The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-06
THE LABOR INQUIRY.
MEssRs. ROACH AND GOULD TESTIFY.
The Former Advocates Protection for
Shipping, and the Latter Gives a
Very Interesting Account
of His Own Life.
ROACH BEFORE THE co,MrrrEE.

ed about twenty-five different branches.
Witness began work at twelve shillings per
week, but at that time wages were very
low; since that time the condition of the
workingman has gradually improved,
and the hours of labor have been reduced
He thought there was no reason why every
industrious workman should not have his
own home He believed the Government
was bound to legislate in the interest of
workingmen; the payroll of his (Roach's)
business last year was S1,5S7,0 900, and he
had men in his employment who first started
with him in business; now they owned their
own homes. Witness said labor must CO.
operate with capital; it would never do for
labor to combine by itself and become the
deadly foe of capital the sooner
wOrkingmen were educated to the standard
from which they could realize the force Of
the maxim, that "a man who can not make
can not own the better; over fifty of the
men employed by him in former years Ia
bored with him in the same workshop; fire.
quently men in his employ came TO him and
said they wanted to get sc or &10 to
send to some relative in Ireland, and asked
him to deduct so much per week from their
wages; he always obliged them.
Witness remarked that there were millions
of dollars sent out of this country which
should be invested here, but which We're
sent to maintain landlOrdiSm in Ireland
The payroll for one month of the Morgan
Iron Works aggregated SAG, 500, and the
average wages of employees were thirteen
dollars or fourteen dollars per week. Wit
ness said that. at one time he
was a tramp on the prairies of
Illinois, without dollar in his pocket, and
yet he never flinched in his determine
ton; ten Years ago he bought ship-yard
at Chester, and at the present time more
than 800 men were employed there whose
wages averaged 1929 day; OF these 2S7
owned their own houses, the value of which
ranged from 81, 200 to IS, 900. In regard to
fast ships witness said that in his mind it
was important that the building OF
ships should be encouraged as a
means of national defense. Roach said
that he was not opposed TO trades
unions; he did not care how many
men came into his works; they would not
be denied employment simply because they
were union men; at the same time fe hired
men individually, and they were given to
understand that if they wanted 10 treat with
the employer on any subject, they must come
individually. While he allowed his men to
amuse themselves with their trades unions,
just as with their religion OF politics, he
would allow no combination of men to
run his shop.
Mr., Roach advocated protection to ship
ping as the only means of regaining SUI
premacy on the sea. He said ship could
be built in this country cheaper than
in England at the present day, and that
burdens were imposed on the ship itself aft,
er construction which made it Improbable
for Americans TO own vessels. He did not
believe in bOunties and subsidies as such
\ wise law, he thought, could be framed
which would cover all difficulties.
| Senator Call tried several times to obtair
| Mr.. Roach's theory as to the cause of En-
! gliSh superiority in this respect, and how
under the present Navigation laws, Ameri
| can shipping would be benefited, but with
| out avail
JAY GOULD TEsTIFIEs.
Senators Blair and Call waited patiently
| for Jay Gould to appear before them yes
| terday morning to testify as to the relation
| between capital and labor. A large audi
/ tilCC was Ill dllSifNtlCts AS MI. uoAIl tie
1 layed his attendance the committee hearC
| statements from George W. Weston, law
| yer of this city, who appeared in opposition
| TO the theories of Henry George and Mr.
| Moody. Just as the witness was beginning
| his testimony Mr.. Gould entered. Weston
merely stated that the tendency TO monopo
lize land was not so great now as it was ont
| hundred years ago in this country.
Mr.. Gould then took the stand and, OF
being sworn, Senator Blair requested him t.
! give the history of his early life and hi
! first business adventures, and then go on t.
| give the story of his progress to his presen
! position.
Mr.. Gould seemed to be somewhat stag
! gered at the request, but turning with +;
| smile toward the reporters table he begar
| in low voice: Il was born at Roxbury
Delaware County, this State, May 81, 1886
My parents had a small farm and KEEP
twenty cows, which l assisted il
tending | attended school abou
| fifteen miles distant, and when | wa
about fourteen years old, obtainet
a situation in store in a neighboring vii
| lage. l was much interested in mathemat
les, and used to get up at three O'Clock il
the morning and study till Six, when tn
store was opened. | remained in the Stat,
for two years, when l made the &C
quaintance of surveyor, who wa
making a survey of Ulster County II
took me into his service at a salary O
twenty dollars month. | learned that m
employers credit was not very good an
/ was to obtain no money for III
work until the map was complete
50 | made sun dials for farmers at on
dollar piece to pay my running expenses
| made surveys afterwards in DelawaT
and Albany counties, and made
these contracts about five thousand dollars
then went into the tanning business wit
Mr.. Pratt, of Prattyille, and finally er
tered into partnership with Charles N
Leupp, who committed suicide. The frs
railroad with which | had any comectio
was what is now portion of the Rensselae
& Saratoga, of which | was Superin
tendcnt. During the panic Of 1857 tn
stock went down very low. and | was abb
to buy in large amount OF it, which aftel
wards rose in value, and | made hanC
some thing in it. The next road in whic
Mr.. Gould said he interested himself W.
the Cleveland q Pittsburgh, which he afte
wards leased to the Pennsylvania Roat
Gould then rehearsed over his connectio
with the Union Pacific Road AS he h0
interested himself M it, and the stoC
was falling, he made up his mir
: to carry it through at any cost.
was on the point of being placed in Il
p hands of a receiver. Afterwards, when Il
road became paying one, and dividend
were declared regularly, there was a gre
cry from the public that it was Jay Gould
+ road IS If this was dangerous thing, T
e san, aoivever, that he was then engaged
!. selling out his stock, which was soon in Il
G hau., more than seven thousand inves
d nr>. representing the earnings
e mWl widows and orphans. I'll
0 epdr'i his connection with Il
S l;nic' Pacific, and the stock was now high
) tha when he sold 1t. The next ventu
d Wa the building up of the Gould railroi
= system in the South and Southwest. Itsb
gan with the purchase of the Missouri P
, cifc from Commodore Garrison. 9th
roads were purchased and connections mat
to different points. Gould said he had
this time passed the point WHIT
mOney-making was an object, and
only idea was in carrying out sy
: tens to merely see what could
n done by combination. The lines now sprei
= through Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michiga