New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-24
Mannf'd Iron, iBessemer ST.

7, the same period it must be borne in mind that
the coal product of France Increased 7oOo'Ooo
ION. from 10 OOD, 900 in 1870 to 2O,OOO,OOO III
1852 In 1879 eariy Oae-third OF the to'al steel
nrduct came ON this distric and II tn" same pro-
norti,n WAS maintained las ear the production
ot the Loire was about 100000 tOus. But Z g
,o, steel product of France is less than half that
of Germany. and less than one-third that of the
Tinted States OF Great Britain. Having alread
corefully studied the condi ion of the workman in
the IRON and steel industries of the tn go principal
,,iu,iur countries of the wo d, shall find
nothulp in the fourth country tFrance) worth
especial attention except the great works al
Creusot, which rank next To krupPs works, at
Essen. and the establishment Of the SOcet6 Cock
eril at Seraing, BE gum
7, cannot be said that the manufactures Of the
Loire occupy an advanced position i'll regard to
machinery This is alike true in the iron and
steel and text industries. United States Consul
C;rinnell wrote In 1879: THE manufacture of both
riLhous and arms dates from an ear y period, the
former from the tenth cen ur yet III spite OF the
marvellous imp ovenen in machinery nearl the
same system prevails as al that remote PERIOD
Thre.-1uarters of the ribbons now made are woven
on the odd coarse wooden hand-loons, ana IN
various parts of this fabulous city THE phSser Oy sees
in every house almost in every room, Oneof these
clumsy looms worked by the laborer, assisted oy
his wife and children. A 'fabricanteuT as he ls
wrongly designated, has only 10 BUY MS SIX anu
then await dull period in order to screw the poor
1eayer m the last centime TO- manufacturing
into ribbon There are scarcely ha f-dozen
manufacturers in our acceptance OF the terni' AS
NAV he imagined, the population being almost
entire of the poorer class the city Is very uhih-
teresting." .,
The wages paid abor in the coal. iron and steel
districts of the Department of the Lon are as 10"
as fifty cents day. the pay of women who work In
the ards and around the mouth Of the pits. The
common laborer however. earns seventy cents
day. about the same as the English iaborer, and
from that as a minimum the wages rise 10 a maxi
mum of 81 so TO ~ day in branches requiring
considerable skill, though the average pay ior
skilled hands is about 81 10 81 20. The Ocst Oh
the workmen live on the outskirts Of the towns OF
the departments especially ST. Etienne, because the
Oero tax increases the cost Of all provisions enter
ing the town; and also because the dwelling houses
are such filthy, wretched places. Not long since
good hands were engaged in the manufacture OF
firearms in the workshop of the Government es-
tablishment which is of the largest factories
of the kind in the world and well worth a visit.
But France even seems TO have arms enough inst
now and the number of work-people has been re-
dncsd while the wages vary from eighty cents 70
one dollar day. though in prosperous times the
pay was much better. III the well-paid mechanics
Of the ars-factorics OF CONNECTICUT WIZ take the
trouble to compare these figures with their own
earnings useful and practical lesson may be
learned.
The l-nlners Of this district earn about eighty
cents day. though at times they canmake one dol
lar The miners with the poorer class OF weavers
live in the most wretched and loathsoine dens.