The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-02-13
AN EDITORIAL
EMERGENCY ACTION is NEEDED-NOW!

present cOD0tlOnS washington
bic to the days Of Rome when, it is said NERO FID
DIED WHILE ROME BURNED.
Briefs, under oath, embodying the protests of hun
dreds of thousands Of American citizens, industrial
workers. miners, fishermen, farmers, employers and
others filed last December with the State Depart
mens Committee for Reciprocity Information protest
ing against further reductions in tariff rates compe
tive imports.
In addition, hundreds of representatives of these
American citizens, in January, personally appeared be-
fore this same Committee, and under OATH presented
substantial why further tariff rate reductions
should be agreed to until study had been made of the
effects of the tariff rate reductions already made.
There is evidence believe, which leads us to the
conclusion that these protests and these appeals have
fallen closed ears.
The Congress of the United States is now the last
court of appeal.
Government Agencies, warrants the Congress acting
NOW 1t will be too late to act go through the
tons of trying to act after solemn and binding oblga
Ons have been entered into with foreign governments
wherein the United States has agreed for period of
three years and six months to permit of the dump
ing into American markets of competitive imports at
tai delivered COSTS tariff duties paid which less than
American costs of production OF comparable compet
tive goods.
Americas industrial workers, especially those work
such the Pottery workers, who dependent for
their livelihood the production of goods which
pete in American markets with competitive products of
workers OF other countries realize that unless tariff
duties levied competitive imports which equalzes
the differences in labor costs of production they de-
prived of their work opportunities.
Americas industrial workers realize the value of
and seek FULL EMPLOYMENT.
We know that we cannot have FULL EMPLOY
MENT if competitive imports can be delivered into
markets at total COSTS tariff duties paid which
less than the labor costs of production of products
We are NOT EXCLUSIONISTS, but we insist that
present tariff rates Inadequate Our contentious
sustained by the official reports of the Tariff Commits
sion to the Congress- Of the United States
We do not oppose the entry into Americas markets
of competitive imports We do oppose the entry of
petve goods at total delivered costs which less than
our costs of production.
The world has been at War for the past eight years.
During at least five of those there has been little
if any, commercial trading in the accepted meaning of
that word.
The United States Tariff Commission in an official
presentation to Congress has reported The economic
conditions throughout the world were so disturbed in
1885, the result of preparations for and actual out
break of War, that the STATISTICS OF UNITED
STATES IMPORTS for that year CANNOT BE TAKEN
EFFECTS OF THESE (tarff) DUTY REDUCTIONS
nNDER zoP PEAGETIME T19E 4 the IMPORT mp M
OF WMAT W AAT BEN
EFFECTS on competitive imports.
The United States Tariff Commission has also ad-
vsed the Congress hat comparative data wages and
productivity for the United States and foreign countries
are fragmentary, and on the whole, quite unsatsfac
tory Few studies have been made that furnish ade
quate comparison of workers earnings and productivity
in manufacturing industries between different
tries"
The United States Tariff Commission has also Off
ciay advised , the Congress that; THE APPROXIMATE
amount of medium priced CHINA MADE IN THE
UNITED STATES IN 1937-1939 $3.50 per dozen
pieces THE LANDED, DUTY PAID AVERAGE UNIT
VALUE OF WARE OF SIMILAR GRADE IMPORTED
FROM JAPAN WAS 40 PER CENT OF THAT FIGURE
($4.5O) AND THAT FROM GERMANY AND CZECHO-
WAS ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF IT." ($4.5O)
According to official figures the average hourly
earnings of pottery workers in 1945 80 cents in the
United States and % cents in the United Kingdom"
"Japans chief competitive advantage lay in her low
wage rates. In 1889 the average direct daily for
10hOur day about so CENTS to which should be added
perhaps 10 cents for social benefits
1t stands to reason that the Tariff Commission the
Agency of Government which supposedly supplies the
State Department and those entrusted with the negOtia
ton of trade treaty agreements with Outher countries
through which tariff rate reductions agreed to- in
view of these official admissions cannot supply the data
which will justify any further tariff rate reductions at
this time.
The international "do-gOoders" of our State Depart
ment temporarily in control of economic affairs
bandly ignore these findings of the Tariff Commission
and the protests filed and the appeals made and
tinue their preparations for meeting in Geneva, Swift
zerland in April with representatives of Is other
tiOnS.
There is only purpose in this meeting. There is
cOnceament of the intent has been well advertised
that the purpose of this meeting is to agree to reduc
ton in tariff rates. irrespective of the merits thereof