New-York tribune., 1884-03-09
HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE
OHIO woRKMEN ON THE MORRISON BnL

| WHY ENGLISH WORkMEN COME 10
VIGOROUS TALK FROM AN IRON PUDDLER.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, March s,-Chairman Morrison and
his free trade colleagues Of the Ways and Means
Committee have begun to hear from the people at
last but the intelligence thus farreceived is neither
cheering satisfactory It was conveyed in PLAIN
Anglo-Saxon words by well-dressed and intelllgent
workingmen, sent to Washington by public meet
ing recently held at Youngstown Ohio, report OF
which was printed among the dispatches to THx
TRIBUNE. The meeting was attended in force by
farmers, merchants, carpenters, sadders butchers
bakers. and common laborers, we'll as by skilled
workmen in the iron and other manufacturing IN
dusries of the MahOning Valley. II unanimously
adopted strong protest against the Morrison bill.
setting forth the reasons why it should not be
acted into a law. More than 5000 men havs
signed this protest and twice that number Of sig
natures will be appended to it within the NEXT
week.
Thomas G. Williams an iron puddler, first spoke
to the committee to-day. He worked five years in the
Dowlas Iron Works, in England, before coming 10
this country, in which he has lived and worBed
fourteen years. He drew from personal experiences
o strong contrast between his condition in Engapd
aud in the United States. There he received ~ -
per ton as pudder; he is paid 80 80 per ton &C
Youngstown. Work was not SO steady at Dowlas
In England he wa, able TO eat meat three or four
times a week for dinner" His ordinary breakfast
consisted of bread butter and tea. and his tea
of the same articles unless he INDUCED III the eI-
rravagance of an egg OF two. Fresh fruits were
like angels visits and fresh vegetables were un-
known. or the 1900 employees IN the DowlA
Works almost none owned homes.
Mr. Williams eats meat twice day now, baa
fruits and vegetables whenever he desires, Is abs
to clothe himself and family and 10 edu-
cate his children. He owns homo
and two-thirds Of his fellOw-workingmen
are az well off as he even to the homes. We do
not think it is right for you to reduce US tothe con
dition of the workngmen of England" said Mr.
Williams He appealed to the committee las in-
telligeut American citizens and Congressman mob
TO pass the bill You cannot reduce the tarlh With
ont reducing our wages and the agitation OF tho
subject makes work unsteady. there are niteea
hundred men in the works where am employed
Until tins agitation began we had WORK, on thc
average about ten months IN the year. In the ast
year have had work only tour OF hEe m%o9,hs. mon ms,
He denied most emphaticaly that the cost Of io0i
is less in England than Ohio lie thinks the duty
on scrap IRON shOuld be raised and said that the eli
feet of 20 last reduction had been injurious TO the
worllingmen in the iron industry. u .,
Mr. Mills, Of Texas, caught q Tartar" when he
undertook TO instruct Mr. Williams about w1Res
and tariffs in Germany and France. IL seems that.
although only plain wOrklngman, Nllllans ~
quito as well Informed as some statesmen III re-
gard TO some economic quesllous'
JOHN BRIGHT CONTRADICrED.
Mr.. Hurd called attention to a recent speech by
John Bright III which he is reported "a saying that
wages have increased 90 per cent and the cost OK
living has decreased 40 per cent in England undef
free trade Mr. Williams denied this statement
point blank and he evidently knew what he wHs
talking about.
1--WE are told that we can go to farming If free
iac
me tell YOU something from my own personal eh1
nerience and observation about the condition OK
the agricultural laborers IN England, wIilcn .n IL; ~
manufactOricsn Mr.. Williams then described ING
povertv and distress of the men VINO en- itlVs,,9
English fields and declared that Tree tr9de NQul9
nroduce the same effects Ultimately, III the bhiVe0
0A g. White. an iron fnisher followed in strong
argument against the bill. He SAID that the tartH
cannot be reduced without CUT ALB mnses' hane
workingnen of the United states 1hhss .hs
right TO good fortahie %dge' hames m O' for their
families and clothe and educate their children. he
snoke of the effect of the reduction OF te duty o9
cotton ties Before they were made IN Tue tnoo ,'e
Sttos the cotton grover paid II 10 Is cents peg
pound for all he used. domestic, SoInpt.'Uos ~
| brought the prices down to ana Ient9 ,;ar per
Prices have ceased to decline, and the tendehSy Is
again upward MeantnG q slnsc nUi, ,Gie r. fIee
| trade is such q good thing for English worHIhEens
| Shv are our factories filled witt then ana why 40
tbc tell ma that they sought homes mere 10 esC@pS
! thn doe's life they led in England = ~ A..
u r. williams said that the people had sent ine
committee to Washington to correct the wrong I'M.
nrrssion tnat only the manufacturers are m'olo"7"
| IN the maintenance of protective tarun'
| FrRTUER NOTIFICATIONS IN THE BILL
| II IL learned that movement Is on foot among
Democrats in the House to secure further modinca-
t;ons of the Morrison bill. A Democrat who is now
o,rosod to if on account of the free coal and fred
salt provisions, said to-day that the conference
will he held next week, and that the Democrats
members of the Ways and Means committee, "ILa
tvo exceptions-M -Messrs. IIurd and Hewtt-whl
agree to the restoration Of coal, salt and lumber 70
the dutable list. This concession, it is thought oy
some Democrats. will bring to the support OF mo
! measure the Democratic Representatives, from
| MARYLAND, Virginia and California, and stIengthen
! tne wagering lines in Wisconsin and Michie3n. l.
| Colonel Morrison daily finds new dlihGultles ~
the way of his unseliish efforts to relieve the peoPs
of what Le calls War tariff taxes, IL Is hotlcfa-
bie Lowrvcr that far he has refused 10 c"hsnett
nny nroposition to abate anything from iMnT M %hoss %
| danGerpus and injurious feature ot ms Dli thae
| rroyiding for the horizontal reduction ol uutIes'