The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-06-08
TARIFF RATES ALONE DO NOT
CONSTITUTE TRADE BARRIER

MATTHEW WOLL Vice President, American
N1 Federation of Labor, and, President, Amer
icas Wage Farmers Protective Conference, in al
able address delivered in New York, June l. eX
tracts from which are printed elsewhere in this
issue, exposed the fallacy that tariff rates alone
constitute trade barriers which initiate against
the extension of our foreign trade.
President Woll stressed the point SO vital t
the needs of Americas workers, and, SO Otter
ignored by those who talk so glibly about Inter
national trade, that JOB SECURITY for Gamer
icas workers) is OF PARAMOUNT IMPORT
ANCE."
In this address President VOL laid special EN-
phasis on two points OF great Importance TO the
members of our Brotherhood.
Referring to the "lack of price stability, and
instability of currencies," it is well to remember
that the Tariff Commission, in its report on Pot
terry. stated that, during the period of excessive
depreciation of the Uapanesel Yen in 1882 and
the early months of 1888, while Yen prices OF
Pottery were still very low, the landed costs, duty
paid of Japanese articles in the United States
HAD BEEN MUCH BELOW THE DOMESTIC
COST OF PRODUCTION, and this situation had
caused much complaint in the domestic (Amerl-
CAM industry.
Even though the officers of your Brotherhood
demonstrated to the Tariff Commission that eX-
ports from Japan were controlled by a Govern
ment operated monopoly, and, additional taflll
protection was essential to the protection OF the
jobs of American Pottery workers. we secured no
satisfaction.
The American labor movement has, for years,
requested that tariff rates be levied on the basis
of the value in the American market OF the mn
ported and competitive articles not IN Japan, or,
some other country, where, as President VOL, SO
well said, "the people suffer the greatest sub
merged standards of life and word. They are the
greatest beneficaries under our present system
(of levying duties on imports on foreign valua-
tion) particularly the JAPANESE and peoples of
other low standard and semi-enslaved nations.
Mr.. VOL very properly makes the point that
the American Chemical industry was enabled to
be in position to render to our nation and It's
allies the valiant, patriotic and all important serv
ice essential to our victory in this colossal and
world wide devastating war, because cOmpetlve
(chemicaD imports were dutable on the basis OF
comparable and competitive American products.
When your Representative appeared before
the Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate
Finance Committee seeking adequate tariff pro-
lection in order to protect the job opportunities ofI
those dependent for their livelihood on the sue
cessful operation of the American Pottery indus
try we were charged with asking too much Wei
were told that with tariff rate of 10 per cent wei
had enough. However, when the Tariff Commls-I
sion converted this 20 per cent tariff rate baSedI
on foreign valuation, it found that it was equiv
alent to tariff rate of only 26 per cent, based onl
American valuation.
Had it not been for the assistance we rel
ceived from the Americas Wage Earners' Pro
tectve Conference, and the all out fight on ourl
behalf of former United States Senator Henry ID.
Hatfield of West Virginia, through which we Sc
cured an additional duty of ten cents per dozenl
pieces on all imports of Tableware it is fair to say
that the members of our Brotherhood would haveI
had much less opportunities for employment than
we have had.
Even when the Tariff Commission reported
that Tableware produced in Japan controlled some
35 per cent of all imports and that such products
were being landed, duty paid, at less than our
costs of production, we were unable to secure
simple justice at the hands of the Washington
beaurocrats
1t is possible that Secretary Hull, in his re-
cent call on American industry TO produce onyI
those goods which do not need tariff protection
had the American Pottery industry in mind |
However, it is our believe that so long as we can
secure from the Congress of the United States
adequate tariff protection the members of ourI: