National Republican., 1883-09-05
HOW LABOR is REWARDED.
Mr. John Roach Tells How the TOiling LabOrer
May Got Up in the World.
Jay Gould 10 Appear Before tho Labor
Committee To-day.

NEW YORK, Sept. i.-The senate subcom-
mittee on labor and education continued its
session to-day Mr.. John Roach was the first
witness. lie said in beginning his testimony
that he desired to confne himself to his own
branch of industry Witness employed about
5000 men, who represented about twenty
five different branches. Witness began work
at twelve shillipgs week, but at that time
wages were very low. Since then the condi.
tion of the workingman had gradually i'm
proved, and the hours of labor had been
reduced He thought there was no reason
why every industrious workingman should
not own his own home. He believed
that the government was bound
tho workingmen. The pay roll of
his business last year was S1,5sIOOO, and he
had men in his employment who first started
with him in business. Now they owned
their own houses. Many time in order to
pay his board he had watched his opportunity
to make over time. He determined to sue
coed and made up his mind to be patient.
lie came to the conclusion that there was no
man who struck out with fixed object in
view who would not in the end be able to
own his own home Witness never knew
such n man to fail, but could ON the other
hand point to many who were i'll poverty
who had it in their power to become indcpen-
dent. Witness said that labor must cooperate
with capital. 1t 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
ga man who cannot make cannot own
the better il would be for the laborer as well
as for the nation. Over fifty of his men were
employed by him in former years in the same
workshop. Frequently men in his employ
came to him and said they wanted TO get Go
rT s,I I,al pVI
asked him to deduct so much week from
their wages He always obliged them. Wit
ness remarked that there are millions of
dollars annually sent out of this country
which should be invested here, but which
were sent to maintain landlordism in Ireland.
The pay rolls for one month of the Morgan
Iron works aggregated $l6,5OO, and the
average wages of the employees were $13 or
$14 week. Witness said that at one time
he was tramp on the prairies of Illinois
without dollar in his pocket, and yet ho
never finched in his determination. Ten
years ago he bought the shipyard st Chester
and at the present time moro than l,5OO men
were employed there whose wages averaged
$219 day. OF these 2S7 owned their own
houses, the value ofwhich ranged from 81 200
to $1,000.
In regard to free ships the witness said
that in his mind it was important that the
building of ships should be encouraged as o
means of national defense. Mr.. Roach said
he was not opposed to trades unions. He did
not care how many men came into his works.
They would not be denied employment SIM
ply because they were union men. At the
same time he hired men individually, and
they were given to understand that if they
wanted to treat with their employer on any
thing they must treat with him individually.
While he would allow his men to amuse them-
selves with their trades unions just aS with
their religion or politics, he would ,ailow no
combination Of men to run his shoU
Recess.
After recess Mr.. Roach spoke at length on
the subject of free ships He said if the ship
ping interest could not support itself the
government must do it,. Before the war the
p %Tuited States was the, rival of England in the
car .ing trade of tie world. Now her ship
ping was almost /entirely gone. The reason
of this was that ythe Bnglishipeople had oh
tanned the p6nopoly of the shipbuilding.
Great Britain obtained this great monopoly
by holding out such inducements to ship
builders in the way Of dividends and
subsidies that they were able to build
the cheapest ships in the world, and hold
them. The system of taxation was such that
shipbuilding was encouraged. The burdens
which were placed by taxation on American
ships were the means of killing this industry.
Great Britain fostered its own industry in
shipbuilding by starting the cry of free ships
in this country. The subject of labor was
very WIN iico phIpo,
95 per cent. of the cost of the ship was labor.
The United States could have as many ships
on the ocean to-day as Great Britain if it were
not for the difference in the first cost of the
ships The iron ship is built to-day in
America cheaper than the wooden one was
built in 1858, and cheaper than it was built
in England in 1870.
Mr.. Roach continued his testimony before
the committee in the afternoon on the sub
ject of free ships and labor and advocated
the protection by the government to ship
ping as the only means of regaining suprem-
acy on the sea. He stated that ship could
be built in this country cheaper than in Eng
land at the present day, and that the burdens
were only imposed on the ship itself after
construction, which made it Improbable for
Americans to own vessels He did not be-
lieve in bounties and subsidies as such, and
evidently had great dislike for the terms. A
wise law, he thought, could be framed which
would cover all the difficulties, but all efforts
on the part of Senator Call to induced him to
state his views more definitely proved un-
availing. His examination will be continued
sometime next week.
Tomorrow Mr.. Jay Gould will be examined
by the committee.