Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1909 — NO TARIFF NEEDED [ARTICLE]

NO TARIFF NEEDED

Th® World’s Greatest Steelmakers, Carnegie and Schwab, Declare That American Labor Is Really the Cheapest and That the Steel Industry Is Ready For the Competition of the World. The foremost men of the iron and steel industry iti Hie United States, have declared publicly that steel needs no protection whatever; that the manufacture of iron and steel is actually no longer an ‘’infant industry," but aide to stand on its feet and compete 'with the world. No one disputes Andrew. Carnegie’s pre-cmlne: t ability in steel manufacture ,I'nl k 'owli due of Its conditions. In I i- nrti h> In lhe Century Magazine '"i ’ ml Iftt'S. he states uuequlvo--1 i t’nt the time has come for free t ■' • a i > a tied .»*<•«»! products. lie t; ■ c-iy Iris passed when any f < tin seriously affect ■ " titres, tariff or no • " ' i ■' -v-.-i'n in the same article: ' ii ' i co- •> ■r.ited in making re\e-.tii r due i .-.is as steel manufacturers been my able to bear reductions. Today lhe;- need no protection unless perhaps in some new specialties unknown to the writer, because steel is now produced cheaper here- than anywhere else notwithstanding the higher wages paid per man. Not a ton of steel is product'd in the world at as small an outlay for labor as in our own country.” Carnegie Advises Payne. Carnegie also appeared by request at the hearings by the ways and means committee while the Payne tariff bill was being prepared and gave the members some plain truths. He told them to use their brains and i)ot take the figures as to cost of production submitted by interested parties, saying: "They are incapable of judging Justly. No Judge should be permitted to sit ip a cause in which lr? is interested, and you make the greatest mistake in your life if you attach importance to an Interested witness. You would not do it in a court of Justice, would you?" And agalp, "There are as many ways of figuring costs ns there are of skinning a eat." And he added these significant words; "It is not possible for the world to compete with the home producer. r.tit I agree with the president elect (Taft) that the effect of a tariff is to render easier eombinatibns raising their prices to an excessive degree beyond what they could do under free trade." Payne Favors the Steel Trust. Payne and his committee listened to the suggestions of the steel trust and reported a merely nominal and ineffectual reduction in the steel schedule. These reductions would not bring lower prices, except possibly in the case of steel rails. And the senate has increased the Payne rptes on various Items in the steel schedule more nearly to the Dingley figures. This is for the profits of the trust, of course. Schwab Know® American Labor.

Next to Carnegie, Charles M. Schwab, formerly president of the United States Steel corporation and now president of the Bethlehem Steel company, is most conspicuous for thoroughgoing experience and ability in steelmaking. He said publicly in an interview reported in the Journal of Commerce of New v York on March S 9: “Cut the tariff on steel or anything else you please. American labor can stand it. I believe In a reduction. I feel just as Andrew Carnegie does on that matter. American labor can make the best steel in the world, and with it we can compete with the world. "I have been in contact with labor of all kinds for many years," Schwab

continued, "and T know what ft can do. I know that American workmen can produce myre steel in a given time than any others in the world. I know that they can put out better steel than any others. We have nothing to fear from a cut in duties, because we have the best goods.' It is true that we pay our workmen more money than other nations, but you always have to pay skillful workmen the highest wages. Therefore the highest paid labor is the most profitable to the employer. The skillful man makes money for the employer."