The Evening critic., 1882-03-28
PAUPER LABOR.
An American Consul Advocating Its
importation Into the United

States.
TO the Editor Of the Eroning Critic:
new champion of pauper labor has come
10 the front in the person Of one NJ. B. whar.
ton, Consul to sonncbcrg, Germany. From the
Bue-Book we find that this representative Of
the Government was born In Virginia, and his
appointment credited 10 the State OF Georgia.
In his report, dated January @, 1882, pub
lished in the February number OF "Reports
on Commercial Relations OF the United States"
he says
York Is compelled to add this 60 per cent. TO
the cost he pays in Germany for his goods, and
yet tho facts show that he is still able TO cope
successfully with the American manufacture
ers of these goods. By looking at the state
ments Of declared exports from the Sonne-
berg district, ii will be seen that they consist
almost entirely ofsdolls, toys, China and glass
guns, seed and plants; and yet all these
articles are manufactured In the larg-
est quantities in the United States. In
facturers should increase their trade
at home as well as abroad, they must manage
10 diminish the price at which their goods are
offered for sale. The great question is, How
can this be done? answer, hrst,by diminishing
the cost Of production; secondly, by diminish
ing the cost of transportation-two things that
enter into the price OF any article. First, then,
the cost OF production must be diminished
This can be done by cheapening labor. Ono
cheaply is labor is so plentiful and so cheap
here. Compare the prices paid in the United
states for skilled labor with the following
table, which shows the prices paid here, and
the correctness Of this remark will at once be
seen. For example, cabinetmakers receive
per day, 20 cents; carpenters, 60 cents; black
smiths, 60 cents; dollmakers, 80 cents to 81;
females and children, 25 to 80 cents;
glassmakers, 80 TO 75 cents; glaciers, go to so
cents; gunmakers, 81 to 50; kid glovemakers,
80 TO 70 cents; females, 20 to 40 cents; ma
chine sewers, 30 to 80 cents; locksmiths, 8 8
TO 20 cents painters, go to rs cents; papier-
mache-makers, so; females, % cents; polish
French), rs cents; tobacco pipemakers, so
cents TO 81; females, % to so cents; upholster-
| ers, 20 to 75 cents; weavers, 40 to so cents.
| most important industry is Chinaware max
ing, and the following is q schedule of prices
! Modellers and chief decorators, S1.5o; deco
| rators, so cents; formers and turner's, 75
| cents 10 81; females, SO to 60 cents; flremen,
| 60 to rs cents packers, 80 TO 60 cents.
! ~ ldJorerS cdnnoH be found in the United
| States, let our manufacturers import them,
| for there are thousands here living on mere
| pittances who would be only too glad to find
| employment In the United States. The laborers
| already employed there could be induced to
work more cheaply If the German habits OF
| living coulPbe adopted by them. Here, 'as
they 60 far with little While articles of diet
are dearer here than in America, thu laborers
manage 10 live on less 1hey eat meat ont once
| a day, living chiefly on vegetables their staple
| diet being rye bread and beer. They work ten
| hours day, and sometimes twelve and even
| fourteen hours
| S'The signs OF the times indicate that a CON
| sert Of action has been agreed upon by capi-
| talists 1--WE except such men as Senator Jones),
| SOulleSS corporations, factory kings and So
| called political economists to subject honest
| labor 10 a system of oppression and degrade
ton, TO accomplish which the wages of labor
| must be reduced TO such a low scale as to
| place the skilled mechanic, artisan and
| laborer Of this country in the same category
| with the pauper labor Of Europe. This class,
| who are too prone TO consider their own inter-
| est only in bargaining for labor, do not havs
before their eyes that golden rule, so wise, so
| Just, so humane, "to do unto others as they
| would be done by" hence their demands are
| generally overDearing, hard and unjust.
Men are often so situated that they are com.
PEELED TO accept what Is offered, knowing, as
these Shylocks do, that necessity knows no
law. II the individual man is often hard and
exacting and selfish, how is 1t with corpora
tions, especially those that are rich and power
| ful2 They are generally shortsighted, un-
| wise and severe taskmasters, often eXacting
labor for which they offer no adequate com
pensation. They generally commit the blunder
| Of paying less than the service is worth. But
this only applies to the employer-the su-
| bordinate. The head men have fat Offices,
| with royal favors and enormous salaries. In
other Words the railroad kings, manutac-
turers, and they are numerous and great,
make money whether dividends are declared
or the employees have but half rations.
The suffering OF the poorly-paid and half
starved operatives meets With no sympathy or
compassion at their hands, as this abortion OF
a representative (WhartOn) says wages must
be reduced so that dividends NAV be Increased
and the rich made richer and the poor laborer
made poorer.
This is tho gospel preached and practiced by
the capitalistic fraternity and their represents
corporations are too hard on labor they cut
their own throats; they SOW the seeds OF future
trouble. Unless circumstances absolutely re-
quires small wages It is blunder TO give
them. Discontinued labor never renders as
effective and faithful service as when labor is
| appreciated and well paid.
Selhshness IN individuals, corporations or
| the Government, when IL takes the form OF
getting tho most labor for the smallest sum
| possible Is sure, In the long run, to meet with
recoil. This has been demonstrated in In
numerable instances In the old as well as new
world.
The unfair and unwarranted reduction IN the
wages OF labor In the various departments
OF Industry has been and is productive OF
great distress and suffering throughout the
country. Yet, In face Of this great evil the
Government through one OF its niednesi OF Of
ncials, advises the encouragement OF the I'm
portatlon OF European paupers TO the United
States for the ayowed purpose Of creating
through this element cheap system OF labor
or, In other words, reducing the America
mechanic, artisan and labOrer TO the SAM
scale OF degradation as the poor foreigI
| wretches who are forced 10 dwell In novels ans
| live upon the poorest Of food.
We are told by Government onlcials o
| WhartOn's caliDre, which Is of the meanest or
der, that labor must be made subserylent q
| capital, or, In other Words that labor has n
rights which capital Is under obligation I
. respect. The atlempt TO enforce this degra
! | dalton upon the labOring element OF this coull
ry win sooner or later arouse the workin
!, classes 10 proper understanding as To tn
, measures they must have recourse 10 TO protec
themselves against this tyranny OF capita
over labor which has already been carried TO
| far. The enunciation Of this theory and tn
efforts TO force II into practical use ha
I created the necessity for organization OF tn
\ forces OF labor TO devise ways and means l.
receive living rates OF wages for fair day
work. This is what labor demands, what ii
Justly entitled TO, and what 1t must have.
, this cannot be obtained by fair ana jus