The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-11-01
MR.. BRASSEY ON THE LABOR
QUESTION.

are SO common on the all-lmportant uueS-
ton Of labor, it must be gratifying to those
who wish tn know the real truth of the
matter, to read the opinion of one Of the
largest employers Of labor in the world.
Mr.. Thns Brassey, NJ. p, is the son aud
successor Of the late Mr. Brassey, the great
railway contractor, who has constructed
railways III every quarter Of the globe, and
his sons are now doing the same Mr..
Thomas Brassey, like his father. is we'll
known as one Of the largest employers in
the world. and has boundless faith in the
capabilities Of the intelligent workman,
ami on every occasion has paid high tri-
butte, not only both to the working capa-
bihties 81 the British mechanics, but also
to their character "a men
At the meeting ~ the Social Science
Congress, il Norwich, Mr. Brassey was
chosen President " the Economy and
Trade Section. and, III his opening address,
entered into an elaborate exposition Of the
whole question Of labor and capital Com
menting on the rise Of the price Of coal,
III. Brassey said 1T might be easily
made to appear that the rise Il wages
vas the principal cause Of the advance IN
coal But my individual experience
sbundantly confirms the opinion, cx-
pressed by the Committee Of the House
# Commons, to the effect that the prices
If coal which prevailed for years before
the present rise commenced. we're 50 low
that they did not afford reasonable profit
10 the owners Of collieries III general. or
such remuneration as the wOrkmen might,
with regard 70 the hazardous aud artluans
nature Of their labor. reasonably expect.
The rise in the rate Of wages has not,
under the exceptional circumstances been
unreasonable and 1t Is certain that the
real order of events has been. first, the
rise in price OF iron, then rise in the
price Of coal, and lastly, rise in the rate
OF wages Tn the other hand, though
great have undoubtedly been the profits
in the coal trade, it is question whether
the las two wears have compensated the
coal owners for the former protracted stag
nation, and, in many cases of serious loss
The period Of prosperity may continue for
year, or two years At the most hut, at
the end Of that time, the infax If capital
into the coal trade, attracted by the pres
'ent high profits, will infalhbly lead to
some reduction in price. New coal pits
are being sunk old pits are being inn
proved More workmen are being trained
in the business Of mining. Hence We
may look with confidence to an augment
alton Of the output, and to sufficient
supply for the ordinary demands Of con
sumers. The insufficient profits 81 for
mer days cannot be attributed to the an
reasonable standard at which wages were
maintained. The excessive competition
in the supply Of coal was the true cause
Of the unfortunate position of the trade.
Complaints have been urged as to the eff
fects Of shortening the hours n labor !;
and it is certain that if comparison be
made between the amount raised and the
total number Of individuals employed, a
less quantity is raised per man now than
Ill former years. 1t must not, however,
be forgotten that high wages have at
tracted a great number Of unframed
hands to the coal pits There are some
who think that limitation Of the hours
of labor is in itself an evil. | cannot
share in this view. Among various i'm
'provements which may tend to reduce the
price Of coal, we may look with conf
dence to the increased use Of coal-cuttng
machinery, as a substitute for manual la
Dor 4; and to the discovery Of methods by
which the consumption Of fuel may be re
duced'
Almost every day We find in some news
paper gloomy prospects about the trade
Of Great Britain leaving that Island, and
are gravely informed that Trades Unions
are responsible for this state Of affairs, and
that they will eventually bring about
the same results in America Mr..
Brassey does not seem to share in
this alarm. We are sometimes assur-
ed, he said that Belgium threatens our
ironmasters with serious competition.
But in Belgium the ore must be carried
100 miles or more 40 be smelted The
coal pits are worked in many cases with
considerable difficulty. A Belgian work
man does about half what an Eng hman
can accomplish III the same space OF time.
Sometimes We are told that We shall lose
our position in the Russian market. The
Russian Government are doing their ut
most to encourage the manufacture Of
iron at home, but there is little demand
for pig iron in that country. Few Rus
slams have any experience in pudding
Skilled men and forge men art scarce. A.
Few Of those obtainable have had any ex-
experience in the use Of mineral fuel. and
great difficulty is experienced in conse-
'quence Of che objection Of the Russians to
piecework. There cannot be doubt az
to the ultimate consequence Of rhe COM
'parative exhaustion of the supplies Of raw
material at home but we may hope that
the tariffs, which now throw obstacles in
the way Of legitimate trade, will in time
be removed, and that, a. Mr. Mrattien
Williams has suggested, we may be ena-
bled to avail ourselves Of the natural re-
sources Of America, for obtaining our sup
ply Of raw material; Just as We already de-
rive large supplies Of hematite iron from
Bilboa. The progress Of American iron
works is the more creditable because great
difficulties are experienced in obtaining a
sufficient nupplv of labor. The aucceas