The Connecticut labor news., 1922-07-28
Propaganda Armies in Washington, Growing Each Day as Many Forces Work for Pro- tectiOn of PrOfits--Im- pOrters and Manufac- turers Principal Op- pOnentS.
By International Labor News Service

By International Labor News Service
 Washington, D. C., July 28.-What is behind tariff propaganda flooding the country and what is the explana- ton of the contradictory attitudes of senators laboring so frantically in the heat of Washington?
 The tariff contest lies mainly be- tween U s. importers and manufac- pressure, political and otherwise, are the weapons.
 During tariff discussions in former years manufacturers have dominated. Their inability to protect their. inter- ests caused many scandals. Their principal argument was protection of the wages of American workmen from the effect of low wages of for eign countries.
 The upper hand is now held by the importers. Since the war their prof. . its have been enormous. They have absorbed the differential in wages be- tween American and European work men and the buying public has not Benefited Clocks selling at $40 re- tail cost the importers about s. 50 apiece, including tariff Lawn mow- rers have cost them o8 cents, includ- ing tariff, and the sale of these at prices just below the cost of manu facture-anywhere from $500 to in carload lots-has put manufac- lures out of business. The millions of profits in their trade are worth fighting for, with the result that mil lions of dollars are being spent to de- feat any tariff legislation that will in terfere with these profits. The argu- ment used by these interests is that the tariff tends to increase the price of commodities to the public, and the Workman's favor is sought with the argument that the increase in the cost of living is more to be feared than unemployment or decrease in wages.
 Senators at Sea Between Hostile
 Lines. I
 Between the two forces each sen ator is sweating blood. Where the industries of his state have been af fected by the competition of foreign imports, factoreis shut down, and workmen thrown out of jobs he is sure to hear the vail of constituents. The propaganda of the importers, however, Is delivered through the de partment stores of the country, and the influence of department stores upon newspapers is enormous and is keenly felt by every senator.
 But the issue is not as clear-cut as it might seem at first glance. The larger corporations of the United States combine the activiteis of inn porters and exporters, manufacturers and consumers. The alignment varies accordingly. The U. $. Steel Cor poration, for instance, wants high tariff on steel products and a low rate on manganese. Manganese mines in the United States, on the other hand, want high rate on manganese and low rate on iron and steel min ing equipment. Every commodity is affected by similar clashes of interest
 The tariff is now the leading indus trial game of the United States, but it is played without rue1s like lum- berjack fights, and the Senate is asked to be the umpire. A senator is bound to lose either way. Senator Frelinghuysen got so alarmed at the situation that he started his own pro- paganda machine in favor of passing the buck to tariff commission with power to suggest rates.
 Ladd Offers Protest Against Propa-
 ganda.
 Senator Ladd has protested vigor- ously, as have other senators, against the misleading propaganda that is cir cu1ated One of his protests came during the discussion of the tariff on shoes and hides The New York Fri bune printed signed story from Washington which asserted that the tariff on shoes and hides would mean a difference of $2 to the purchaser of a pair of shoes Senator Ladd showed that the maximum tariff would be g cents pair. Senator McCumber added that the tariff on hides could only increase the price of shoes an average of eight cents pair. The New York Tribune, republican, and supposedly in favor of protective tariff, made no reference to the two page refutation of the article. Sem ator Ladd brands this and other ar tic1es as vicious propaganda.
 There are many mysteries in the tariff situation, Senators are asking