The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-12-28
FOREIGN TRADE

LOREIGN trade for the ten months ended October
last writes the prelude to tale which may develop
INTO an industrial tragedy before Republican Con-
ers get INTO action but which Will terminate happily
with the restoration to power Of the party Of protection m
1921 Free trade the heavy villain the piece and
Democratic sectionan and mefcency the paid cut
throats.
partly and wholly manufactured for the ten months ended
with October las show an increase at the rate Of 81 i.
600 900 monthly compared with 1917. while exports OF
those same products because Of the falling of m war DE-
1oands show monthly average decrease ,oO000O
These imports. January1Octobe 1918. were valued at
$3.50 600, 600 compared with $76z,OO0OOo the same
period last year; the exports $Z6Z3,OO00oO compared
with $780,. 100000 for the 1917 period Imports Tor
Ocsober, 1915 totaled nearly $94000.00O, compared
with $4,000 900 for October. 1917; exports October
1918 totaIed $245 ,O00 compared with Sal OOO-
900 for October Of las year, decrease of
on these two classes Of commodities the two months COM
pared ANY one who can smell the plot now must
be loaded with free trade flu incidentally, our total
import trade for the ten months ended last October. valued
at 1850. 600, paid INTO our Federal treasury about
$150.O00,00o, average ad valorem rate OF duty
on all imports for the period of Sd per cent the lowest
duty rate IN our trade history.
If President Wilson's hardheadedness prevents hun
from returning from Europe convert to the doctrine OF
protection highly probable that he Will promptly veto
any tariff revision which next Republican Congress VIII
present to him for Signature and that the American
people viii be compelled to await the application OF re-
st,ctions to foreign competition the American market
until the Republican party takes over all the anaIS OF
the Federal government m 1911. AT any rate Mr. VII
SON win doubtless be gwen an opportunity to express himself
on the SUBJECT before that tune.
The imports and exports comprised m The two classes
above mentioned are te product Of labor the exports OF
American labor and de sell the more American
labor profits by that trade ;e imports are The product OF
foreign labor and the more Of them here the
smaller the demand for domestic goods supplied for shseap
itaI and labor of Americans, and, as coroAary the
caer the purchasing power Of American labor Of the
products of the farm. With exports falling of; and nm
ports increasing both have been dong month by month
for the past year. and they will continue to do now that
the war over. the inference obvious: labor. which
now declaring It's unalterabIe determination to refuse lower
wages or shorter hours Will find itself out of work entirely
as a result of foreign comr--6ion.
That was what labor received as It's portion IN 1914.
before the war broke out and saved this country from
an industrial calamity from which It would have required
many years to recover Those vGrknsnen who are sui
traon had better come out of their and lean by
heart the resolution adopted unanimously BY the A@sean
year ago which declared against the flooding of this oOu
try with foreign goods.