New Britain herald., 1916-07-08
PROTECTING DYESTUFFS

PROTECTING DYESTUFFS
 In the new revenue bill now before | the national House of Representatives there is included a proposed protec- l tive duty on dyestuffs. Immediately
 the Republican campaign artists arise
 and attempt to rtdicule the plan. They l decry it as a reversal of the historic 1 doctrine of free trade. Democrats l are accused of stealing Republican thunder. At last the followers of | Thomas Jefferson have seen the light proclaim the wise men.
 There Is this to be said in the
 premises. The Democratic party in
 attempting to foster an infant indus try is not trying to kick over the traces. It does not propose to set up
 8 high protection and thereby donate
 huge profits to trusts and other great
 enterprises. It is not catering to those
 in need of no assistance along these
 lines There is, and has been always,
 great difference between a duty to
 protect a new industry and high
 protection for enterprises that are old
 has never been built up in this coun-
 try. It would probably receive no
 consideration from Republicans or
 Democrats but for the present war
 necessity. When it gets started it will
 run into heavy competition from for
 eign quarters after the war. Amer
 ican capital having signified a will ingness to go into this business, Amer ican government must lend a helping
 hand in the first hour of life and ever
 after until the business is strong and
 lusty enough to take care of itself.
 There are Democrats as we'll as Re- pub1icans interested in the business of this country. From some of the
 remarks and writings the subject
 of tariff, however, a newcomer to this
 nation might surmise that the busi- ness interests here were developed and maintained for one party only; that the Republicans are the sellers and the Democrats the buyers. It is true that the Republicans by their enor- nous high tariff measures made it possible for certain concerns to build up certain businesses which after wards worked to the detriment of the common people of this country. There are innumerable instances where goods sold in this country for one price were bought abroad for con- siderably less, shipped back and sold again at a profit. All this under the high tariff system. As proposed by the Democrats the tariff is a means of protecting the industries that need fair protection. It is a means of fOs- | tering competition where fair compe- | tition will protect the people from | enormous prices. In this instance the | dyestuffs industry needs safe guard | ing and it is going to be protected | by the Democratic party. It is one i of the first laws of economies to pro- 1 tect infant industries and the Demo- l crats should follow this law as well as | the Republicans. To do so is in no way a repudiation of first principles. l.
 Getting down to the basis of the l whole contention it must be remem l bered that each and every manufac- | turer no matter what he manufac- ] lures, wants high protection for his 1 own products. At the same time, he 1 would like to get from abroad the l various materials used in putting out l the finished product if these things | could be purchased cheaper abroad | than at home. Therein enters the | selfishness of most of the argument. ! This is true of dvestuffs. In the past . American manufacturers got all their i dyestuffs, or most of them from Ger ! many While that condition obtained | no one heard the esteemed Republi- cans crying for protection for dye 1