New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-24


hose "huid re6s of millions of linen and cotton
| clad people (which the Free Traders hold up as
! tbe TEMPTING shadow for American cotton manu-
facturers 70 snap at and yet her linen Industry mas
neither been prosperous. nor is 1t today I'D ponI
| of numbers employed, as large as that OF Germany;
| nor are the operatives as well of as they are III
| those linen districts of Northwestern Germany
| which have already visited Hischberg, which
Russell said owing the superior skill and adVan-
taees of Glasgow. Belfast and Manchester and the
loss of the foreign markets. was dying, Schmede-
berg and Landshut, which were TO disappear as
rnvsteriously rs the river Zacken, but unlike that
| river never TO appear again. are to-day far more
important commercial points than III kusselfs day'
| Hirschberg has nearly trebled its population
since 1922, is the principal emporium OF commerce
in the Silesian Mountains and is as romantic ana
beautiful as ever; while the linen industry, when
was introduced in the sixteenth century, sui re-
| tains its prominence. SchmeGeberR ana Landshue
| have kent pace with Hlrschberg and important
manufacturing points. The advantage OF con-
stantly growing home market has not only aug
mented the importance of the Silesan linen indus
| try but IL has built il up in other parts OF the
country until there are persons employed IN 1t
| than in England, Ireland and Scotland combined.
Here are the figures which take from the oficial
statistics of the two countries:
| Total number OF persons employed In Linen 90, roo
Total number Of persons employed IN Linen ,oo 400
Industry OF Germany .-.....-...--.--.'" io''io''
| The above figures were taken III 1870; since then
| the number employed in Great Britain has de-
creased tsee Nineteenth Century, June, 1881 while IN
| Germany the number of persons employed in this.
as IN nearly every other industry, has largely in
| creased MulhaIl another English authority says
| that Prussia stands now for nearly two-thlrds Oh
the German linen industry. which has trebled III
twenty years" In twenty years, according 10 the
| writer in the June number of The Nineteenth Century
| (also English authority, 100000 splndles nave
stopped IN Great Britain-over Is per cent of the
| whole; 10000 persons have been thrown out oil
work. and the shares Of ten of the leading Belfast
ax.spinnlng companies average % per cent below
par On the other hand the shares of the Ravensberg
and Vorwarts hax-spnning and weaving com
paples THE leading mills of Blecfeld are quoted at
! 100 and 100 respectively; the former paying last
wear Is Der cent on its stock and the latter per
cent besides investing IN new buildings, etc.
A German mark is equivalent TO an English
shilling, though the purchasing power OF mark
here in Belefed, far as the necessities oil life go,
"a greater than he purchasing power of shilling
in the linen districts of Great Britain. In Dundee,
according TO the English Board Of Trade estimates.
spInpers (women) earn from 9s Sd to 13s Cd week;
piecers rs Cd; weayers from So TO 14s In Leeds
they are reported as earning spinners (women) 9s.
and weayers, lis In Belfast the wages are triile
below England and Scotland, Mt any rate it Is
safe TO assume they are the same. In Bieiefeld
the splnners and woavers are paid y marks week.
and provided with comfortable lodgings; while
those who work outside the mill earn on the aver
age IL marks week
These figures think may be taken as absolutely
Trustworthy and show that at the present time oper-
atives in Germany and England are paid about the
same bat that owing to the lowness OF rent and
| creater thrift Of the Germans and the greater
care on part Of the mill owners IN looking after
the well beng If their operatives, they are IN
better condition, especially IN the Beleted district,
than those engaged IN the Linen Industry Oh Eng
| How do these wages compare with those paid IN
! the United States IN the same ministry fortu-
nately have ungucstioned authority on tnls point
| Inc Barbour Flax Spinning Company, OF Paterson
| " D. employ $500 hands IA Ireland, and LOO
| in Paterson. They have their pay rOus Tor bOth
| manufactures tor the same kind of labor on tine
same machinery side by slde. According 10
| Mr. Thomas Barbour. of this firm, the average per
hand per week IN the United States ~ about 70 %.
| have shown that the average weekly earnings I'D
Germany and Great Britain are less than hall TINS
SUN. Again. Mr.. Barbour SAYS: We employ girls
from Twelve ycafsol age upward 10 lofty years, anu
some Of them make as much rs @lO week.
Children make - or 81 a week. man can make
While Germany employs 200. 900 in this industry,
aud Great Britain probably 10000 there are nos
over 1000 employed III the lax industry OF the
United states While the value OF our annual pro-
duction about equals the annual lmporatlons from
England (s5, 800. 900. OF the $l6OOO,OOO worth
Of nax goods winch America Is now importing,
ABOUT So 800, 900 come from England, $i,2OOOOO
from Scotland - OOO, 900 from Ireland. ST. OO,OUO
from Germany. and less than SlOOO,OOO lron
France Flax and its prohucts pay an average
duty aboat 30 per cent ad v1lorcn, while have
shown ON incOntruyert BILE authority that the wages
paid are 100 per cent higher ~ the United states
than In the countries from which we Obtain our
supplies Is surprising then that Mr. Barbour
should say: There Is no hope tor the linen indus
try without 90 per cent duty"
IL would bo difficult 10 produce complete
evidence of the wincss OF Free Trade promises
relative to the advantages of foreign markets. than
tins SIMPLE story of the German Linen Industry
At the beginning of the present century Germany
controlled the linen markets OF the world. crushed
by a devastating war. at period when the teXtlle
industries were rapidly changing from hand 10
power machinery, Great Britain steps IN ana COM
pletes the desolatIon by securing tor Glasgow,
Dundee, Belfast Manchester Tho hons share OF
the most profitable foreign trade. Nearer neigh
bOrs like Bohemia and Belgium, seized the remain
der 10 Germany remained nohng but home
market, made profitable by protection 10 the
English mind when the foreign trade was lost, tine
industry was ruined, and the decay OF the once
prosperous valleys of Slesla was depcted ana con-
irasted with the gores OF the industrial centres OF
England, by British travellers IN Germany
Hall "a century has now passed. aud take an |
other glance at the Linen Industry During tins |
period Great Britain has held the foreign markets
of the world. On the OtnOr hand Germany has |
quietly held its hoIle market, getting faIr price |
Tor the goods. IL has not been compelled, az treat
Britain was, to sell annually more pounds OF yarn
aud more yards of cotn for the same money
Let English authorities fell the result.
During the last twenty years OF this half century,
according to English authorizes, the Linen Indus |
try OF Germany mas increased 300 per cent.
During the last twenty years, according TO Eng
lish authorities the Linen Industry OF Great Britain
has decreased Is per cent.
During the last twenty years tho exports OF linen
goods from Germany have increased.
During the last ten years. according to English |
Official statistics. the exports OF linen yarn have
decreased steadily every year until they are less
thar half what they were decade ago
The shares OF the leading German flax mills Mt |
Bieefeld 20 and ~ per cent above par. and the
annual dividends on the capital invested vary from
s to 10 per cent