Evening star., 1925-10-04
LABOR TO ASK CUT
.. IN TEXTILE TARIFF
Unprecedented Move Is
Planned Before Next Con-
gress by Federation.

Congress will be asked by the Amerl-
can Federation Of Labor to revise the
tariff downward on textiles.
This is an extraordinary request for
the A. L. of L., and is paradoxically
enough not change In labor's ati-
tude toward the protective tariff as a
whole.
1--WE feel that the protective tariff
is a good thing" said President VIII
liam Green of the A. +. Of l.. today.
because American labor is protected
in its high wages. But when the tex
tile industry takes advantage of con.
ditions entirely apart from labor fac
tors to reduce wages, then 1t iS time
TO call the attention Of Congress to
the situation and demand a lower tar.
if.
Charges Unfairness.
'I know Of no single industry that
has done this except textiles. Even
the steel business, despite its f1unctua-
tions, has maintained it's wage scales.
1t is obviously unfair to labor to be
taken .dyantage of Just because opera
tionS have to be curtailed because OF
diminution in demand. The public has
not received the benefit of these re-
ductions in lower prices. so i feel the
tariff should come down. We shall
go before the ways and means COM
mittee and place all the facts at their
disposal and ask for revision down.
ward"
Mr. Green last Summer issued
statement decrying the reduction in
wages In the textile industry, but he
did not say how vigorously he In
tended OF follow it up. His silence for
several weeks has been interpreted in
some quarters as the end Of the issue.
Mr.. Green, however, will place the
aof ffnY-
of the American Federation of Labor
at Atlantic City next week and reso-
lutionS condemning the reduction in
wages and requesting a revision of
the tariff are almost certain to be
adopted.
Not all the textile manufacturers
feel the same about it, Mr.. Green
says. We have letters from some
of the Rhode Island manufacturers
who are in disagreement with some
of the Massachusetts men on the sub
ject."
Revises Labor's Position.
Mr.. Green's effort to revise the
tariff Is significant. Hitherto labor
has always declared that the protec-
tive tariff maintained high wages.
The A. F. and L., is unwilling to de-
nounce the protective tariff as
some industries are regarded as
real protection to wages. But there
are other demands from various parts
of the United States for a revision
downward of the tariff, particularly
from some agricultural regions where
the rates have not been effective In
keeping the American price high and
where the cost Of commodities pur-
chased by the farmer consumer has
been high.
The Coolidge administration has
made up its mind to resist any tariff
revision whatsoever, being unwilling
to recognize even the just claim for
revision here and there, because it
might open up the whole tariff law
to amendment. And just now the ad-
ministration is anxious to get its tax
bill put through the next session and
postpone, If possible, the controversy
on the tariff until the congressional
elections Of 1926 are over.
Hands Of AT Present.
President Coolidge and Senator
Smoot and Representative Green-the
latter two being chairmen Of the COM
mittees which handle tariff questions
are in absolute agreement on the
subject of letting the tariff law alone
for the present. Insurgent sentiment
more If the matter is to be counted as
major issue in the coming session Of
Congress. The Democrats, as usual,
will back any demand for a lower
tariff and will do all they can to as
sist the American Federation of Labor
to get change In the textile tariff.
It Is a subject that lends itself par
ticularly to politics this year, as Sena-
tor William NJ. Butler, chairman Of
the Republican national committee
and political manager for Mr.. Cool
idge, is already in the midst Of his
campaign for election next Fall and
Is almost certain to have as his op-
ponent Senator David Walsh, who
has been deploring the reduction in
wages and making considerable fuss
about 1t in New England. So whether
the administration does anything
about 1t in the coming session Of Con-
gress, the issue IS bound to creep into
the congressional elections in various
parts Of the country.
1t would be inaccurate, however,
to assume that the tariff issue has
as yet awakened any considerable
public intereSt-at least members of
Congress now in Washington do not
feel they can attract much attention
with 1t based on existing conditions.
These may change next Winter but
the outlook for tariff revision Is in
f1uenced, of course, by the strong
jority which the administration
can command in the House of Repre-
sentatives where such measures must
originate.
Copyright. 1925.)
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