The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-12-30
AMERICAN EMPLOYEES INSIST
ING UPON EARLY ENACTMENT
OF TARIFF.
Retailers Also "Getting Wise" to
Scheme of Importers and
Metropolitan Stores.

In his message to Congress Presi'
dent Harding, in speaking of the
tariff, said: 81 am sure public opinion
favors the early determination of our
tariff policy" Members of the Con-
gress are being assured of this state
of mind by a deluge of letters, reso-
lutions, and other communications
from all sections of the country in
sisting upon the early enactment OF
protective tariff, and particularly
upon a protective tariff which in
cludes the American valuation plan.
The most significant feature of this
flood of petitions is the fact that they
are coming from the working classes.
An example of this is afforded in a
series of resolutions forwarded to the
Indiana delegation from the en-
ployees of the Beebe Glove Company,
of Richmond, Indiana. The resolu-
tions, which were adopted December
first, state:
Working People Alarmed.
Resolved, That the employees of
the Beebe Glove Company, of Rich
mond, Ind, believe in the protection
to American industries, and that we
appeal to our United States Senators
and members of Congress to support
the tariff bill now before Congress
and its provision for American valu-
alton.
Resolved, further, that we call
attention to the fact that we are
engaged in the business of making
workmen's gloves, that workmen do
not wear these gloves unless they
have jobs, and that if they lose their
Jobs because of manufactured goods
being imported from Europe, we will
lose ours. We call attention to the
fact that in the great glove district
of Johnstown and Gloversville, N. Y,
there are 10000 expert glovemakers
of high grade gloves, and over 10000
Of them are out of work because of
glove imports from Europe. We ask,
Will our turn come next? We call
upon the retail merchants of Rich
mond to help us in this fight and to
realize that, no matter how cheap
goods are, we cannot buy them unless
we have work. We likewise urge the
farmer to consider that his best
market is the home market, which
would be destroyed if our industries
close"
How About The Home Market?
Another set of resolutions came
from Richmond, Indiana These were
passed by the employees of the larg-
est lawn mower company in the
world. Connected directly or in
directly with the lawn mower in
dustry are 10000 employees. The
resolutions adopted by the lawn
mower employees, in part, are as
follows:
"That we believe unless Congress
promptly passes a tariff bill with
ample protection against foreign i'm
portations and providing for Ameri-
can valuation, that large numbers of
our factories will be compelled to
close, thousands of working people
will be thrown out Of their jobs, and
the business of the jobbers and re-
tailers will be greatly injured and
the home market of the farmer
destroyed. We earnestly appeal to
you for prompt action"
These two resolutions emphasize a
feature which it attracting increasing
attention and seriously challenging
the retail and agricultural interests
of the country. Influenced by decep-
tive and, in some cases, absolutely
untrue statements from certain ma
tional trade organizations, which are
by importers and large de-
partment stores, number of retail
ers throughout the country have been
misled into protesting against the
valuation plan.
Retailers "Getting WISE"
The retail trade, however, is begin
ming to realize that they are being
made a cats paw of big mail order
houses and department stores, which,
if the American valuation plan is de-
feated, will flood the local trade
territory of small retailers with
cheaply made imported good
The average retailer in the small
town has a hard enough row to hoe,
as it is, competing with the mail
order bureaus of department stores
and big mail order houses. If he
now permits these metropolitan COM
petitors to import shiploads of cheap
lv-made goods and get them through
the customs house on the basis of
their foreign valuation, he will find
himself driven to the wall. 1t is very
that in the last 90 DAYS
there have been more failures in the
United States among small retailers
Of all kinds than in any previous 80
days for many, many years, while
during the same period the large de-
partment stores and mail order
houses report an increase of business.
WHAT CONFERENCE WILL NOT DO
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