The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-09-28
Aldrich u. S.


prosperity and falls during periods of
depression-that the greater our pros
perity, the greater our ability to i'm
port.
In his report, he also declares in
effect that protection for us will be less
necessary after the war because the
markets of the world will be short of
goods and exportable goods of all
countries will be in demand
In other words, because there will
be a postwar buying Spree Mr.. Aid
rich would abolish for all time the pro-
| lection which enabled us to build the
worlds greatest industrial plant. Sup
pose we did that Where would we be
when the buying spree was over? 1t
would be as logical to burn ones UNI
| brella because the sun happens to
shine momentarily.
Furthermore, if it is true, as he
says, that there will be a market for
all exportable goods from all countries,
will it improve things if our tariff
protection is destroyed?
Mr.. Aldrich ignores completely one
of the principal reasons for our tariffs !:
differences in wage and living stand
ards of the United States and other
nations. AS long as these differences
exist, America is faced with the choice
of Cd maintaining tariff protection to
enable domestic workers and manufac-
turers to compete with low-wage i'm
ports, (2) lowering our wage and liv-
ing standards to something approach
ing those abroad, or (3) forcing pro-
ducers employing millions of industrial
and agricultural workers to go out of
business
How wide these differences are is
indicated by the testimony of George
n. Peek, first administrator of the
Export-lmport Bank, before the House
Ways and Means Committee in 1910
on extension of the Reciprocal Trade
Agreements Act:
Il used to say that Great Britain's
wage levels were 25 per cent below
ours; Germany's 25 per cent below
Great Britain's; Italy, % per cent be-
low Germany; and of course Japan
clear down for whatever they wanted
to make it. L have been informed, how
ever, that l am mistaken; that | am
too liberal in that estimate; that the
British wages are about half ours, and
not % per cent less than ours, and
Others correspondingly lower"
Until these differences are 'elimi-
mated, there will be need in this
country for some such wage-equalzing
factor as the tariff If foreign manu-
facturers want to see our tariffs abOl-
ished (and apparently they do, judg-
ing from the present campaign) why
should they not help remove the need
for them by first working to raise
living standards in their countries? 1t
is gradual process, to be sure, but it
is the only one which will pave the
way for ultimate reduction or elimina-
ton of our tariffs without undermin-
ing our standards.
AS a matter of fact, there is great
deal of misinformatiOn about the COM
parative level of United States tariffs.
A recent survey revealed that, far
from being highest, our import duties |
are actually among the lowest of the
worlds great trading nations. OF 10
nations studied, our tariffs were 7th !
from the bottom, exceeded by those of |
Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Argen- |
tina, Mexico, Turkey, Switzerland, |
Italy, Greece, Hungary, Egypt and
Brazil.
1t is not generally understood,
either, that nearly two-thirds of our
imports are admitted entirely free of
duty. No other important nation, as
far as is known, has so large Il free
list
In order to have full production
after the war, we are told, something
like so million jobs will be needed. But
our tariffs are already below the point
where many industries feel they can
maintain employment even at pre- war
levels, much less postwar goals. In
fact, some even question their ability
to survive.
1t has been suggested that Ameri-
cans stop making things that other
nations can make more cheaply, and
on other products Well,
suppose we did that. Suppose we shut
down our protected industries What
would happen to the millions of work
ers now depending on them for a
living?
The problem of national security is
also completely ignored. In the present
war, where would this country have +;
been, where would the United Nations
have been, without Americas factories
and agriculture?, Il
Mr.. Aldrich's suggestions are made [
n the interest of world economic sta
Dility. Our best contribution to that |
stability would be the maintenance as {
far as is practical, of our own produc- {
ion ON "A scale anprO3cb chino tbat bN 4