Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-06-28
KING ALBERT'S TIP

Washington, June 25--Mr. Samuel
Hill, of Seattle, famous as an authors
tative writer on trade, in an article
written for the new California month
", "Pan-Pacific,' quotes King Albert
of Belgium as saying to him on the
battle front:
| May it not be that the United
States will have grave questions to be
settled at the close of the war? All
| the stocks Of goods of the warning ma
| tions will have become exhausted. The
| United States will have the money
and the credit. To get that money we
must work ten, twelve and fourteen
isfied with ten hours, now demand
eight, and how can the United States
hope to compete in the markets of the
| world?"
Sam Hill was very close in the con-
fidences of King Albert which, perhaps,
accounts for the Kings kindness in
giving him that tip. Belgium, for in
stance, has always been our chief COM
petitOr in window glass. The Demo
Gratis slashed the tariff rates on that
produce in the present tariff law,
which took effect October 4, 1913. In
1914 the effect of the cut in duties be-
gan to make it's appearance, and con-
tinued through August of that year,
with the result that during that eight
months period our imports of window
glass increased 120 per cent over the
similar period of 1913, under protect
i've rates Imports for July 1914, the
month just before the war, increased
233 per cent over July, 1913, and then
the war put the brake on. For the
past year or so the war has reduced
these imports to negligibility.
Prior to the war common labor in the
Belgian window-glass factories received
60 cents per day, compared with So
here. AS the president of the John
ston Glass Co., Hartford, Ind, showed
for every $50 paid by foreign manu-
facturers as window-glass labor we
manufacturers in this country pay
500 for the same service" We were
worth of this glass annually, and the
high wages current in the country had
attracted a large immigration from
Belgium, a welcome addition to our
population because Belgian stock is
good stock But to develop our home
industries with Belgian operatives is
a far different matter from knocking
the home market from under them
with the product of Belgian labor.
In the work of rehabilitating their
country the Belgians will be ready
and willing to toll the hours mentioned
by King Albert, and at wages, which,
compared with the wages of pre-war
days, will show an even greater dis
parity. If the American windOw-glass
industries and the operatives therein,
employed, are quite willing to yield
our home market to the Belgian man.
ufacturers after the war, as matter
of trade altruism, then discussion of
the tariff phase of the situation is
merely academic. If they sympathize
with Belgium, but feel the necessity of
continuing operations here, then we
have got to return to the protective
policy. And what applies to Belgium
and the glass trade applies to nearly
every other manufactured commodity,
in considering European and Oriental
competition. Our wOrkmen can eX-
hibit their sympathy with the war
SCARED nations by agreeing to accent
European wage scales, if they do de-
sire, and under such. conditions our
manufacturers may still be able to
meet the higher overhead charges and
compete successfully with the foreign
producers Will American labor con-
sent to such a program? 1t ought not.