The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-01-30
Jobs Of Pottery Workers
Threatened By Tdriff Cut

rage 10, carries a taDulatlon snow
ing that the average rate of wages
was 24l5 cents per hour, on the basis
of a value of .2017 cents per shill-
ing. The same publication shows
that the average work week was
46 hours.
Secretary Clayton, as shown on
Page 116 of the 1916 House Ways
and Means Committee Hearings on
the extension of the Trade Agree
ments Act, filed a statement
alleging that the productivity of
workers, with a basis of 100 for
Americans, was for the British 36,
for those in Soviet Russia 38 and
the productivity of the japanese
was % that of American workers.
"The accuracy of this report can
best be judged when one notes
that the socalled efficient workers
of Britain are credited with a pro-
ductivity of 36 per cent of that in
America while the unframed or
slightly trained workers of Soviet
Russia are credited with a produc-
tivity of 38 per cent of that of
American workers.
"While at the moment we have
not the figures to indicate that
this alleged study was produced
with a purpose in mind it is our
belief that we will soon be able to
show that the productivity, insofar
as it relates to present day produc-
tivities of the countries named,
was greatly understated.
Tariff Rate OF $50 Percent Needed
To Equalize Differences in
Costs Of Production
Con the basis of an article worth
$lO0, with, as shown by the Tariff
Commission, a labor cost of so
per cent, the labor cost of such
article would be $4,000.
with American workers aver
aging $1.20 per hour this $50 labor
cost would provide American work
ers with al 2/3rds hours of pro-
ductive employment. With British
wages, as cited by the Tariff Com
mission, at % cents per hour, pre-
sumably an average, although
not so stated, and, with a produc-
tivity of 36 per cent of ours, the
labor cost in England of such an
article would be some $32.41.
"To equalize the difference in
these labor costs, as we estimate
it, tariff of $17.59 or tariff rates
equal to more than 80 per cent
would be needed.
"On the other hand, if we figure
the British wages, averaged, as set
forth in the official publication of
the British Ministery of Labor, as
shown for January 1916, to be 24R
cents per hour, the differences
which tariff rate would be need
ed to equalize would require a rate
of 76 per cent.
Accepting the wages set forth
by the Trade Agreement Digest,
shown to be six cents per hour for
Japanese pottery workers, we find,
on the same basis, that a tariff
rate of 800 per cent, based on
foreign values, would be needed to
equalize the difference in Ameri-
can and japanese costs of produc-
tion.
What chance would the pro-
ducts of the American workers
have in the American market, in
competition with the products of
the Japanese workers, unless the
products Of American workers are
to be accorded sufficient tariff
protection to make it possible to
FULL EMPLOYMENT
in the American Pottery industry?
"When the Tariff Act of 1880
was under consideration we sup
ported a proposal to lower the
tariff on imports of Bone china
ware products, at that time almost
exclusively produced in England.
Predictions And Expectations
Faulty
"When we entered into the trade
treaty with Great Britain our ne
gotiators reduced the tariff rate
on imports Of Bone chinaware from
II per cent to 45 per cent Of the
British values. We have before in
iicated that the British Pottery
while receiving less than
one-fourth the wages paid to
American Pottery workers, still re-
ceive more than four times the
wages paid to japanese Pottery
Workers.
"The Tariff Commission Digest,
Volume 2, Page 100, shows that as
soon as these tariff rate reductions
vent into effect,
The japanese began to
manufacture and export Bone
china to the United States,
proving that there is no rea-
son, chronological or other,
why Bone china cannot be pro-
duced in any country
"The House Ways and Means
Committee Hearings, 1916, on the
extension of Trade Agreements,
Page 45 and Page ll5 show where
n Secretary Clayton made some
predictions as to how competitive
would future imports from Ger