The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-09
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT SUNDAY MARCH 9, 1879
| frequestly surpasees his master, and are now
In America, Germany and France, emulatlng
their instructor i'm the worlds markets.

| iTeQueStly surpa6oe6 his maSUeI, anu are How
in America, Germany and France. emulatlng
their instructor in the worlds markets.
"In his report as Judge at the Paris expo
sition, Henry Mitchell, Esq, the president o.
the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, we'll
informed, unprejudiced gentleman, said Of
England: We cannot hope to resume our DO
sition Of supremacy on the old lines. Ii w
would be successful, we must adapt ourselves
| to the changes of taste and fashion that arr
| forever occurring, and not seek to keep the
world bound to the acceptance of the same
kind OF goods from year to year." The pre-
iudice against the introduction of new methods
existing among English manufacturers and
mechanics Is illustrated by numerous nstan-
ces furnished by Mr.. Shepherd. A Sheffield
ilfm received an order from America for axes
as per sample. pattern was placed in the
| hands OF the foreman, with instructions to
copy 1t exactly, but in short time he II turn
ed To inform his masters that the men refused
to make them. The pattern they always bad
mdAie they declared was good enough, and as
| u always had answered, it always would an
sWer, and they would make no other A elias
gov fufrier objected to placing half an inch
| farther back the earlaps OF the imitation fur
cap he sent to u Montreal firm because his
workpeople had never done them that way"
He insisted that his Canadian customer did
HOT bilbW his OWL NhItlS, anu OILY Wn1n ABOUT
To lose the order did he consent to comply
with the demands Of the Canadian merchant
MI. Shepherd says it III almost impossible to
introduce machine made horse-shoes or horse
shoe nails, because sit will upset an establish
ed hand industry" and masons have been
known to refuse to work stone because it was
not purchased at local quarry
The effect OF the establishment of so many
immense cotton-mills in India must not be
overlooked IN accounting for the relaxed state
ol mat particular branch Of England sformer
trade. "On many sides" says Mr. Shepherd
"a new market Is expected to solve the diff
cult problem of slack trade; "but even were
Africa TO become great consumer, / cannot
see that England could claim its market as
her own any more than she can those of China
ana Japan. A REIMBURSEMENT of the parent
laws and the adoption Of less expensive pro-
cesses would encourage inventions. AT pre-
sent the expenses are 50 heavy as frequently
70 place the procuring of patent beyond
ehe means OF the real inventor, and the con
sequence Is that the more favored employer
fits"
Mr.. Shepherd says that English mechanics
ana laborers are not only blinded by prejudice
against every form of mechanical progress
but that they are slow LII the performance Of
their work and wasteful In the mat rails
used. In their domestic arrangement they
nave no system of economy, and waste more
than would keep like number of people in
America. The mechanics are without in
yent1ve genius or skill, and the manufacturers
are without enterprise. Both classes plod on
unmindful Of the changes daily occurring
and even refuse to acknowledge these changes
when urged TO do SO, accepting enforced idle
ness rather than admit that other methods are
better than theirs Mr.. Shepherd refers to
the manufacture OF lustre goods at Bradford
few years ago. when these goods were in
active demand, their manufacture was an i'm
portant and profitable industry. But Iustfe
goods were condemned by the decree of
fashion, and instead Of turning their ma
chinery and capital to making another line Of
goods to meet the changed condition Of trade.
the manufacturers of Bradford are fool 4hy
waiting until orders again come to them for
lustre goods The taste for lustreless goods"
writes Mr.. Shepherd, "has, without doubt.
been the greatest immediate cause of Brad
ford's gloom, her alpaca, mohair and other
lustre wool manufacturing interests being the
most prominent. But should luStre goods be |
again reinstated England would not have
like the old demand from America. |
France or Germany, for the reason that those
countries are manufacturing SO largely them |
selves"
Mr.. Shepherd. in concluding his paper. saws
that it is of the highest Importance that |
England, to revive her dropping industries |
should give affirmative answers to the fol- |
lowing questions: |. Can and will her arti- |
sans live as cheaply as their competitors? |
J. VIII they accept the same wages? 3. Will |
they give more labor for the wages2 T. Will |
Ill classes live within their means? 5. Will |
young people be content to commence life |
where their fathers began, instead OF where |
hey left off? 6. Will English manufacturers
Seep pace with the wants and advancements
II the ageY Will they rearrange and adopt |
lew, scientific and labor-saving machinery? |
Mr.. shepherd believes that If the workmen
md manufacturers Of England return mega
I've answers to the above questions three
must quickly and inevitably
ollow, namely: Further detection in busi-
less, as compared with which the present will
Gem but moderate depression; greatly in
reasing suffering and destitution; an emil
ration such, perhaps, as has never before
cen known.