The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-10-22
r. o N TIN u E ID
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Thousands Hear
President Speak
In West Virginia

Due to deprecated currencies in
foreign countries, the tariffs have
been seriously impaired lately In a
number Of commodities. The depre-
citation In currency in foreign coun-
tries has in effect lowered wages and
lowered standards Of living In those
countries.
Survey Four Years Ago
Four years ago I directed q survey
to be made Of the cost of living
amongst workers in foreign countries,
using as denomination the amount OF
bread and butter that could be pur-
chased at retail with a worxmens
wages in each country. I found that
in the highest wage countries they
could purchase about one-half as
much bread and butter with current
wages as could be purchased by the
workmen in the United States In COM
parable jobs, and found that In the
countries Of lowest wages they could
purchase with their wages about one
third Of the amount OF bread and
butter that could be purchased by the
American workman.
Recently I had this situation re-
surveyed In view Of deprecated cur
rencies. I found that In the highest
paid countries instead of being able
to purchase one-half as much bread
and butter as an American workman,
they could only purchase one-third
as much ana in the countries of low
est standards of living. instead OF
purchasing one-third as much they
could only purchase one-eighth as
much.
In the face of this the Democratic
party promises to reduce your tar
IFS. In the face of this I have asked
the tariff commission to re-investi-
gate the whole rates on many COM
modities to see whether the tariff Is
giving the protection provided in the
law.
And now the Democratic party
promises to destroy the effectiveness
Of the tariff commission.
Reason Is Obvious
The reason they wish to destroy
this independent authority is OBJ
vious. So long as the tariff commits
sion holds in this position they do
not dare to criticiSe schedules In the
tariff because at once any valid criti-
cism could be promptly answered by
investigation and remedy through the
commission. But of more importance
from this purely political point, the
Democratic party would not wish to
roHnNo thu 70 psffc nj AoV IN 70
iff commission promptly restore them.
In order to attack the tariff they
have set up an ingenius hypothesis
that it prevents imports into the
United States and thereby decreases
the ability of foreigners to buy our
goods and they say to the American
workman that he would produce and
sell more goods for export If there
were a lower tariff.
I call your attention to the fact
that SO per cent of the market for
the American workman is within the
borders Of the United States and
seven per cent outside the borders.
They propose to place our SO per
cent at the disposal Of all countries
in the world with the fantastic idea
the American farmer and worker can
reduce his standard Of living so as
to increase his part of the seven per
cent, by reducing his standards to
those of labor which can buy only
one-third as much bread and butter.
Figures Give Explanation
They say that the decrease in our
exports during this crisis has been
due to the retaliatory measures
against our tariff. This can be dis
posed Of in the easiest fashion in the
world. Twc-thirds of the goods i'm
ported into the United States are
on the free list and the decrease in
our imports has been just exactly In
the same percentage on free goods
as 1t has been on dutiable goods. 1t
must be obvious that some force is
working in the world which affects
free goods just the same as pro-
tected goods.
And I do not wish to be misinter-