The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-02
English and American workmen.

The extraordinary depression of nearly
every branch of manufacture in England,
and particularly those Of cotton and iron,
has Of course stirred up a wide inquiry
there as to its causes, and many different
opinions are expressed. Among those upon
which the greatest stress is laid, however,
is the growth Of foreign competition. more
particularly in France and the United States
The fact OF this competition being ac-
knowledged, the English manufacturers
have set to work 10 study the methods OF
their French and American rivals to see
from what their advantage has come. The
London engineering papers are therefore
giving n large share of their attention to
examinations OF the great manufacturing
industries OF the Continent and this country
with view to comparing them with those
Of England.
One of the most interesting features Of
this inquiry is that which relates to the
relative merits Of English and foreign labor.
The British manufacturers and the work
men themselves do not hesitate 10 say that
In many departments work is now more
thoroughly and more intelligently done
with us, for instance, than it is in England.
This reverses the old situation OF things, for
fifteen years ago 1t was the fashion here TO
look TO Great Britain for solid and durable
workmanship and to expect much less
from that at home. Now we are told that
even in London, Sheffield, Manchester, and
Birmingham, American manufactures OF
many kinds are In demand because of their
superiority to those OF home production,
and goods are recommended and warranted
In the shops as from the United States. Our
statistics OF exports show that the quantity
OF these articles cannot be very great, and
1t is well known that over supply and the
dullness OF our market induced some Of our
manufacturers TO ship goods to England
even to be sold at loss or without profit
1t is proof, however, of our recent adj
vances in manufacture that these articles
were at once priced there for their quality;
and a new and permanent market for GER
tain classes OF them has been established.
A writer in the London Engineering, who has
been for some time past carefully compar-
ing English and American industries, and
who is evidently familiar with both, puts
us ahead in many respects. Our factories.
no says. are more comfortable and are
better organized. We are less troubled by
strikes. The average intelligence OF the
workmen Is higher, and there is an ambi-
ton To do we'll whatever is undertaken in
our best establishments, though he finds
many in which the work Is careless and the
methods variable " No finer or more exact
manipulation can be found anywhere than
IN some engineering establishments, and
perhaps no worse can be found than some
OF the cruder works afford"
He admits, moreover, that our workmen
do more labor than those of England, re-
quire to be less waited on, and get along
without the amount Of helping an English
artisan demands, not only because he wants
assistance. but also because lac likes to have
some one 10 control. THE problem Of how
Americans can produce some articles
cheaper while they pay more for skilled
labor, is In many cases to be explained by
the fact that the helping is not taken into
account. The writer, short time since,
while in London, spent some time in watch
ing TO see how two men could manage to
paint one lamp post 1t was small circum-
stance, but typical Of difference between
methods here and in America, which has a
serious meaning to those who are accus-
toned to managing and estimating labor"
Particularly in New England he found the
nelplnR system feuuceu 10 us lowest SIdle'
In the machine shops, Tor example, instead
OF every other man using the aid Of help
or, there is in many cases not more than one
laborer 10 fifteen workmcn, and often in the
shops employing few workmcn there are
none at all. Another Of our great adyan-
tages, according TO this observer, Is that the
bosses, in the small trades especially, are
not ashamed TO turn 10 and lend "A hand
themselves, while in England they would
regard that as fatal letting down OF their
dignity. In fact the Understanding men
are generally those who employ from two to
ten hands, and lead their men instead OF
driving them"
Unqucstionably we gain much from the
absence, 80 far as 1t exists, of the notion that
there is anything derogatory in labor. and