Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-05
AMERICAN MANUFACTURES
John Ball Thinks He Is Sn No Danger
from Them.

John Ball Thinks He Is Sn No Danger
from Them.
From the London Daily Telegraph.
report which has just been published by
Mr.. Victor Drummond on the question of actual
or threatened American competition with Eng
hsh industry, gives, in a very interesting form,
the impressions of intelligent official who
has no personal concern in the matter but
views all the facts as an unprejudiced man of
the world. The conclusions at which he az
rlVes are that, as regards the carving
trade, England is in danger from the ri
valry of the United States if only because of
the restrictive effects OF the navigation laws in
force there, which prevent American capitalists
from buying foreign-built vessels, however
cheap, and therefore sailing them en- as low
terms as Englishmen, Swedes or Germans caR
afford to do. If to these add the heavy
duties imposed on materials, we find
sufficient reasons why Americans cannot com
pete with Engllshmen in the cheapness of
shipping. AS respects other industries Mr.
Drummond confirms what said over and
! over again here during recent strikes, that
Enghshmen have nothing to fear if they do
| not quarrel over the cost of prodRction-that is,
if they reduce wages by amicable arrangement
wherever market exigencies are seen to rem
der the step imperative. He points out
the many difficulties by which American pro-
ducers are handicapped-onerous taxes, numer-
merous failures, the unsettled state OF the la
! Dor market, the silver bill, and uncertainty as
| to the resumption of specie payments, over
production, and the dangers of the communis-
tic movement. 1t is he seems to think. these
causes which led to the competition of American
with English goods. in a small way" at home.
because the speculative shipments over the At
! lantlc of such articles as cotton manufactures
represented surplus stock which could not be
sold in the States, and was, therefore, sent
to England for disposal at any price obtainable.
! We are inclined to think this is mistake, since
the importation of American manufactures in
to England has gone on steadily increasing
and it is incredible that producers should have
parted with their goods for yaars at q continu-
GUS loss. Nor does Mr.. Drumfnond take account
] of the fact that American manufactures have
rapidly expanded their export trade, not merely
with England but with countries where Eng
lish industry has hitherto almost monop.
olized the market for certain goods, az
for instance. China, the West Indies, and South
America. Still the advice which ne gives to
| the workingmen here is wholesome and timely,
whatever opinion may be entertained of the
danger threatening The working class must
| consent to the stern facts of the case, and
member that there is distress in nearly every
! country In the world just now, and that the
| conditions of trade prevent their employers
giving the ordinary wages, that if they did so
| they would be paying out of their capital, and
producing and selling at loss, and one day
they would find the mills closed perhaps new
er to be opened again-and that then there
| wonld be no wages at all. 1t is by no means
out of place to enforce these truths now, be-
cause all the lessons of depressed trade have
| not yet been thoroughly mastered, and until
| they are, permanent change for the better
can be looked for.