New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-28
CONGRESSMAN KELLEY RETURNS.
WHAT HE SAW IN GREAT BRITAIN.

A man of short stature and spare but vigorous
frame with rOn-gray hair and grzzcd beard and feat
that Drowned by and wind, seemed 10 denote
vigorous health was seated in the Customs Inspectors
Office the GuOn Line pier shortly after p. ~. on
Wednesday He clad in shaggy and
loose cloth "knOck-abOut " hat and looked like halo
old captain or pilot. Every now and again somebody
would dart into the little Office and exclaim why,
Judge, how well you are looking-hardly knew you
glad to see you back" Then would ensue n vigorous
hands shaking and mutual felicitation. Tho with
the seafaring air Cons rcssman William ID. Kelley,
who as chairman of the Way and Means Committee, did
such valiant and successful battle for the Tariff bill at
the last session of Congress and almost Frustrated
in health in consequence. He had just landed from tho
Wyoming and was receiving the congratulations OF his
friends on his return home and restoration to health
yes" he said to a reporter OF The TRIBUNE, left
these shores June q feeling old and feeble; now
feel fresh and vigorous eat well aud sleep well and
weigh five pounds than ] believe / ever weighed
before in my life l think have completely recovered
my health"
How did you spend your time abroad I" asked tho
reporter
"Ibusied myself with my family quietly iu london for
a month"; even letting my friends know Of my pres
enCe there Then | went 10 Br0adStairs. q delightful
little watering place In Kent, where Dickens wrote
Bleak House After soonrning there q few weeks
visited of the industrial centres Of England, ac-
companied by my daughter. Miss Florence Kelley.
First visited South Wales and spent days studying
the condition OF the cge IN the course
my that section visited yrTydvi.
DOwlais and other places. ! found the labOrng pOpu-
atiOn little better than starving There was an Immense
number OF men idle. one town which had once Num-
Der OF thriving TOn-wOrks actually falling to pieces
found women and girls AZ the mouths of the coal pits
loading and hauling filed with coal and In the iron
works handling large iron plates In fact they were en-
gagged In most Of those forms Of labor which require no
special skill and therefore receive the smallest wmuncr-
alton The wages Of the were OF course larger than
the receiving, but still they were misclaby
small.
In England visited Manchester, Sheffield and Bir
mlngham. Everywhere found The wOrkmcn Underpaid
and discontinued. Near Birmingham are the nail max
ing towns OF lyc-Nastc and Halcs-OWcn. found much
of the work was done by women. They received hve
shilling week, and from that were deducted the rent
Of the the cost Of the MEL tue cost OI carrying mo
bars from which nails made 10 the forge and nails
when made the shops OF their employers. The women
il married and with children had usually pay two shl-
ugs and siNpcucc week tn some care tatcr TO look
after their children. At LycWaste were many brick
making establishments where the women earned six
singa week and were in consequence enNled by the
nail and Ichau makers. But the envy Of the country
side the girls who were employed ~ the gaVanlLnS
establishments They got seven Slillings week, but
OF hcm could hope 10 retain their health long
enough enable them work steadily for six cOnsecu
tive months because of the Injurious effects OF the acids
used in the process Of manufacture upon the throat
There is unqucstionaby feeling among al the
working people In Great Britain that free trade and
American inventions have ruined them. remember
hearing a say. throwing all the cagncstneSs OF
prayer into his profanity: BY God. ii would have been
good thing fer us II America had never been discOS-
cred,
DO vou wonder" continued Mr.. Kelley, taking from
his pocket some specimens OF nails shai made by
women. " that machine made nails are diving these
out of the markets IN South America and elsewhere I"
Would return To protection, do YOU THINK render
don't know IL is not FOR me to suggest legislation
for Great Britain hut far my own country Is con-
cerned. my observations abroad have only made me
more intense protcctioniSt II possible, than before
Mr. Kelley EIcsiliug catch the first train 10 Phila
delphd, could not proung the interview any further