| Show FREE HIDES AND FREE WOOL free wool means free trade say the republicans but meant protection alie duty on hides was repealed jaue G 1872 in the first session of alic forty third congress in which both branches were then republican the dit at that time was on ten per cent nothing compared to the duty on wool did the repeal of duty on hides ruin the shoe manufacturers did it increase the cost of shoes to the purchasers did it result in low wages not at nil It furnished free raw materials to the american shoe manufacturers and led to a remarkable development of the business instead of increasing it lowers the price of shoes instead of lowering wages wages have advanced and the difference in wages in favor of alio american worker on shoes ia greater than it is in favor of the american worker on wool it is assumed by projectionists protectionists that in order to cheapen production it is necessary to cheapen wages but this is a fallacy ane tendency of the cost of production in every branch of manufacture has for fifty years been downward the tendency of wages has been upward cost is lowered by improved machinery by varied abundant and cheap raw materials and by skillful skill tul labor skillful labor ia in such demand that all the world over there is a steady advance going on in labor greater in eu rope than in america just now because we are drawing to america the surplus labor of europe when a manufacturer says he flunks the mills bill will help him because it lowers wages make him point to the paragraph reducing the import duty on labor free raw materials better machinery and wider markets have increased the wages in the shoe industry and lowered the price of shoes that will be the history of the woolen industry free wool means better wages and better clothes instead of voting for free wool the republicans who in voted for free hides now say we favor the entire repeal of internal taxes rather than surrender any part of our protective system thus do reed repudiate the action of the republicans iu congress sixteen years ago ex |
