The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-01-14
MR.. OhILDS'S VIEWS ONLABOR AND
THE TARIFF,

NEW YORK, January 7.-George W.
ChIlds stood IN the corridor of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel this morning with Presi
dent r ,berts of the Pennsy lvauia Road.
discussing the Reading coal strike iuci
dt ntally and the labor problems in gen
eral. Mr.. Childs came over here from
Philadelphia yesterday with A j. Drexel,
the banker, and together they diued with
Austin Corbin that evening. All three
listened to German opera afterwards from
Mr.. G Drbin's box in the Opera House.
Mr.. Childs said in his conversation this
morning:
Il believe that the laborer is worthy OF
his hire, and have no hesitation in saving
that the advance of per cent. asked for
the miners should be granted and added
to the price OF coal if there is no other
way for the companies to meet it. The
Reading has been paying the advance
for four months past. l am told that it
would make difference of $3.50, 600 in
miners wages. Still am of the opinion
that the Reading and most of the other
companies are ready to pay the higher
wages if they could feel assured the
other companies not subjected to this in
crease would Lot step in and undersell
them in this city. They could not CON-
pete on such a basis.
II believe in organized labor" con
tinued Mr.. Child's, ''anj paying the
highest price to the wage Garner that is
possible and leave fair margin of profit
to the employer. There should be good
feeling and co operation between the two.
Nothing enters SO largely into the eff
cient administration of a business as the
spirit with which both sides take hold OF
it, | have no doubt that but for the Typo
graphical Union in Philadelphia, for in
stance. prices for composition would be
lower than they are. The Bricklayers'
Union in Philadelphia Is another illustra
tion of what WORKING Ten can do When
they come together on a common plat
form and make known their wishes, tenn
pered by discretion and a proper regard
for the interests of their EMPLOYERS as
well as their own.
THE Engineers brotherhood, with
Chief Arthur at their head, have only to
make request of the railroads. and it is
compelled with, because the roads feel
that the brotherhood is conservative
body.
"Ore anizatiou will do a great doal for
the wage earners. 1t will bring them
higher prices for their labor prevent
strikes and encourage a spirit of co oper-
alton bstweeu employers and employed
| am speaking now of an organization on
proper basis and with nothing in view
bnt the common welfare AS an example
of what Can be attained in this way. I
know Of no employer among my acqain
tances who has not expressed himself as
favoring fair pay for labor.
There 10 one thing that the army OF
workers in this country ought 10 remem-
ber," continued MIR. Childs. "Tnls ma
tion is the most prosperous in the world.
The working classes are better clothed
aud better fed than in any other country
on the face of the globe. Why? Be-
case tariff has protected them against
competition from abroad. 1t has built up
industries which would otherwise never
have been planted here, and fostered
others that could only have had a feeble
existence under free trade. | am heartily
in favor of protecting everything that we
can produce or manufacture here. Free
trade in any line would mean its EXITING
ton, so far as production in this country
Is concerned. No practical business man
doubts this. A day or two ago 1 asked
the head of the largest retail clothing
house in Philadelphia what effect free
trade would have on him. He replied
that he would 20 to Europe at once, es-
Jablish factories for making his supplies
over there and import every suit of
clothes that he sold. Now, that firm g ~
ploys hundreds Of tailors and bands in
Philadelphia, and if it should go abroad
for Its stock others would have to follow,
iu order to compete with ITS prices. Even
under present conditions the gentleman
Of whom | speak stated that he goes to
Europe twice year, imports clothing.
pays a duty of 81 per cent. on them and
uDdersells the home products. Two
thirds of the difference in price repre-
sents labor.
This question of protection appeals.
therefore, as strongly to the wage Garner
as to the employer, for if the latter has
nothing for man to do he is not going to
hire him and pay him. The doctrinaires
seem to be getting numerous down in
Washington, but the sentiment of the
of the country, am firmly convinced, is
against free trade. Tariff reduction, as
an agency for reducing the surplus, would
not be success. On the contrary, it
would increase it by many millions. That
is SO evident that do not well see how
anyone can doubt It,.