National Republican., 1883-09-13
MIR JOHN ROACH CONTINUES. =
The ship Builder Expresses Some More
Views Before the Labor Committee.


The ship Builder Expresses some More
Views Before the Labor Committee.
NEW York, Sept. 12--Mr. John Roach
continued his testimony before tho senate
subcommittee on labor and education. Ho
asked leave to correct some misapprehon-
sions, which, he said, seemed to exist in the
minds of the public regarding his previous
testimony. He denied that he testified that
ships could bo built as cheaply in this country
as in England. He stated that the materials
were as cheap here as In England, but that
the cost of labor was greater, which increased
the cost of building This was because labor
was better educated and more intelligent
here than in England, and could demand and
obtain better wages. He also stated that it
was not the first cost of the ship that made it
impossible to compete with Great Britain in
this industry, but the increased cost of capital.
Tho witness believed in the protection oflabor
in order TO develop properly the resources
of the country. Without protection he de-
clared that no person would have an opportu-
nifty of developing his genius unless those in
dustries existed in which his talents could be
exercised. He claimed that without protec-
tion no industries except farming and mining
could be carried on. In tho case of three
commodities, namely, cotton and woolen
goods and iron, the average value Of the
yearly importations for the last ten years was
81, 17S 100000. This state of facts Mr.. Roach
considered dangerous sign as thoy existed
under the present tariff laws Something
was wrong. 1t was infamous that this large
amount of money should be paid every
year to foreigners, and shame
that while America could feed her
population, she could not clothe them
N1,.. .1ns .,I nF
war which was going on between foreign
capitalists to get the control of the Ameri-
can markets. 1t was the means of building
up great foreign monopolies whose only object
was to get as great an advantage as possible
in the markets of other countries. In order
to be able to compete with British manufac-
lures the American workman must consent
to degrade himself to tho condition of the
laboring classes abroad In speaking on the
subject of free ships, the witness said that Mt
the present tmo Great Britain had ono
thousand millions of money invested in this
shipping business. 1t was her most profitable
industry. Ten years ago England had 49,
600 men engaged in the sailing merchant SER
vice and 500 in tho steam merchant vessels.
To-day there were 100000 men in the sailing
service and 10000 in the steam service.
During the past year the earnings of this
immense merchant fleet was $i00,000000.
This enormous stride of the British people
was accomplished at the expense of this
country. The interests of the workingmen
here were neglected by those who ought to
have guarded them. This was tho secret of
the decline of American shipping. Great
Britain had subsidized her shipbuilders and
placed them in position where there could
be no opposition. Twenty-Five per cent. of
the capital invested in shipbuilding
was drawn from tho English treasury
and paid to the English shipbuilders
| Al al
| lean competition. Between the years of 1S4c
and 1852 the sum paid out of the English
treasury in subsidies was S14S,O00,000
| Englaud's foreign trade to-day was 200 times
that Of this country. Witness claimed that
he had never asked for subsidy, but his
great grievance was that he did not get paid
enough for carrying the mails between New
York and Havana. Ho claimed that he
paid more for tug service in bringing
tho mails from quarantine to the post
office than he obtained from the govern
ment for carrying the mails On the
questions of the hours of labor Mr., Roach
believed that if an eight hour system was es-
tablished by the government it would be
necessary to increase the protective tariff in
order to counteract the influence of the in
creased cost of production. Tho only way to
benefit the condition Of labor in general was
| to give it chance at the land. In his opin.
| ion, if the government would give $50 acres
of land to every man who would 90 west and
cultivate it himself there would be an easy
solution Of the labor question. In order tc
do this ctfectually the government should ap-
propriate certain sum for transporting emf
grants to the west.
CONCORD, n. H., Sept 12.-The senate
judiciary committee has under consideration
II bill Incorporating what Is to be called the
Southern Pacific company, by the provisions
of which any railway or steamboat line ol
lands in the United States may be purchased
by the company, with the right to increase
the capital stock to an unlimited extent by
vote Of the parties in interest. The incorpo
rators named are Thos. w, Pierce, C. Crocker
NJ. i. S. Hopkins, and Isaac l.. Gates,
attorney for Gov. Hanford, who are said tc
control the California system. Mr.. Pierce
who testified before the committee, stated
that it was proposed, if the bill became y law
to consolidate the Louisiana Western, Texa;
and New Orleans Galveston, Harrisburg and
| San Antonio, Houston and Texas, and TeXa:
Central and other railroads, as well as steam
boat lines, having an aggregate capital OF
upward OF $5O,000,0O0, besides owning
| q 100000 acres of land in Texas