Is stlll
need FOR protective tariff discrlm-
inntively placed, which the president
recognizes In his recommendation for
the creation Of scientific tariff
board
But az free land was exhausted on
one side. and efficient Industries were
built up on the other, our civilization
has risen to the industrial level Of
older countries We can consume
now more OF our natural resources,
and compete on more nearly equal
terms with older countries in manu-
fnciuring export
The protective tariff developed mo-
nopoly. I'll the natural reaction OF
public opinion carried us toward the
John G. Calhoun ideal Of free trade.
Much Of the sentiment on the tariff
question today IL Inherited by the
south. from the days when only raw
material wan produced there aud the
consequent desire was TO purchase the
finished products at the lowest posi-
bic cost. and BY the north. from the
DAYS when manufacturers generally
Mere IN their swaddllng clothes and
required artificial nursing to keep
them alive.
"Pauper labor was one Of the catch
phrases that kept monopoly alive too
long II represents fcchly the gene
erai foreign advantage Of cheaper
production. due largely TO lower
wages
Now as President Wilson pointed
out Ia his New York address the
country has matured TO the urgent
need Of a scientific tariff. like the
machinery employed in fofelgn eoun-
tries. for the Development Of the
greatest mutual EXCHANGE IN the
largest possible world trade
The best trade. between nations as
between individuals. is that IN which
both gain and neither loses. Then,
the bigger Il Is. the better IL IS for
both. As protective tariff by abuse
may engender monopoly, free trade
tends 10 produce sefvitude 81 the un-
developed 20 the efficient Wise leg
islation avoids both extremes
The ideal tariff system would be
made and changed from time to time
as conditions change. 10 welcome i'm
ported articles which other countries.
because II great natural advantages.
can produce better and cheaper. 70
exclude free composition OF articles
produced abroad Tor al We mead is
development and organization Of in
dnstry TO produce better and cheaper
for ourselves. and to foster domestic
industry for the most successful com-
petition with other countries in eN-
port trade.
Other countries have found that
the complicated machinery 81 tariff
duties could be better operated by a
board Of experts That policy Isl
bound 10 come Ia this country sooner
or later, and the sooncr the better