Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-12-17
PAUPER LABOR OF EUROPE.

Farmers who realize what tremen-
dous burden they are compelled to
bear by reason of our high protective
tariff and are only willing to bear that
burden because they suppose that the
wages of workers in factories and
mines are greatly enhanced thereby
should read the following from The
Farmer, a most admirable agriculuri-
cultural paper published at St Paul
Mimi:
There are still great many persons
in this country who cherish that an
Gent bugbear about pauper labor in
Europe. Somehow or other, they be-
lieve, that the tariff is the only protec-
ton this country has against the under
paid and half starved hordes in the
fac,ories of England, and if we were
to reduce that protection ever so little
we should soon b: swamped with their
cheap made goods. There is no better
reading for such people than the Uni
ted States consular reports published
bv the state Department every month
In the October issue of these neglected
publications, for instance, are some
facts about the actual wages paid in
several industries in this country and
in England that are pretty interesting
reading. 1t appears from them that
instead Of being cursed with pauper
labor the English actually pay more to
some of their wOrkmen than we do to
ours. The Consul at Tunstall, England.
in investigating the cotton yarn indus
try, finds that English factories pay 50
cents a pound for labor in spinning
No. IS yarn, while New England fac
tories pay but 40. English factories
pay 50 cents pound for labor in spin
ming No. 20 yarn; New England fac
tories pay but IS English factories
pay 81 pound for spinning No. 40
yarn; New England factories pay but
9S cents. English factories pay $I.3j
a pound for spinning No. 80 yarn; New
England factories pay only $I.29.
In Fail River, weayers earn an aver
age Of 50 cents a week on each loom
they run. In England they earn an
average of 1922 week on each loom
they run.
The fact is well authenticated
says the Consul, speaking in general
Of the state of things in the two coun-
tries, that measured by the piece or
pound price, our labor in cotton spin
ming and cotton manufacturing is full
ly as cheap as British labor
At the same time the working time
in the English factories is So hours a
week against 60 hours in America.
English operatives have steady work all
the year round; American operatives
are kept idle an average of two months
in each year, while their employers are
waiting for the surplus stocks to be
consumed.
1t is the same way in silk. The
Macclesfield, England, silk factories
pay 80 cents pound for the labor in
dyeing in ordinary cOlors. American
factories pay but IS cents. Macclcsfeld
factories pay y cents pound for
weighted cOlors; American factories
pay from - to 81. English factories
pay IS cents pound for throwing
organZine silk and q cents for throw
ing tram. American factories pay so
cents a pound for throwing organ
zine and 20 cents for tram.
1t previous reports the same consul
has given some equally interesting
comparisons about iron and coal En-
,rIicb ,nipnrg bn GuIc ,,ot Fr,,, - g.,
81 cents ton for mining bituminOus
coal. American miners get from II
to Sc. English miners get from $l17
to $l.i6 ton for mining iron. Ac-
cording to the United States census of
1880 American miners got Sl.35 Il ton
According to the report of the Chief
of the Bureau of Industrial Statistics
of Pennsylvania for 1891 the average
earnings of iron miners in that state
that year were only - cents ton.
Now, in the face of these indisput-
able facts we are levying a tariff duty
of - per cent on cotton yarn: of Sc
per cent on cotton goods; of 80 per
cent on silks; of - per cent on iron
ore: of p per cent on coal. The only
excuse given for maintaining these
duties Is that we may equali2e to the
American manufacturer the difference
between the high wages he pays his
laborers, and the low wages paid by his
foreign competitor. That difference
seems to scarcely amount to two pins
In order to equaiize it, we have granted
the American manufacturer "equaliz-
ing" duties that amount to more than
the total cost of all his labor
It is pretty hard for any one to i'm
lgine Il more stupenduous piece of
folly than that