The sun., 1918-09-24
TO KEEP OUR INDUSTRIES.
NEW AND OLD.
The Right Kind OF Tariff Is the
Essential stroke.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN--sir: Your
correspondent ~. J. IT," writing on
Americas Problem: How TO Keep Our
New Industries After the War;" shows
n conmendable concern for the new
manufacturing industries that have been
established in tho United States since
the beginning Of the world war; gives
timely warning Of the dangers that Turk
In the future; emphasizes the impor-
lance of early action by the Government
of tho United States to look after these
new industries. and shows an Intelligent
understanding Of the means to be EN-
ployed.
But why the new industries only7
Where there In one new industry
there are hundred old ones, and those
old Industries share equally with tho
new the menace of European competi-
ton after the war from Germany and
Austria. as well as from our allies. Eng
land. France. Belgium, Italy and Japan.
While for a short time after peace
/ In established there may be shown re-
iuctance or even refusal to buy Ger
man merchandise. II is not the part OF
wisdom to blink the cold facts OF busi-
ness
Sentiment Is not a permanent control
ling factor in trade. Self-interest and
self-defence are.
Hence, when Mr.. Potash finds that
he can buy from a German manufac-
turer 10, 900 yards Of woollen cloth. duty
paid. for So a yard, and that an identi-
cal fabric made in the United states
cannot be sold for less than $3.50 a
yard, Mr.. Potash buys the German prod
| uct. That is scIf-interest.
And when Mr.. Perlmutter learns OF
what Mr.. Potash has done he too buys
the German proddct That Is self-de-
| fence.
Then follow Mr.. Isaacs. Mr.. Smith,
Mr.. Jones and the whole host OF mer-
| chants until. through the operation OF
this law Of business, the German manu-
facturer owns the American market. the
home manufacturer owns the closed fac
tory and the home workman owns the
leisure for reflection that somewhere
along about 1912 he permitted himself to
be hattered into the belief that he was
! so burned superior and efficient that no
matter how much more wages he was
| paid than the German workman re-
| ceived the product of his labor would
not cost the boss" any moro because
! he would produce so much more OF II
In q days work And so he voted In
way that produced the Underwood
Simmons tariff bill. which. as IS. J. IT,
reminds us, was rapidly producing these
conditions when the European war
halted the destruction.
Much has been written and spoken
about the retention of South American
and other foreign markets. temporarily
supplied during the war with manufac-
lures from the United States. but the
| only way to retain them will be to sail
our manufactured products In those mar
kets as cheaply as they can be sold by
our European competitors.
1t can't be done In general way
while our wage scale Is 20 much higher
than that OF Europe. To attempt TO
achieve It by any other device than an
equalization Of labor cost is to chase
rainbows.
The Immediately important thing Is
to see to It that our home market be
safeguarded against foreign invasion
and the only way to so safeguard 1t i:
by the orderly process Of (a) kicking
hell out OF the discredited Underwood
tariff bill, largely made in Germany
through the skilful propaganda Of lying
importers and German manufacturers
acting upon soft headed Congressman
gullible armchair economists and the
occasional college professor whose astutt
knowledge of practical business Is In
inverse ratio to the prolixity Of his vo
cabulary. and OBJ by substituting rea
protective tariff measure that will i'm
pose duties high enough to equalize the
difference in the cost of production here
and abroad. plus an ample margin OF
safety for provision against nuctuntior
and undervaluations. G.. c, ii.
New York, September 23.