Evening star., 1933-01-13
BY MERWIN H. BROWNE.

The Buy British" movement, fos-
tered by Great Britain to speed pros
perity within the empire, has extended
to the United States, and gullible Amer
leans, lured by the will o. the wisp of
low prices. are buying British goods to
the impoverishment of American fac
tories and firesides.
Seemingly at the very moment when
Americans from coast to coast are be-
ginning to realize that to patronize
home industries means increased en-
ploynent for American workers, the
startling information comes that foun-
dations are being poured, and skyscrap-
ers erected, with British cement, alleg-
edly dumped into the domestic market
over the American tariff wall, at de-
based currency prices.
Indeed, Government officials have
been shocked to learn in recent months
that in the tremendous business area
surrounding New York City relief con-
struction. ordered for the sole purpose
of providing work for part of America S
vast army of the unemployed, has utll-
lied British and not American cement.
Robbed of Labor.
The influx of British cement into
America followed closely the deprecia-
ton of the British pound sterling,
CduSGu Nv uOoA4AOfAAASAAe "
the gold standard. In 1881 over 200, 900
barrels of the foreign product were i'm
ported by American dealers. This
meant, according to sworn testimony
from leaders OF the American cement
industry, that American workmen were
cheated of $4,000 man-dayS OF hire.
This is estimated on the basis OF 62.5
man-days of labor directly concerned
in the manufacture Of 1000 barrels Of
cement, and 62.5 man-days Of labor in
directly concerned in collateral acttW-
ties. In other words, had the British
cement not been imported, American
workers would have had $4,000 addi-
tional days Of labor.
AS in other industries, 1t seems in
credible that such a bulky commodity
as cement from abroad can compete
satisfactorily with the domestic prod
uct in this country. Yet it threatens to
snatch the American market from the
American producer, and although but a
comparatively small amount of the
foreign products has been imported, 1t
has already paralyzed the price Level
of the domestic industry.
The area within a 100-mile radius OF
New York City is the great cement pro-
ducer of America, If not the greatest
cement producing area in the world. 1t
is this area which Is feeling SO strongly
the British competition. 1t Is this area
in which contracts calling for the use
of American cement have been broken,
so that British cement might be used,
and it is in this area where the Aneri-
can manufacturer is beginning to be
shouldered from the picture. One
cement manufacturer alone told Gov
eminent officials that in Newark, N. j.,
where he formerly sold his product to
l6 wholesale cement dealers, IA have
deserted to the British product.
Matches Domestic Quality.
Ordinarily" says brief submitted
to the Treasury Department in behalf
of the American manufacturers, "it
would be fair criticism that such a
small importation would amount to no
more than a flea bite on this industry,
but the circumstances under which a
small quantity is imported, coupled with
the constant quotation of prices below
our cost of production, plus the ability
to deliver to our market up to 10000, 900
barrels a year, constitutes serious
menace. It has been impossible for
domestic mills to raise their price struc-
ture to their cost of production, much
less to figure which would permit
them to make a profit"
One of the chief difficulties faced by