The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-05-05

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follow the cause-hgh rate of wages because
so much more service is rendered the EN-
poycr. low cost of product because so much
more is done in given time. ! repeat IL,
the tariff has had nothing to do with bring
ing about the great change, and 1t is lmpo-
tent, utterly impotent, to increase the rate
of wages
But, Mr.. Chairman, want TO call the at
tention of the committee To statement
found in the report of the United States
census This is the report in reference to the
wages in the manufacturing industries of the
country, and call special attention to re-
port OF an AK manufacturing establishment
in Connecticut, on page lbs. This gentle
man who makes the report compares the OPP
erations of his house from his books IN 1910
with 1850. In steel fitting in AK making,
each operative turned out 600 pieces per day
in 1910 In 1850 each operative turned out
l,2jO pieces per day, Each operative re-
ceived in $50 Il cents per 100 pieces He
earned in 1910 sl4i per day, and III 1850,
though he received less for each piece, he
earned $50 per day.
Now. was the increase Of the daily wages
OF these operatives due to the TARIFF Let the
manufacturer answer He says: "The follow
ing table shows the results Of labor saving
machinery, together with the increase IN the
efficiency of labor in the manufacture of
axes, from $40 To lSSO' Now, when | saw
these tables, proving the principle 50 clearly
presented and so strongly enforced 10y Mr..
| Atkinson, | went to our very able and efficient
chief of labor, the Hon. Carroll ID. Wright,
and asked him TO have "A table like this in tho
census report prepared, and to send an intClli-
gent agent into some of the oldest houses in
the country and get statement from their
books and send 1t TO me, that | might see If
there was different result in other establish
ments. | now give you the testimony Of
those houses to add to the others.
There are here seven establishments. The
first one is in Massachusetts,. a comparison
is instituted between 1919 and 1884, and the
industry is cotton print cloth Each opera
tive made in 1919 in his factory 49, yards
per day: in 1884 ne made 9S.2 yards, an in
crease of productive power of l20 per cent.
What wages did lie get! The average daily
earnings of the laborer in 1919 were 66 cents,
and in 1854 ST. His wages increased 5Oper
cent. The labor cost of the product decreased
- per cent.
In that same establishment in 1919 the
wages of wcavers We're Is cents a day, and
each man turned out rs yards OF cloth. In
1884 the wages had risen to Sl.O6, and each
weaver turned out 2,3 yards of cloth.
| During this time we had high tariff and
low tariff, but whether high tariff or low
tariff. or no tariff, the productive efficiency
continued to increase, the multiplication of
production 10y the power of machinery con-
tnucd To increase, and wages rose with it.,
and the cost of the product sunk. So that
the tariff conferred no benefit on the laborer;
none Whatever.
| Mr. Wright, chief of the labor bureau, in
stiuted II most painstaking examination into
the rates of labor in England and MuSSaChu-
sctts Il few years ago, and showed the rates
of labor are higher in this country than in
England; T. per cent. higher in cotton manu-
facturc, - per cent. in the manufacture of
woolens. 20 per cent. in iron aud steel, rs
per cent in boots and shoes. That would
seem to indicate, according to the protec
tionists, that we are on the road to ruin be
cause our rate of labor is higher than Eng
land and other countries, But thereverse Of
that proposition is true,
Now let me give you an instance here in
boots and shoes. If we pay so much higher
wages in producing boots and shoes, if the
we cannot enter into any contest with Great
Britain when we pay 12s per cent. higher
wages than she does. Yet we import no boots
and shoes at 80 per cent duty from En- gland.
We make the cheapest boots and shoes and
the finest made in the world.
PRoDUCTIvENEss OF AMERICAN LABOR.
In Massachusetts wages are higher than in
Great Britain, but the labor cost of a pair of
ladies' shoes in Massachusetts, is less than the
labor cost of n like pair of shoes in Great
Britain The cost is - cents in Massachu-
sets against 81 cents i'll England The labor
cost of mems shoes in Massachusetts is g
cents per pair; the labor cost of mems shoes
in England is 80 cents. If our people are tc
be injured by the importation of English
shoes into this country, the English shoe must
be produced at n lower cost than the Amer
can shoe otherwise it cannot take the mar
ket
It is not the rate of wages in England and
in America that we have to consider, but the
labor cost of n pair of shoes.
In order for the American to earn hi
Sll G3 a week he makes 50 pairs of mems
shoes a week; the Englishman, to earn hi
81. 0S cents n week. makes 10 pairs of menf
shoes In order for the American workman
to earn his 81 .G3 per week he makes 46 pair
of ladies' shoes; in order for the Englishmar
to earn his s. 0S per week no makes Is pair
of ladies' shoes.
Mr.. Herbert-Free hides also help you gu
on that point.
Mr. Mills--England also has free hides. 4
few years ago, in 1877, our English friend
across the water took alarm about the growth
and development of our cotton industry il
the United States, and they sent an expert
gentleman thoroughly conversant with tn
cotton business of England-to the Unite'
States to mae a thorough and searching in
yestigation into the whole business of cottol
manufacture in this country, and to repor
to them whether their industry was i'm
peried by that of the United States. Tha
, gentleman made thorough and searching
investigation, and in every instance h
| showed that we could produce cotton good
at a lower labor cost than they could be pre-
duced at any point in Great Britain.
The following are the rates of wages TO
weaving and spinning cloths in some of tn
principal districts of England and America
, us shown by his report:
A piece of - inches IS reeds, II picks q
60 bv 81, IS yards, costs at Ashton-undal
!. a eos