Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-27
The Labor Question.

Of New York, vas before tho Labor Congress
SIGNAL Committee in that city yesterday. lie
said that the shipping trade was IN l'a deca'
dence. The Increase Of foreign tonnage Dung
the last seven years was one hundred and
twenty eight per centum, which gave employ
nept to three hundred and fifty thousand tor
eign sailors, leaving that number OF our own
seamcn unemployed. The tonnage q IIe
coastgiso trade had also decreased largely. lie
referred TO the system Of foreign shipping laws
in ENGLAND. aud said that this was tic OILY
country which prohibited the purchasing ct
shins ia foreign market. Ii iron ships could
he built as chcspIy in this country Is abroad 1t
would be 2 valuable assistance 10 Amcucan
comme1ca: but be Gid lot thick tina: it could be
done, The carrying capacity OF az iron snip IS
| much better than that Of W0odco, and It las
| always obtained preference IN treIghts On
| account Ct its durability. These are great c)m'
peti,iva facts against wooden Vessels.
In addition 10 this is the cheaper cost II the
construction Of the foreign vessels, and thCSe
who have money TO spare have put 1t lnlo the
construction Of iron ships. The space that
ought 10 have been filed H. American ships
has been filled By t5rci en vessels so that TIE
goods iipp3rtol have not been materially IN
creased in cost. lie did not think the naTiga
| ton laws had affected that; but The navigation
laws had prevented American ship oWncTs frool
buyiog iron ships from the Clyde, aud building
M sn American mercantile marine lbs
coastiog trade OF the United States has been
monopoly, aud he would DOT tie 10 faVor OF
throwing it open to foreign nations 1t prescott
but he believed it would have to be donc ultl'
matcIY. lie thought that mapy OF the c'IiS
had arisen from too much lee!slaton mutn Vi
which has been very depressing 90 trade. J. ne
legislation attending on the war had induced Il
| sncrulatiVe era, which was Ii hollow prosperity,
proving in the long run to be disastrous.
| He said the results OF paying or the bonds
without Interest would be q rse IN the price OF
gold; Withdrawal OF capital from tho country;
q rovulsion o! trade, depression 10 mannlac
,ufcs and q fnal destruction ct all manufactures
and all iolustria! pursuits. It would produce
SPECULATION and final collapse, which plust be
ruin to Tic country. The question Of currency
Was lar more important than the tariff, and a
| sound cu!raEcy WAS the NEST important. Of al!
tho measures that Congress could attend 10 ct
he present time.
The witness said iha the ont persons inst
would be- benefited by tiucuatlng currency
would be SPECTATORS and mIilteinen vino
! traded IN irredccniatlo money. The "ork!SE'
men would really have to pay the I!ttrTcI:3, IN
tbs articles they would con5un:H.
Witness was III favor OF removing the dHtieS
On all articles that did not pay Tor coccllnG.
uni! would impose duty on tea and coffee. Ha
though! that this inlp02tion Eli2n. lie Ta!hhr IN
equal when compared with tho means o. con.
SINNERS, but il would relieve the workingmcn OF
| other more Oppressive taxes. lilo vas nnt OPP
posod to tho tsza.ion OF wealth, but lie did no.
sec any taxation but what tho WorkinHman
would havo to take Eis share.
new York, Aug. 2I.--rh3 Congressional
Labor Committee met again this lnornng,
Tie !ira. witness to. day was Mr. Carroll ID.
W,irh{, Superintendent OF tho Bureau Of La.
Dor Statistics OF Massachusetts, !lo did not
believe that there wero any more persons cat
Of emnIoymcnt to. day in Massachusetts than
there were in 1873, anl that there VS. ANY
such a;atc of depression rnd raureIism through
but The country AZ has bean reported. lie
thought the workingmons coalition had Inue!i
iinprnyel by the Introduction OF machinery. /.
would take 100000 horses ana 100000 men to
10 the work, and work now done for so, Qtl1,-
paO would cost $500, 600, 900. Machinery cu.
ables much larger number Ct people to subsiSt
on . smaller area than they possibly could SUB
SIS. on without il!
Witness did not believe that 4 la5ortr h2S
ever received adequate wages l9r the amount
OF labor expended Neither does he think that
canital is sufficiently rewarded. lie thought
Tic cncrIoymeut ot children il I:!!; was 8
great evil and very ser!ou; phase &
the labor question. IL believed :ha! SO
hoYcst aud economical ad.nolStra:ian Q; the
national, State aud municipal CoverCnaot
and equitable toyailon c; 81 Is ot tsT ucre ~
porLaucn to workiDgmen than s.! or - hour
Laws. He thought it the duty Ct the G0T5co:
mcDt 10 maintain its c1ia a1d currency a; ali
times at par, with god STANDARD CT tie CON
mcrcia| world. lie did not baEcSe that pro
tccllro tariff would prevent reduction Ct labor
ora waves. lie believed that Industry IL lis
iurrp;ion should be protected u7tl! Il could
con,nctn with the same Industry ia other coun.
tries ard after that it should rot BE- rgo!ec;cd,
aud should only be faxed IL: necessary !c7c
nue.. lie did rot believe there ought to
be tariff on raw wool aud the workiGe,
nan would be benefited II Il WIS r5noTcd.
| The ONLY road he saw out Ct the present
dcurcssiCn was hard work, aDd encouragement
OF governments in Their econ0mcal manage.
mcnt.
Tic neyt witness cxamiucd WAS Mr.. j. f..
Walker, boot and shoe manufacturer 10 Nor'
cessar Mass, ana Of leather in Chicago. The
condition of the wOIkingmen be believed TO be
better to dag b. - per c.. than IN lc4O. The
demand TO be employed in particular class OF
work st certain wages, BE- believed to lie 100
fold more cause Of tc.day's depression than
actual want Ct work.
ACCIDENTALLY KILLS Ills BROTHER On
Wednesday night LAST, as John Dtury, Of
BIair's Valley, son of lgnatius Drury, Was on
his way home, he met bis brother Joseph on
tic road leading to his father house. After
coDva1siDe q few moments together joseph
drew from his pGcket q small revolver aud
fred several shots ia the sir, after which he
handed it to his brother John. with the re.
quest that he should discharge the remainder
OF The loads. John took tha revolver, and as
he raised it in the air it wag prematurelY
discharged, the bail entering the neck OF
his brother Joseph, who exclaimed II am shot"
and Immediately fell upon his face st the feet Of
his brother. John, overwhelmed and frenzied
with ar:cl, took his brother in his arms to bear
| him home, but alas before ho had gone but tew
stops from the scene Of the scadant Joseph had
1 ~. 1. l., ~ &C 10 A.,