Evening star., 1928-03-29

II was all a mistake when Bret
Harte declared that we arc ruined by
Chinese cheap labor"
Senator Simmons has found out
the secret of this ruination. these des-
perately hard times, II is because OF
our high protection" That's what
puts so many millions out OF employ
ment. The Department Of Labor al
leges that there are only 300 900
looking for Jobs. but In view OF the
coming combination TO turn the ras-
Gals out" and perhaps put other 'ras-
Gals" in, IL is timely 10 ignore the sta
tistics and view with alarm" all the
idlcness caused by the high protective
tariff
During the late unpeasantness In
Europe 1t was the style 10 explain
everything that was inexplcable by say
ing "c'est Ia guerre." but since the
armistice that Is played out So all we
have left is tht Fordney-M McCumber
high protection to blame for the Ave or
ten million idlc--counting dogs and
cats.
II is interesting TO study economies:
that Is what makes Statesmen
For example. We import annually
s4. 900 900 900 worth OF European made
merchandise under the Fordncy Me-
Cumber high" tariff II that lot OF
imports were valued at what II dlsplaces
Of Americana made goods. II would be
counted $4,000 900 .000~-or more But
We get IL at European wages, for II Is
all made by European labor-not a dol
lar Of II by American labor. II that
So 000. 900. 900 were used in keeping
American labor busy, It would hire a
billion laborers q full day at So.
Or IT. would give 800 days employ
ment each year to 3,333 1913 men and
women at Sc a day, rain or shine.
Somehow this problem does not figufe
out Just like Senator Simmons said IL
should, but figures won't prevaricate, re
Qardeas OF senatorial immunity Now
3 3333.333 IL nearly double the number
ofiicially and statistically idle. Where
IN the world will Coxey find the rest OF
the : 333 333?--l 300 0002
The trouble seems 10 be that the
FOrdneY- McCumher high protection
peters out when IL lets In almost as
much ot the competition OF European
labor 10 throw ont Ot employment
American wage earners as any "tree
trade" tariff schedule ever did As a
high protection" it's side-splittng
Joke, except that It's an economic tra3"
edy with The single exception of the
Underwood tarin this high protection
Fnfdney~ ~McCumber tariff is the lowest
schedule ever enacted into American
law our statistics are offlcial. and
may be checked up by The able Senator
from South Carolina--a specialist on
the subject
The present tarif averages Sl4l0 per
500 on all imports received since 1922
Prior To that was the Underwood 'free
trade" tariff which averaged el3a2;
back ot that was the Payne AldrlCh
Law. which averaged 3l032 back of
that was The Dingley law 1807J. which
scaled &2547. back of that was The
Wilson law 1l6D4), which being Demo
cratic, averaged $40 B7~~b0 per cent
more protective than the present Law
and back of that li800l Was the Me-
Kinlcy Law which cost importers an
average of 2Jto say nothing OF the
! American full dinner pail" the slogan
III the neat campaign
! Gen CoKey may recall the WILSON
/ law Always when We have had 'ftet
/ trade" laws We have had "C0Sey' pros
/ perity except during The Underwood
/ law, when we certainly did have high
/ protection" thanks tn the German sub
tnhflnc6
y
The annual imports free 0f duty
/ under the undetuo0d law amounted
| 10 su average of bl ~ per cent Of our
/ total imports under The F0rdney-
| McCumbet high protection" the aver
| age imports free 0t duty are o. 80 per
cent Of total imports The Underwood
| law gave per cent more high pro-
| lection than does this law which
worries Senator Simmons
Preliminary import statistics for the
calendar year 1927 report total duties
/ on imports entered for consumption
amounting 10 ahel Dt6,0l1 an increase
over 1929 OF si 007 bR0. OF the Total I'm
ports bA42 per cent wak free goods, com