Show OUR HIGH WAGES some time ago hamilton fyfe had an interesting article in the london spectator in which he related some of his experiences studying american business conditions and asked the question can american prosperity last among other things mr fyfe declared speaking cing of us that no country with a vast population has ever shown prosperity or let us call it purchasing power widely diffused diffuse 4 among all classes ceass es in any degree comparable no vast population has ever been able to spend money on anything like the tha same scale mr air fyfe also marvels it at tho the high wages paid our working people and declares this is done without grumbling because the connection between spending power and prosperity has been firmly fixed fied in the american mind he tells how henry ford announced how he was paying high wages in order to increase thin the spending power of the nation and to stimulate production by enlarging demand for products there is much that is true in what mr fyfe has to say but he errs when he calls this a new doc tiffie it is is not new because it has been the doctrine on which the american protective principle has grown up american bencan protectionists projectionists have always believed in high wages and they have known that high wages to american IvOr workers kers could only be perpetuated by keeping the great home market for american goods they have always maintained that protection aids prosperity by increasing the pur purchasing purchase chasi ng power of the worker and so enlarging the great home market which is after all the greatest market in the world absorbing as it does eighty five per cent of all of americas manufactured products it has been the protective tariff which by giving a job at high wages to the american worker has brought about the prosperity which is so wide ly diffused among all classes in so doing it has for all time disproved the free trade claim that under protection the rich grow richer and the poor poorer mr fyfe wisely states that so long as our high wage system is maintained our prosperity will pull through and he declares that this high wage system must be maintained at all costs if we are to remain permanently prosperous with this every good american will agree and the best way to maintain our high wage scale is to protect the home market and not subject it to the competition of lowly paid european and asiatic workers |