Evening star., 1926-09-22
REPUBLICAN TARIFF
MADE PARTY ISSUE
Guthrie, N. J. Labor Leader,
Makes Letter Public Dur
ing White House Visit.

The tariff as Republican campaign
issue was brought more definitely to
tlk political front at the White House
To-Day when George W. Guthrie, la
hd' leader of New Jersey, called and
iatcsented in person to the President
a lletter declaring that the Fordney-
MtCumber TIA. &c asst had been boom
I'd millions of American working men
and that a reverson to low protection
from foreign industries would be dis
astrous to prosperity in the United
States.
Nh Guthrie. who is secretary of the
Mercer County Central Labor Union
of Trenton. and president of the Print
ing PresSmen's Local Union, No. 10,
called at the White House this morn
ing and was closeted with President
Coolidge for some time. \ short time
after he was admitted, complete copies
of the communication were distrib-
uted among newspaper men by White
House attaches.
Before Mr. Guthrie left the Presi-
dents office, newspaper and motion
picture photographers were called in
and invited to make pictorial records
of the labor leader handing the mis-
sive to Mr.. Coolidge.
Contents of Letter.
The letter follows in part
Dear Mr.. President:
September % will be the fourth
anniversary of the going into effect of
the ordney-McCumber tariff act, and.
| believe that the anniversary OF an
event which has meant SO much to
the people Of the United States, par
ticularly to labor, should not be over
tI r,f
States.
'It is needless for me to call your
attention to the distressing conditions
which existed in this country in 1920
and 1921, when foreign-made goods
were driving American products from
our American markets. Every one
remembers the hardships suffered by
the men and women who vainly
sought employment at that time. En-
actment Of the Fordney McCumber
act in 1922 resulted in an immediate
improvement in conditions, and now.
after four years under protection, the
country in enjoying a period of un-
usual prosperity.
NO one denies, | believe. that
wages are higher in the United
States and have a greater buying
power than in any other part of the
world. | happened to read very re-
Gently a statement made by William
B. Wilson. former Democratic Secre
tary of Labor, and now Democratic
candidate fer the Senate in Pennsyl-
vania, in which Mr.. Wilson frankly
admitted this fact
Question of Wages Cited.
This state of affairs which it is
SO important to maintain can be con
tinued only by means of an adequate
IL h<Ni
Fordney- -McCumber act. If foreign
made goods are allowed to enter the
United States freely and compete with
American-made and produced articles,
one of two things must happen
either American manufacturers and
producers will be driven out of buSi-
ness or they will he forced to reduce
wages to the world standard. If re-
duction in the American wage stand
ard meant merely a reduction com
parable to the reduction in the cost
Of living. which could also result
from such "a policy. no great harm
would be caused in the end, although
even such a change would require a
period of reorga niZatiOn, in the course
of which great hardship would be
caused.
at would not mean merely this,
however, because the placing Of the
United States on a free-trade or
tariff iff-for-reVenueonly basis would
mean q, much greater reduction In the
buying power of the American work
mems wages than the reduction which
would result in the cost of living.
There are many important ma
tional questions before the public to-
day, but it seems to me that the
matter of greatest importance is the
continuance of those high standards
of living which have made the United
States the greatest country in the
world in which to live and work. Sep
tember %. four years after the res
storation of tariff protection as a ma
tional policy, seems to me to be a fit
ting time to pause and consider the
fact to which / have REFEREED