‘Protectionist Showdown’

A little less rhetoric and more probing research would better serve Times readers than your editorial tirade (Aug. 4), “Protectionist Showdown,” against the clothing imports bill that Congress passed last year.

In urging Congress to endorse President Reagan’s veto of the bill (which the House did on Wednesday), you trot out the cliches so dear to American garment retailers: the bill is narrowly protectionist, hurts consumers, invites retaliation. None of these arguments will bear scrutiny.

You say “Americans are unimpressed” with trade legislation like HR 1562, the Textile and Apparel Trade Enforcement Act. This is untrue. Survey after survey shows most Americans sympathize with such efforts to save our garment, auto, and other economically pivotal industries. It’s not hard to see why.

There is just one reason imports have captured more than half the U.S. clothing market and wiped out more than 300,000 U.S. garment worker jobs since 1981: crunchingly low wages.

The average hourly wage paid by the 20 largest exporting countries is less than $1--with many paying less than 30 cents. But the clothing they ship here sells for the same price as the American-made garments whose patterns they copy--thanks to the bloated 300% to 400% markups by the big U.S. retail chains that advertise in The Times. That is why they are grabbing up all the imported garments they can sell.

It is not in the interest of any working American to tolerate the destruction of one of our biggest manufacturing industries, the loss of another 300,000 jobs, the imposition of Third World wages on the workers who survive, the swelling of the ranks of potential strikebreakers and other jobless men and women, the weakening of trade unions, and the erosion of living standards that would be caused by reduced consumer demand.

The European Economic Community has understood this predicament and has acted to save its garment/textile industry through fair-share trade agreements. These have not, by the way, provoked any trade war.

The Times may continue to treat the trade issue as if it were only an economic debate. A majority in the House and Senate and across the nation, however, know fair-trade legislation is critical to saving the jobs that sustain America’s high standard of living,.

STEVEN T. NUTTER

Western States

Regional Director

International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union

Los Angeles