New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-07
HOW FREE TRADE WORKS.
NATHANIEL McKAY'S STUDY ABROAD.
CAREFUL INQUIRY OF THE LABOR PROBLEM

~
MADE BY sHIPBU1LDER.
Nathaniel Mckay the contractor and snip oWiucr'
who has been seeing for himself how free Iado wof"
among tie laborcis and mechanics In some OF me
most populous districts in England. was al MS o'0o'
No. Is whitehallst.. Tuesday for The hist u' M
bis return There be was seen BY irlouno ,,o,
1t is not Mr. McKays intention 10 give "o'"','1
account Of what he saw in England and III" oono'u
stons tha, he deduccs from his observations uhui nc
has had time to digest and arrange the nass oi
memoranda statistics and printed matter e'o'' o""'
corning the condition Of the working Glasses III H"s
land which he brought back with him.
Mr. Mckay does not base his conclusions on second
hand Information He visited the wor"hc" !" INC
factories on the streets and other places where 'hcy
were labortng; he went to their homes, shared 'leF
mosls occasionally found out what they paid for
their food and cothing-n short found out Just what
they had TO I've upon ard how they lived. lie Is
Violated 10 make such an inquiry, because ne mas
worked as mechanic In this country, and understands
how 10 gain tho confidence OF men who earn ihelr
living by manual labor.
INFORMATION FROM BUSY LABoRERs'
Mr. Mckay made II a rule 10 confne lis inquiries
to men who had work, considering them more trust
worthy lntormants than the unemployed, whose burden
Of misery might lead them to exaggcratc the
evils that allict tho working classes III
England. Besides It IS ohcUt
distinguish between the man who wants work but
can't get IT, and the man who Is seeking everything
but work Nh McKays inquiries were minute. lie
made his memoranda on the spot lie took interior
and exterior photographs Of some of the dwellings
that he visited and OF their occupants. somt oin'
Guilty he experienced IN getting Information about
the condition ~ the women who worked at shOVclihS
coal making chains and other species Of work which
IS considered unfit for women In this country IL
mi ght be because they ashamed OF the spectacle
that employers sometimes refused him admission 10
departments where women were doinS uh"oma'N
work for wEetchedly poor pay Iut he secured Pho'o
graphs of some Of them at their work. one OF ihem
shows a woman apparently between sixty and seventy
years old but. perhaps premaurely aged by TOLL win
shovel IN hand, before load OF coal
Among the workingncn with whom he conversed
Mr. Mckay found wides presd discomfort with the free
trade system. They didn't theorze about 1t, but
Judged It By its effects upon themselves As Mr.
Mckay observed, "Whcn man tolls hard and barely
succeeds in keeping body and soul together, ana
doesn't succeed in Keeping Is family In decent COM
fort he finds scaut consolation IN the theory which
tells him that he ought DO happy and prosperous
becaus. he is fighting in behalf Of noble cause
Mr. Mckay visited the London docks and saw the
crowds OF hungry ard disappointed mon VINO waited
for hours about the gates oi the chance of pick
ing up temporary job. lie learned that the highest
class Of nechanics-the hanse turneIs-employcd In
the shlpbuildng yards which turn out the superb
Cunard steamers, received only seven pence half
penny 10 cents an hour. MI Mckay saw enough 10
satisfy BIN that tie condition Of the English work
incmaa IS vastly inferior to that Of the American
worhinguan and he Is prepared to demonstrate it,
REPLYING TO CRITICISMS.
The following copy Of letter which he sent to
"The World" on Tuesday, concerning certain criticisms
Of him which recently appeared in that paper;
NAT McKAY'S BOGlES
Ncw.York, Sept. 4, 1873.
Editor Of The New-YoiK world": Your paper this
morning chsrscterzes an agent OF the Republican
party. Herewith 1 would most respectfully INFORM you
that l am not nor fact, have ever been employed by
any political organization by any individual gather
any RELATING INC pauper labor OF the Ot World
NY late visit to Great Builn vas made specially IN
reference private business as contractor, amt tho
destu.on sousos ana wlcchedness Of British WORK
ing classes thrust upon notice, while 1 was
travelling through the iron manufacturing districts OF
England.
The facts and the testimony have, rerchance.
gathered during my recent Europe fun,
ana are explicit they authentic. Thcy relate
strictly the extorton and the Shameless OPP
presson tsed by the employers Of Christian
Engiund toward those whom they employ Tho degfa-
OF women and a cruelty towards helpless children
that should make stones weep" also concom.
itants that hdeous fetch. free trade, such policy
resulted in Great Britain rather In the manuiact-
urinC districts 0! shat Kingdom As soon o.
data Of NY trip shspe-ny atoms,
etc. Of British mechanics how they WORK. they
I've ana how they paid-I VIII De only pleased
iuIuish IL you for publicaton ana shall touch
nothing therein that doc actually exist the facts
/ fancy interest the readers Of your progressive
paper
closing let say you that your London co''f--
por1cnt did make OF facts with which
shed lie told me thai the publ cation Of them
nJure (Denocratc party" Furthermore. he toi
he should his dispatches The World" endeayor
influence Of my efunctory gathering Of
ID
regret tact.
the columns Of youi paper suppress the truth
Respectfully Your
NATHANIEL MCKAY.