, 1922-05-01
Nationwide Cooperation

irwo ITEMS IN COMMERCIAL inteiligenee within
I'll the past few days likely to be passed with slight
consideration, demand a great deal more INV
than We fear they viii receive
They are comparatively innocent in themselves out
in their ultimate effect are far-reaching-
The items in question are: "A shipment OIL ioo'oOO
e,sss ~ Palermo lemons is m transit to points on
the e.st coast of the United States" and an order
for lao, 600 cases of window glass has been piaeeo In
Belgium by San Francisco buyers"
/ Here is a matter for consideration ana ao1uupeA'i0
nS bet,yeer. and by the east and west coasts
These two instances illustrate vividly the necessity
for all sections of the country to get together on the
urotectiye tariff policy. East coast importers u
lemons no doubt oppose the Republican rates on a
commodity the profitable production OF when Is ot
y;tal concern to California In their oppositlon they
.tt.mpt to enlist the sympathies OF consumers Oh
Ier,ons. among whom might be counted the tnousahus
of operatives engaged in produetion OF "Lnuow In.
west coast importers of window glass are no res
onposed to protective rates on that commodity ana
stev would welcome the aid of lemon producers IN
pIacing window glass on the free list FOR e1ampe'
- No % FrTer company, of San Francisco, told the
NV and means committee that the people IN the
claSs industry. "both manufacturers and workmen'
snr,e IN YOU to assist them in perpetratng one OF tine
s-eatest holdups that has come to our notice me
FuIlers import Belgian glass. Perhaps they placed
the order above cited, which totals 6'5oo'poo square
Pet ~ window glass. On the other hand, the italan
~f.rbcr of CONNER in New York City, which IS inter
ested IN Palermo lemons, accused the California lemon
rrisers of "venturing into fancy vaiuahon o u lher
nr,nertv in order to raise the cost Of production.
Now. what would be gained If the eastern INDUSTRY
were induced to view the tariff on lemons as "through
n glass durkly," while the western INDUSTRY conttlD-
uted lemon aid to the movement for free trade IN
-Jass7 Possibly the man IN the mill would be able to
purchase his lemons more cheaply for n brief time,
and the man on the farm might save a few cents by
lighting his house with Belgian panes. But when the
ris-s factory and the lemon farm had been put out
Of business the operatives in both industries would
be ruined and the people of the entire country would
nav tribute to Italian and Belgian monopohes.
According to the admissions of opponents OF pro
lection to the lemon industry. that industry made
remarkable strides in development under protection
And that the window glass industry has been built up
under that policy is well known. American wages
and production costs in both industries are much
higher than they are in Europe. The importers want
free trade in order that they may get the profits
from monopolizing the business. The academic free
traders might well direct their now misguided phil
anthropies toward improving the living and wage
standards of European laborers.
The hearings on window glass and on lemons held
by the congressional committees are rife with testi-
mony by employers and employees alike, that they
cannot meet European selling costs and continue in
business. That applies to other American industries,
factory and farm, as well. But what is vitality nee
essary is to stick together on the protective policy and
not permit the importing interests to drive a wedge
sections should work together for the perpetuation of
the protective policy. The Southern Tariff associa-
tion realizes this, and is one of a number of organ
izations working to secure nationwide cooperation
along this line. The enemies of protection are ever
ebert to take advantage of a rift in the ranks of the
advocates of protection to American industries.