Evening star., 1940-01-28
Trade Pacts Favor
American Workmen,
.Lubin Declares
Il
Labor Department
Spokesman Says Jobs
Have Been Greeted
By the Associated Press.

A Labor Department spokesman
told Congress yesterday that the
reciprocal trade agreements pro.
gram had created many more Jobs
in this country than it could con-
ceivably have displaced, and had
operated "very much in favor Of
the American workman"
Isadore Lubin, commissioner OF
labor statistics, made those state
ments to the House Ways and
Means Committee which is con-
sidering the administrators re-
quest that the trade law be ex-
tended for three years beyond June
IL, it's present expiration date.
Mr.. Lubin asserted that from
1884 to 1887 labor employed in pro-
ducing agricultural machinery for
export to trade agreement coun-
tries increased by 1S9 per cent.
Labor employed in producing agri-
cultural instruments for export to
other countries increased by 152
per cent, he said.
Clashes With Woodruff.
In addition to it's benefits to Ia
Dor. MIR. Lubin testified, the trade
program measurably softened the
effect of the 1898 business recess
sion.
The economist clashed sharply
with Representative Woodruff, Re-
publican, of Michigan over the rea-
son for establishment of American
branch factories in Canada and
other countries before the trade pro-
gram was inaugurated.
Referring to a Commerce Depart
ment report on the subject issued
in 1932-before the Roosevelt ad-
ministration took off1ce-Mr. Lubin
said it showed the factory migration
was due to tariffs, restrictions on
exchange and interferences with the
free flow of trade.
Mr.. Woodruff read a paragraph
from the same report which he con-
tended showed that Canadian pat
ent laws were responsible for the
shift of American factories to that
country.
The answer to that" Mr.. Lubin
retorted, lis that when the tariffs
were reduced, the factories came
back to the United States"
Denies Costs Are Higher.
The witness tangled again with
Mr.. Woodruff when the latter re.
marked that costs of production in
this country we're higher than those
of many foreign countries because
wages were higher here.
"I deny that" Mr.. Lubin inter-.
rupted. He added that in spite Of
high wages, the efficiency Of Ameri-
can workmen and their background
in the tradition of mass production
methods enabled manufacturers here
to undersell foreign competitors in
most lines.
In response to questions, Mr..
Lubin told Mr.. Woodruff he did not
believe European nations could
overcome that disadvantage within
a generation, even If American ma
chimes and processes were made
available to them.
4ou AC lAiC kICAtCob OPtAAAASt tIldb
I've ever seen," Mr.. Woodruff com.
mented. -.-.-
Representative Treadway. Repub-
ican, of Massachusetts, placed in
the record a statement from the
Northampton CMass) Board Of
Registrars certifying that a Henry
w. Stimson of Northampton was
listed as a Democrat in the State
primaries of 1888.
! Mr.. Treadway recalled that Mr..
Stimson. tobacco grower and dairy
man, who has testified in favor Of
the trade agreements program. had
told the committee he had been Q
lifelong" Republican.
| Countering Mr. Treadway's move,
Representative Buck. Democrat, Of
/ California inserted in the record a
| portion of Mr. Stimson's testimony
before the Senate Finance Com
mittee in 1887 in which the witness
declared that while he had been
elected on Republican ticket 20
times for various ofnces, II did
campaign for seven weeks for
Roosevelt's reelection in 1885,"