Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-20
EVERY DAY TALKS ON TARIFF.
II High Tariff 10 an Injury to the
Majority, Should 1t be Kept Up?

L
Now supposing you are one of the grea
majority who don't need protection-ont
OF the 95 per cent. who can't possibly be
affected by competition with foreign
labor products. That is, supposing you
are a car or truck-driver, 'longshoreman
bricklayer, carpenter, plumber, clerk
or professional man, or are engaged
in any of the many employments moi
subject to foreign competition. Now, ae
you don't need any protection, by tariff,
for yourself; as you have to earn your
own living without taxing anybody else,
aren't you justified in inquiring why in
thunder you are nearly taxed to death
for the so-called protection of a very
small section of the community, espe-
cially when you know that protection
doesn't protect the very people it is made
to protect?
The American workman in "protect-
ed" or unprotected industries, as rule,
is paid higher wages than his English
or German competitor, mainly for the
reason that he does more and better
work. Proportionate to the amount of
work he does he is often paid lower wages
than workmen on the other side. That is
shown fully. for instance, by the testimony
of expert witnesses from the cotton mills
OF Massachusetts, who have testified that
while a comparison of the relative con-
dition of the operatives in Fall River,
Mass, and Oldham, England, was rather
in favor Of the English operatives, the
amount of finished work turned out by
the American process was often nearly
double that of the production of the Eng.
lish workmen in the same time.
Another case in point: In 1882 the
managers of the Reading Iron Works
employed number of English workmen
to work at their steam forge in Reading;
contracts were made with them for one
year, with the right to terminate rela-
tions on three months notice. The
forgeman, Mr.. Waterson, was to receive
81 day. These workmen we're put to
work at one of the hammers in the
steam forge at Reading. Their average
production was only 16 cwt. out of each
furnace, making about 32 cwt. Of forgings
for their hammers 1.-TWO furnaces being
used to one hammer.) This was only
about one-half the production before
made, and by comparison with the other
hammers in the forge it was found that
the cost of forgings made in day by the
compared with the cost of
similar forgings made by American
workmen was from $12 to $l4 day
greater. The English workmen were
and they brought suits to re-
cover three months pay. The sworn
testimony in the suit OF one of them
( Mr.. Waterson) can be found in the
records of the Bucks County Court. Here
is some of it:
Gerald Dale testified that the average guam
tity Of iron produced by Waterson, with the
English helpers, was $3.50 pounds per day
what should have been turned out at that ham,
mer on that class of work and what other men
have turned out
John G, West testified that a five ton hammer
should produce 5000 pounds on plain, common
work per day; ten-ton hammer on the same
class Of work would do about the same; on
larger work it should do more.
Thomas Anderson testified that he was ham
from Scotland, in this country about
eighteen months. "In England the cranes are
Win d word bx the
same size of the one Waterson worked, is below
that turned out in this country. II l turned
out in the old country. 1000 pounds per day to
the furnace on hammer OF the same
size / thought it good days work That
would be 1000 pounds for two furnaces, and
would be good days work in the old country.
1t takes pretty good man to do this there In
America they aim to make more iron with the
same appliances Work made here Is as good
as there, but a man is expected to do more
here than there. The furnaces there are not as
good. l contracted in Scotland for 81 so day
here.'
John Herbly testified that he was an English
zimmerman Had been in this country thirty
three years. Six thousand pounds per day of
the class of work Waterson worked at should
have been turned out.
Alfred Price testified that he came from Eng
land and worked with Waterson at the hammer.
81 was one of the English gang worked in
England with one of the best hammermen in
England. In England from 1.500 to 1000
pounds per day (rather below 1000 than above),
with one furnace, is considered good days
work"
OF course iron-making processes have
slightly changed since 1882, but the new
ideas in this country have all been in
the direction of Improvement and econo-
my of process.-[N. Y. News.