OCR Text |
Show AN OBJECT LESSON FOR WORKINGMEN American Union Labor May Learn How It Is Benefited By Protected Tariff Laws A vory Interesting question to bo met in dealing with tho administrative" administra-tive" feature of the now tariff law has been raised. Coming In under tho reduced schedules will bo much of the materials used In the construction construc-tion of public buildings and public works of all kinds. In tho making of much of this material In foreign countries coun-tries tho labor employed works ton hours a day n,nd often raoro. Tho point alroady hgltnted Is, whether tho United States Government, which recognizes rec-ognizes eight hours as constituting a day's work, can uso this material In its building or other activities. Union Ism 19 Ukoly to mako a united demand de-mand that tho products of labor work ing more than eight hours' a day shall not bo used by H government which recognizes the eight hour day In its capacity as an employer. Tho point Is an Interesting one, no matter how It may bo determined, and the unionists union-ists will have a strong case, at least, If thoy urge that consistency demands that tho Government shall not disavow dis-avow Its own prlnclplo of action by buying, for its own uso, the laboi products of other countries tn which that prlnclplo is not recognized by governmental authority. Yet, If tho decision' should finally bo that tho government, whllo recognizing recogniz-ing and maintaining tho eight hour limitation in its own operations, is under an obligation to discriminate against materials to be purchased by It for tho reason that such a limitation limita-tion Is not recognized by tho governments govern-ments of tho countries where tho material Is produced, tho entire fabric fab-ric of a tariff law under which Imports Im-ports ot material will bo greatly In creased should, logically, fall to tlio ground. For that reason wo confidently confi-dently expect tho decision to bo If tho government Is pressed that tho government can mako no such discrimination. dis-crimination. To decldo otherwise would bo to decide that tho labor employed em-ployed In the production of bucIi materials ma-terials in this country should be pro tected by tho government from Importations Impor-tations of like material from other countries. Tho gist of such a contention con-tention l that the foreign producer will have an advnntago which the Uiilted States government should uso a technicality to detent. But If the contention should bo allowed, tho theory that tho government has mado a rightful uso of its power In subjecting sub-jecting prlvnto enterprise, and all labor la-bor to such competitions, could no I longer stand but by force or a law admittedly unjust. I This Interesting caso Is likely to 1 bo tho first of a series of revelations I which will bring unloji labor In tho , United States to a more realizing senso of how much of its great strength hero has been duo to protective pro-tective tariff laws. Not all union i workorB, but far too many, navo suf-! suf-! ferod themselves to bo led into a delusion that wages hero havo been maintained solely through tho strength of unionism, over looking the vital fact that unionism has been mado as strong as It Is largely thru force of protective laws which havo shielded much domestic labor from tho competition of countries .whero unionism is not strong enough to on-forco on-forco eight hour laws or reasonable wage" scales. It Is possible thot this Inlt'Al question has been raised by contractors and employers htnxlous to get government work. But their anxiety an-xiety In tho caso Is due primarily to the fact that labor cost Is tho chlof clement In tho cost prlco they must figure into their biddings, and that, without a reduction In that element of cost, which they have not yot urged they can have no hope ot competing with importers with whom that clement cle-ment of cost Is not so great a percentage percent-age of tho total. We aro without doubt that tlio government will rofuso to discriminate against foreign bidders. bid-ders. After this is dono, It will be necessary for American bidders to securo a reduction of wages or drop out ot tho competitions for such work. |