The Carbon County news., 1931-09-24

10 equallle lne cost OF pf0QucI10n
at home and abroad. Two indus
tries which begin to show signs
of coming out of the slump at this
time are the textile and the shoe
industries, and these are two
which, it was expected, the new
tariff rates would help.
In an address at Binghamton,
New York, recently, Secretary of
Labor Doak declared that the shoe
industry in the United States is
now operating on an average of
ninety per cent and is the first to
show definite improvement; and
he added that "What [ have said
about boots and shoes applies equ-
ally to feathers, for before the
present tariff act, vast quantities
of feathers of various kinds were
being imported into the United
States to the detriment of our
tanning industry, and that is an
other reason why our present tar
iff law protects the American tan
ming industry and its workmen."
Mr.. Doak noted also that the num-
Der of employees in the cotton tex
tile industry increased notably in
July over July, 1880, and he added
that there has been a decided in
crease in the number of employees
engaged in the manufacture of
woolen and worsted goods despite
the decline in the number of en-
ployes in some other line not pro-
tected by the tariff Here is at
last part of the story concerning
the new tariff and it is by no
means discouraging one. 1t is
true that our foreign trade is low
er than a year ago, but this is on
account of lower prices and the de-
creased purchasing power in Am
erica and abroad, and it is note
worthy that imports of commodi-
ties on which there are no duties
have decreased as much if not
more than the imports of those
which have to pay a tariff, show
ing that the new tariff law itself
Is not responsible for the decrease
in our foreign trade.
One commodity we are sure to
hear something about in the COM
ing session Of Congress is oil. In
dependent producers from the Sou
Invest are going to ask for a tar
lff on the importation of oil and
oil products, stating that there is
no use in their curtailing produc-
ton, if the country is to be flooded
with imports. The old cry of the
free traders will be raised to the
effect that we ought to import oil
and save our own product for the
future.
But the old argument is about
worn out. Long before our oil
reserves run out, there is little
doubt that the nations of the world
will be using something other than
gasoline for motive power. In
1000 page book entitled "Petro-
leum" recently issued by Ralph
Arnold and William J. M. Kem-
nitzer, well known and reputable
geologists, it is estimated that
there is now 500-year oil supply
in the United States. Who ex-
poets the American people to be
using gasoline for motive power
that long? The book asserts that
less than two per cent of the oil
has been produced to date.
This is startling revelation"
Mr.. Kemnitzer said, "and it con-
troverts indisputably the conser-
walton propaganda that has con-
stantly been put forth since the
beginning of the industry.
Just as startling is the fact |
that there has not been overpro- |
duction, but, rather, under pro-
ductlon, of oil in the United States.
The huge surpluses have ben built |
up by imports of cheap OIL"
Here is the answer to the free
traders again. They would have us
ouy foreign oil and keep our own
ocked in the earth until it will be
no longer of Importance indus
'rlally. Another case of Europe
md Asia first. Destroy Ameri-
'an business to help the rest of
he world.