The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-05-14

While the war preparations we're IN iull
blast some branches Of English industry
were much relieved; but now that the
Government seems DESTROYS Of peace at
any price, thisstimulant willbelacking. A
Wolyerhampton letter to the Americaa
Manufacturer, written when the war move
ment was yet in full blast paints a sombre
picture Of British industry. A few ex-
trac,s will give an idea Of the situation:
Trade keeps SO very dull that the home
railways have no encouragement either TO
extend or to prematurely relay. Ihe
traffic receipts OF nearly all the lines show
a steady falling off week by week. inns
ID especially seen in respect OF the lines
running through the chief manufacturing
districts associated with the coal and iron
industries. Quite notable is the fact 10
this relation that SO much are they IN ad'
vance at the great Crewe Works OF the
london & North Western railway, that
The company could afford TO at once shut
I'm their locomotive works for Six months.
Some OF the metal branches are be-
ginning 10 complain OF the effect Of the
demand for army recruits upon the supply
OF labor. At this there should sccafcely
be any surprise since men are nov We enter
ing the army ct the rate Of 2,VVo PER
week. But the labor market generally
has not yet been sensibly influenced, 50
widespread has been the falling oil IN
trade. .,.L :.
The bad trade Of the country, which is
affecting everyone from the bishop TO the
barceman, Ia now telling upon the work
mems unions. First, men upon strike
have had their strike pay largely decreas-
ed now certain OF them gro receiving IN
timation that they mustgive up the strug-
ole. and get work at the terms which are
available.
On the 25th ofJune, 1889, the engine
filters and others to the number OF about
1000 men, employed in the engineering
establishments on the Wear at Sunder-
land: came out on strike to compel their
employers TO limit the number OF appren-
tices, and TO obtain a rise OF wages. After
lasting ior 04 weeks, during which up
wards OF 100000 have been tisbursed, the
strike has now starved itself out Tor the
strike hands have been told by the exec;
utiye Of the Amalgamated Engineers mat
'they had better accept work wherever
they can get il"
The Yorkshire coal masters who have
given notice to their men for drop Of ten
percent, and who, as my readers will re-
member, are now Joined by the Derby
shire masters, appear likely TO carry the
day. Though there are from 5000 to
10000 miners on strike, and consequent
lythe large pits in South and West York
shireare idle, there Is yet nothing like a
scarcity OF coal IN the district, nor have
prices gone up more than shilling ton.
In the United States the depressed
trade is attributed to "the robber tariff"
Working men are told that II it were not
for the protective tariff, they would have
full employment at good wages and the
necessaries OF life would be cheap-the
glass-blower would be employed steadily
at acceptable wages, and the iron-worker
would buy his glasswareat English prices
that, in short, only the tariff stands be,
tween us and great prosperity and cheap
living.
II this be true, what is the matter with
the industries Of Great Britain? Why is
it that "the bad trade Of the country
affects everyone from the bishop to the
bargeman"2 No "robber tariff" stands in
the way there. The British wage-earner
basks in the glorioussunlight Of free-trade,
yet he is not a happy man. The. United
States continues to buy literally Of his
cheaper product and takes that much from
It's own bread-winners; and still the in
dustries Of that old manufacturing country
are sorely depressed and tens Of thousands
Of men are idle.
There is no political campaign on hand
now, and Americans can look into these
matters without bias or passion. The
deeper they look the less they will want
free trade.