Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-01-14
THURSDAY, JANUARY IA, 1882
ANOTHER ATTACK ON EMPLOYMENT
BY GEORGE B. LOCKWOOD

Democratic House leaders say they intend to revise the
tariff at this present session of Congress. Their plan
which is not disclosed, may be a horizontal general reduc-
ton, rather than a revision schedule by schedule
which would presumably be preceded by extended hear
ings. Senate Democrats are said to have a plan to reduce
the tariff on cement, lumber and sugar.
The present tariff on cement does not measure the dill
ference in labor costs between Belgium and the United
States, and therefore does not fulfill the pledge of either
political party to bridge in tariff rates the difference IN
labor standards between this and competing countries.
Wages in Philadelphia, according to a report of the De
partment of Labor, are more than three times as great IN
purchasing power as wages in Brussels. Belgian cement
is moved to our seaboard with little cost, carrying a low
water freight; often serving as ballast. The freight from
Belgium to our seaboard is less than the cost of a short
rail haul from interior points. On the other hand rail
freights do not permit competition of Belgian cement in
the Middle West. American cement production has been
displaced In some cases, however, by Belgian cement az
points in Pennsylvania. The reduction of the cement tar
if could have only one effect, and that is TO add to UNI
employment in the United States by giving an unfair adj
vantage in our markets to the cheap labor output Of Bel
GUM and Germany.
More than a third Of a million workers are iobless in our
timber areas in this country because Of the present made
quate lumber tariff. A small lumber tariff was imposed
over the protest of the lobby representing American lum-
bermen who have large timber holdings in Canada, where
half Of the labor in this industry is Asiatic. Scandinavian
and Russian lumber interests also fought protection for
the American industry. The result was that an made
quate tariff was fixed, and this only on certain classes OF
lumber. Lumber prices in the United States are control
led by foreign producers and at a level which has strang-
led the timber industry in this country.
Pressure for reduction of the sugar tariff is due to the
fact that several of the larger New York bankers are
heavily involved in investments in sugar plantations and
centrals in Cuba. Their desire is to have greater control
of our own domestic cane and beet sugar production which
furnishes employment to thousands of American workers
and an outlet for farm production 1t will be remembered
that predictions were made by those opposing the increase
in the sugar tariff given in the present law, that the adj
ditional cost Of sugar would place a heavy burden on the
American consumer. However, sugar has been sold in
this country at lower prices than have been known since
colonial days during the past eighteen months. The in
crease in tariff on raw sugar in the present tariff law is
about ten per cent.
The sugar industry in this country already faces a ser
ious situation, endangering the present employment anC
investment in the industry. It has been attacked from
several directions. For the first time in the history O.
the country refined sugar was placed under the new tariff
practically on a free trade basis. Importations of refined
sugar from the raw producing countries have been enor
mously increased. England and Canada have increased
their already high tariff on sugar, while France has prac
tically prohibited the import Of sugar from non-Frencl
sources. The result has been to turn the sugar production
Of the whole world on the American market. Under thu