Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-08-30
Before the Labor Committee.

John Roach, the shipbuilder. was before Mr.
Hewltt's committee Tuesday. and gave some in
terestiug testimony
lie said that as machinery progressed the con.
dtioD of the workingman progressed. Taxes
insurance, etc, are eating up the shop in which
the working man labors. A powerful lesson n,
the relations Of capital end labor was to 90 into
the shop of the witness to-day and see \ million
dollars worth of machinery idle aud the men
standing on the corner waiting for work The
isborng classes hsve become too extravapant
and it is the extravagant class who to day face 8
starving. There are three classes of lsboring
men, the extravagant class, who spend oil thew
make, the dissipated or inebriste class, who are
always in want, and the thrifty, frugal class.
When the war commenced every thing went n
An era of extravaganza eusued, improvements
went on and when the shriukage came at last.
States, cities and villages were found burdeued
with debt. Three great industries on which
labor depends for employment are agricul
ture, manufactures and commerce.
Take agriculture: To-day it is fourishnp and
IS the most important of the country. Before the
moving, threshing and reaping machines were
invented the farm aboler only got about So Der
month, aud to-day he receives more than double
hat amount. England has built herself up by
protective laws. She has always protected her
commerce. My interest in ship-owning is larger
to-day than in ship-building. The cost TODAY in
the building of first class wooden ships in this
touuuy - iIOu VOL W CIV per Ton. TODAY 90
to Corlears Hook, where $4,000 men used to be
employed building the nsvies of the world, and
you VIII ind not trace of shipbuiding.
During the late war ,S79, sos tons Of our ship.
ping were taken away from us, and placed under
the British flag to prevent its being DESTROYED,
After the Wal the witness said he made every eff.
tort to get the wooden ship builders TO start an
iron ship building yard at Greenport, to prove To
the world that we could build iron ships Moth
lug was done in the matter.
When the glorious opportunity occurred, during
the tranco-terman war, for Americans to pur
chase grand fleet of ships at half the cost of con-
stiucton on the Clyde, the bill allowing such a
purchase was not passed because an Amendment
was put TO It, calling Tor the PAYNE ut of half du
ties on articles used IN their construction. From
II to rs he expended in shipbuiding over 49,
600 900, and fully $4,000, 900 of that in labor.
Fully 1000 men have been employed in trade,
Here Mr.. Roach read letter from firm in Glas-
gov, stating that the pr ce for building rstclass
iron sailing shios on the Clyde was $40 per ton.
tie proposed to compete with that price, or even
build ships cheaper. Industry here is in il. Ia.
fancy, SAID tn Witness and If not protected would
soon be crushed out by British capt. slists who
have over billion invested in he business. With
reference to Brazil whose trade we should natur
ally have and TO whom we pay yearly $40 600 600,
We have no communication direct with Brazil. ex-
cept through Liverpool. or course we cannot
expect Braz Ian merchants to go 10 London Paris
and Liverpool first, and then come 900 lies out
OF tneu way 10 make lher purchases. The English
Company get a subsidy of 800 900 yes,ly from
B'oz for carrying the mails between New York
and Is azil.
The Eoglish use every means possible TO pre-
vent other countries from cutting them ont. He
was strenuously opposed to all subsidies MIR.
Roach related his efforts to establish a line of
steamers between here and Brazil and how the
British got the bet Of him. l would not give one
cent, said Mr. Roach. for mail contract If there
was trade, but whore there is no trade it is a
necessity. The Brazilian people are perfectly sat.
isfed to pay their share of the mail service. and
they believed that the people of the United States
would be ready to b, al their share. Yet b. csuse
| have asked for that simple request, am called
a subsidy beggar.
The witness said he had line OF steamships
now running regularly to Brazil, trying to build
up trade. We are producing moIe 10 our count v
than we can consume, and all avenues for dispos.
ing Of such production should DO fostered and
looked after.