45 o TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



TARIFF EEVISION" FEOM THE MANUFACTUEEE'S 



STANDPOINT 



By H. E. miles 

 racine, wis. 



IWEITE as a Protectionist and a Eepublican, I believe thoroughly 

 in the old-fashioned principle of protection to American indus- 

 tries and labor, as first accepted by Hamilton and Washington. 



I understand that under our constitution money can not be properly 

 legislated out of the pocket of a private citizen by Congress except for 

 value received. I believe that the citizen does get value received from 

 a tariff which gives to any desirable, well-managed industry a protection 

 tariff which measures, in the language of Mr. Taft, " substantially the 

 permanent differential between the cost of production in foreign 

 countries and that in the United States." If it costs 90 cents to pro- 

 duce an article in Germany and $1.00 in New York, the New York 

 manufacturer must be protected by the difference in this cost or must 

 go out of business, leaving the American market to be supplied from 

 Germany. The other alternative, that he cut his wages and lower the 

 standard of living to his operatives is impossible. 



I believe it pays the American consumer to maintain American 

 manufacturing industries by whatever addition to price protection so 

 measured requires. Also that this difference should be figured with 

 that enlightened selfishness which ordinary prudence justifies. The 

 duty, in the above instance, might well be 20 per cent., thus giving the 

 American producer an advantage equal to 8 per cent, and causing the 

 foreigner to pay this much for the privilege of entering our market and 

 enjoying the protection of our laws, for the support of the government, 

 etc. Protection of this kind steadies the home market, stimulates 

 manufacturing, diversifies pursuits and should bring only beneficent 

 consequences. 



During this generation, politicians, economists and others in con- 

 sidering this question have seemingly spent all their time and energy 

 in the discussion of the abstract theory of protection versus free trade. 

 They have not got down to earth. They failed adequately to consider, 

 or at least to emphasize and apply the principle of measurement above 

 indicated, and from this omission came the opportunity for evil, of 

 which special interests have made full use. 



With public opinions overwhelmingly for protection, and no rule of 

 measurement, it is small wonder that infinite loss and harm have come 



