454 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



up against the consumer until the latter all but rebels. Consumption 

 is limited; margins are reduced. There are 216,000 manufacturing 

 establishments in the United States. Of these about 175,000 are still 

 upon the competitive basis. The trusts not only charge these competi- 

 tive manufacturers excessive prices for their supplies, but they sell 

 abroad at less price, so that such of these 175,000 independents as 

 formerly competed to advantage upon highly finished products as 

 against European manufacturers, in neutral markets like South Africa 

 and the Argentine are now unable successfully to compete. They are 

 losing out in foreign trade. 



Also many trusts, those in steel and hides, for instance, own sub- 

 sidiary corporations that compete with the independents. These trusts 

 charge high prices for raw material and through their subsidiary 

 companies make the finished product at so little above the price of the 

 raw material as to leave no margin for the independents, who must 

 either be given relief by tariff betterment or go out of business. 



An excessive tariff like the Dingley is a blow at labor. This has not 

 been suflBciently emphasized. A reduction in the tariff to the level 

 required by Mr. Taft's principle of measurement will give the laborers 

 of this country three chances for a raise in wages with no chances for a 

 decline. This raise would come (1) through a lesser cost of living, (2) 

 by increased employment, for with a lowering of prices must come an 

 increased demand, (3) higher daily wages. A manufacturer can pay his 

 employers only a part of what is left in the till after the bills for 

 materials are paid. A return to moderate but ample protection will 

 increase the profits of competitive manufacturers. In such increased 

 prosperity labor always shares. 



And so at the behest of trusts Congress made a tariff in the name 

 of labor which has been a blow to labor. 



None has been so befooled as the farmers. A glittering nickel, as 

 it were, has been held before the farmer's eyes as it might before a 

 babe's, and while he has looked at the nickel his pockets have been 

 rifled of dollars. The farmer, for instance, has been given a tariff of 

 15 cents per bushel on corn, a product of which he has almost exclusive 

 control, the crop of 1908 being valued at one quarter million of dollars. 

 Last year the government raised tariff revenue the great sum of $2.78 

 on imports of corn from Cuba and about $1,400.00 from the rest of the 

 world. Likewise as to eggs. Five cents per dozen protection, $27,000 

 imported and $300,000,000 produced at home. Against such trifling 

 and almost insulting gift to the farmer, he is overcharged on his 

 implements, on his clothing, on his shoes and almost everything he 

 buys, overcharged in all about $250,000,000 per year. 



The efficiency of the American mechanic has been wretchedly mini- 

 mized. The character of our laboring population was splendidly evi- 



