Speech #680135292

This is a preferential market. There is no doubt of that and we are proud of the fact that we give labor a preferential market. that labor conditions here are much better than in any other part of the world. We do this not only by our direct labor legislation. fixing hours. classification. and conditions of labor. we do it by restricted immigration. which present a surplus: and we do it by our tariff laws. which make possible the payment of wages by our manufacturers far in excess of wages paid in similar industry in other parts of the world. We give the manufacturer a preferential home market. Our tariff laws have been from the very beginning intended to assist him. not only in paying good wages but in building up and developing his business and making it profitable. because we keep the home market for him by our tariff on imports. Agriculture asks that It be given the same home market in no sense any more preferential than that given to labor and to factory. If the factory produces a surplus. it stands the loss. A surplus in labor is almost prevented by our immigration laws. A surplus in agricultural products will be shipped abroad and the loss charged directly back to the producer. where it belongs. which will have the natural effect of checking overproduction. As it now is. the worlds market controls the price of our agricultural products at home.