The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-12-21

tion was enacted to protect the job
opportunities and the standards of
life of Americas industrial and agri-
cultural workers. Yet, today, we find
the shelves of many American stores
stocked with the products of the very
workers which the laws Of our country
deny entry to.
Of what protection then are re-
strictive laws on immigration if we
do not at the same time discourage
the entry and sale of commodities and
articles produced by these workers in
foreign countries, produced under
wages and standards Of life much be-
low the wages and standards of liv-
ing prevailing in our own country?
Indeed, the whole objective of our
so-called labor. and social legislation
will have been destroyed unless we
adopt a policy of requiring competi-
tive products coming into our markets
in competition with like products of
Americas workers to have been pro-
duced under conditions and standards
required Of the product of our own
workers.
Because of the Importance and COM
plexity of these problems, the Ameri-
can Labor farm and industrial in
terests involved, it is imperative we
call upon The Congress to perform it's
constitutional functions, cancel all
Reciprocal Trade Treaties as having
been entered into without constitu-
| kiD,,o1 "a ooo0nl fo,. h1y
stitutional requirement and of being
continued even in violation of their
own provisions. We should further
call upon the Congress to enact i'm
mediately legislation designed to i'm
pose an Excise Tax on the entry of
all foreign made goods, now OH the
dutiable list, which goods are COM
petitive with products of Americas
workers, industrial or agricultural,
and which will prevent the competi-
tive products of workers Of foreign
countries being delivered into Ameri-
can market at costs which are less
than the delivered costs of compar-
able products of Americas workers.
In making such a demand we are
merely doing what the leading indus
trial and commercial nations Of the
World have been doing for years
namely levying duties on imports in
to their countries on the basis of the
value of such goods in their respective
countries-Reciprocal Trade Treaties
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
After all is said and done the pros
perity of America is dependent upon
the employment opportunities, the
purchasing and the consuming abili-
ties of the American people. In the
main, these are the wage and small
income workers and farmers. Ameri-
can industrial and farm labor is not
lacking in consuming power. What it
is lacking is purchasing power and
purchasing power is dependent upon
employment opportunities.
Labor-Buy American
However, we should have recourse
not alone to methods and procedures
wholly within the sphere of govern
ment. AS purchasers and consumers
we are a tremendous force in the
whole of our industrial and economic
life. 1t is for the express purpose of
organizing this tremendous purchasing
influence and power of labor as well
as other sympathetic groups that we
have organized and promoted not
only a Union Label but LABOR
"BUY AMERICAN" campaign, as
, WELL
American labor is deeply concerned
in promoting and safeguarding the
American market to American capital
as well as American labor. We have
here in America the greatest market
in the world. While our population
represents only seven per cent of the
entire world we do enjoy the use OF
approximately 70eo of the worlds
automobiles, 500 of it's telephones
500 of it's radios and more than 35 90
of it's railroads. Then, too, our people
consume more than 20fo of the
worlds silk. The total purchasing
power Of the American people is
greater than that of Europe anC
larger than that Of Asia. Since more
than 80 per cent Of the commerce anC
trade of the United States is within
the borders of our own country. Since
an increase of ten per cent in our do
mestic trade is of more value to oul
people than a 100 per cent increase
in our foreign trade, it should be sell
evident that our first interest shoul(
!: be centered upon home and self, tt
BE AMERICAN-to BUY AMERI
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