New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-30
INDUSTRIAL GERMANY.
NV poRERl,y, PORTER, MEMBER OF THE LATE
TARIFF COMMISSION.
.rpN,N VIEWS OF TIE RESULTS OF PRO-
LECTION.

~,ppNaN VIEWS OF TIE RESULTS OF PRO-
LECTION.
sprcr,I CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEl
F"o ESSEN, Prussia, June D.
rh. Morning selected for my VISIT TO the ceie-
.~otea Krupp works at Essen opened bright ana
h.outifnl. had spent the night at Dusseldorf ana
,vos TO leave on the 1923 train in the morning.
rhanks TO Dr. Warner, the American Consul al
nHsseldorf. had few days previous been intro
duced 10 Herr +. Osann, well-known German
,rrter and speaker on economic SUBJECTS ana the
rditor of Stahl und Essen, and this gentleman had
generously offered to accompany me both to Essen
"a nortmund. Mr.. Osann is also secretary of the
,.on and Steel Association of Germany and is thor
oucbv well informed in every branch OF this
:a,nn,tapt industry Indeed, it was great piece OF
cood fortune to secure the assistance OF sucn an
;ntellioeut man in the prosecution of my inquiries
- +be industrial condition of the Rhineand and
westnhalja provinces. The journey eastward from
.ba Rhine taking an area of country between
pubrort on the north and Dusseldorf on the south,
a. tbrough the very heart of the iron and steel man
focturing and the coal mining districts of Prussia
Almost in direct line east from Ruhrort, with the
odioinipg town of Duisburg on the south, We pass
through the manufacturing towns OF ODerhausen'
Srelaorf Mulheim Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Steele,
Rocbum. Hattlngen, Arten. Dortmund and Hord'
while almost directly east from Dusseldorf are
Mettmann. Elberield. Barmen, Schwelm HerdecKe
and Hagen. ;.
The towns mentioned are situated as 1t
were at the Junction of three government
districts (Reaeru gs- Bezirke), those OF Dus-
seldorf. Munster and Arnsberg. careful estl-
mata would indicate that at the present time not
less than 725,OOO persons are engaged In these
three districts in industrial pursults-4OO.OOO III
the Dusseldorf district, 100000 In Arnsoerg' ana
70 600 in Munster. OF those in the Dusseldorf dis
trict probably 10000 are engaged In mines ana
smelling and 10000 in metallurgical WORKS; IN
Arnsberg probably 100000 are engaged In mines.
smelling and salt works. land $4,000 IN metalurglca'
works In the Munster district $4,000 are employer
I'M textile industries while IN the dusseldorf as
trct not far short of 12O. 600 are employed in the
various textile industries, especially the mannfac-
turnp of silks and woollen cloth. These facts Will
enable the reader to appreciate the Importance.
from manufacturing standpoint, of this part of
Northwestern Germany. The journey from Ddssel-
dorf TO Essen via Kettwig is in q northeasterly
direction. but from Essen on to Dortmund we
strike the tier of towns, having the Rhine towns OF
Ruhrort and Duisberg for the western boundary,
and from thence the railroad, running almost due
east to Dortmund, passes through the thickost OF
the manufacturing region.
On the way to Essen l had an opportunity to
converse with Herr Osann on the present
condition of the IRON industry of Germany and TO
ascertain the effect of the new tariff laws upon
labor. found him close student of Carey and
firm believer in the doctrine of developing home
industries.
Twelve years ago." said Herr Osann, had
completed the study of the German edition of
Carey's works, and having been called upon to ad-
dress an association largely made up of msnufac-
turers at Essen, / gave them the results OF my
studies They hardly regarded my address seriously
ut that time and indeed were disposed to laugh at
it, Since then we have seen what Carey doctrines.
practically applied have done for some of our i'm
portant industries, and do not think you will find
any one at Essen to-day who will smile at the great
American political economist. Henry c. Carey"
"Do you manufacturers regard the return to pro-
lection favorably and have the results been equal
to the expectatlonT
"In the iron industry, / can, without hesitation.
say yes Dr. H. Rentzsch Secretary of the Verein
Deutschsr Esen und Ssahl Indusirieer, has
within the last week demonstrated statistically
that the average amount OF money received month
" by each person Including young and
old skilled and unskIlled) engaged in the iron
and steel industry of Germany was in January,
1879 only go marks "a pfeDuin "a. wilhelm January,
1888 latter four years of proection), the average
monthly amount actually paid each person en-
gagged in the industry had increased to II marks.
81 pfennings In he same time the number of hands
has increased 80 per cent and the value and the
amount of the product 1 should think fully as
much. The fact is that protection saved industrial
Germany. Under free trade whole industrial
system was going to ruin. You can better imagine
how apparent this was when you reflect the re-
vusion of public opinion necessary to make such
radical change in the economic policy Of a great
empire"
"The free. traders will urge, however that the
prices of the necessres of life have been increased
to such on extent that the workingmau is. in fact,
no better of. What is your opinion this point;"
"At first there WAS undoubtedly a marked In
crease in the price of some articles due in part from
the change in policy and IN part through the greater
demand for all kinds of produce; but if you com
pare the prices Of food and other articles now with
the prices in 1879, and take into consideration the
permanent increase in the price of labor and the
greater plumber of persons employed, an element so
often omitted in these inquiries, and yet
so lmportant--for protection in this case
have shown has net only increased all the
wages, but has increased the number by 33
per cent to whom wages are paid--if all these
lungs arc carefully considered, ana also the TACT
tnat house rent Is not higher, 1t is impOss BILE to
come TO any other conclusion than that the benefits
TO the industrial classes real and will he lasting
and far outweigh the disadvantages arising from
the increase in prices"
True, the prices of anything excepting black
bread. mattered little to the 80 per cent of men no
we're unemployed and nearly Starving during the
free-trade regime"
BY this time we nearing Essen. The country
we were passing through was very picturesque
Hills seemed TO rise from behind hills. Here and
there we dashed through woods OF tail statelv trees
and then emerged into q rolling farming di.iricf
The well-ted fields. the dark green of the growing
gram, the fresh foliage of the trees the fragrance
OF the woods seemed strange prelude to the Smoke
and DIN OF the largest iron and steel works IN tbe
WORTH ROBERT T. PORTER
ANSWERED..
From The Kfa0gfOa I,eeyon