New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-27

Al. I1r,tod states IN 1ssZ over S4 $50 600 was OF
cotton hosiery, no less than 81 ,27s,000 cotton
gloves and 81 .205,0 900 dress goods. hosiery VI
all kinds and gloves of cotton, kid silk and wool,
form the chief articles of export the United States
aggregating S7.200,000.
The operativcs of Chemnitz compare favorably
in appearances with those of Misunderstanding are
certainly q more cheerful looking set OF people
and are better off than the jewellers In the lndus-
trial quarters of Manchester described In former
letter At the same time do not consider them as
well of as the girls of such places as the sunnysue
Mills Bolton. the Clarks, at Paisley, the Listers,
at Bradford, or Sir Titus Salts. at Saltsire. 1hore
is plenty Of fresh air in and around Cbemnitz ana
much of the time after work hours is spent in oper
concert places and beer halls. and in dancing, an
amusement that the English factory girl does
not indulge in Sunday at Chemnlfz is
day of freedom from restraint and holiday LOT tne
operatives. Music, singing. dancing the green
fields of the country and lots of fresh air. with snch
other indulg ences in the way OF good wholesome
beer a, tbsy can afford, is the German way OF
spending Sunday. The Chemni!z factory girl Is NOT
the most moral in the world and ilesitimate births
are quite commou At the present time theyare earn
NO what for Saxony may be regarded as 1alr wages
In this industry wages would run o httc peio"
those paid in Manchester. but 1 think not below
elements entering into the several branches OF the
textile industries of Chenntz that far COM
parlson of wages can hardly be made, as have no
array of accurate data in the iron and steel
Industry. One thing illustrating the thrift OF the
German is that the market closes Saturday and all
ia swept away by o'clock p. m, and on the even
ing of Saturday the operatives. dressed III their
best arc out for the evening stroll. They are
always sufficiently ahead to make purchases
Saturday morning. / have already shown tnaV
the British workman can rarely do this, or II he can
he does not, for all the markets IN the industrial
centres are open until midnight. and at Sheffield,
Leeds and Manchester the buying seemed to me to
begin Saturday night about the time 1t closed IN
Germany.
1t may be interesting to Lowell, Fall River and
Willimantic factory girls to know that one OF their
sex recently led a strike in Chemnitz. 1t was not
for higher wages. but for extension of liberties
The "Actien Spinnerei !" employing 100 hands 200
female and 400 mem had recently elected new
director, who made himself obnoxious by cutting
down all the operatives privileges The doors were
10 be closed and no one allowed cut during iree
hours" The operators were actually allowed no
water 10 drink. One morning, led by this textiie
Joan of Arc all hands struck ana ID heIy 'erins uo
First-,"The obnoxious director must 60"
Second-"Less hours of work" -
Third" Out doors during free hours.
For fourteen DAYS the eleven hundred stood for
these three demands and their fellow work-people
helped to support them. AT last concessions were
made and most of them went back. Over 200, how
ever bad found remunerative places else there
Prompted by curiosity. / took look at the Actien
Spiunereip building, and found IL gloomy looking
structure without window sashcs. thick green glass
of the kind generally used fer payements over cell
lars being set in the walls for the necessary light
No one could look in; one could see out The
operatives teiled like CATTLE not being allowed 10
60 out for twelve hours nor even allie we'd drinking
water until after the strike. In this way, with
about
as American employers pay dollars,
such places as Chemnitz buy American cotton.
carry it across the ocean, return II manufactured
nav the duty and compete to the extent OF So
600. 900 with our home industries IL can only be
done by a shameful degradation of human labor.
am thankful to say tue recent ENDORSEMENT by Con-
grsss of the Tariff Commissi0n's report recon-
mending higher duty on hosiery has increased the
barrier between American labor and that OF Chem
nitz. The manufacturers here complain OF II and
fear trade III be dull. Gu the other hand, a de
crease in the silk duty is jOyOusly heralded IN now
busy Crefeld The tariff - like barometer, IN
dlcatng In the industrial ceners OF Europe fair or
dnlI seasons. ROBERT i. PORTER