The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-10-27
EFFECTS OF FREE TRADE.
Interview with "a Keen Observer Who Has
Made IA Tour of the World.

Some practical light on the free trade
question is afforded in an interesting in
tcrvew with Mr.. y. I. Martin a mill
wright who has just returned from u
trip around the world. and who was n
keen observer Of the affairs of the differ
ent nations visited by him.
In June, 1887. he went to New Zea-
land for n manufacturing firm of Indian
apolis 10 erect large Touring mill, the
largest south of the equator, having a
capacity of five hundred barrels per
day.
After spending ten months Mt Auck-
land. where the mill was erected, he
started for home by way OF Australia,
India, the Red Sea, Egypt, Switzerland.
Germany, France. England. Scotland
and Ireland. In all these countries be-
sides viewing the scenes which generally
attract tourists. he inquired into the
wages and condition o. the laborerS,
and the prices they had to pay for the
goods they consumed. or all the Aus
tralian Colonies. he said, Victoria, Aus
tralia, is the only one having a high pro-
tective tariff, and the only one that is
prosperous and out of debt, with money
in its treasury. The other Colonies and
States are all free trade countries, and
are all in a depressed financial cond-
ton, the national debt of New Zealand
being over sixty dollars for each in
habitant.
The contrast. he said. was wonderful
and no inhab,tant of Victoria would
dream of letting down the bars TO ad-
nit goods free of duty. In free trade
Italy mechanics received forty to sixty
cents day. Some excellent workmen
get as high as eighty cents, and if man
! by any chance got one dollar he was
| counted II rich man right away.
! In France mechanics, skilled work
men average about two shlllings eight
| pence, or about sixty four cents per day.
Male operatives in the linen factories
were receiving about ten shiliings per
week. In Belfast the best paid carpen-
.ers received fourteen cents per hour.
| In regard 30 the cost of living in
| Scotland. Ireland and England, and also
| in France, Mr. Martin said that it was
| about the same as in the United States,
and that the people live from hand to
mouth. Coal and meat cost as much
| and more than in this country. There is
! plenty of coal and iron in Ireland, but
| the people are not allowed TO mine ii,
| as it belongs to the Crown. Some things
| are cheaper there than here. but they are
such articles as 60 not enter largely into
the daily necessities of the people, and
none of the working people i'll any OF
the countries named know anything
about the commonest luxuries. which IN
| America are deemed TO be almost neces
| sites.
| English people, he said, seemed very
anxious that Americans should adop
| free trade. He talked with many Eng
lishmcn on the subject. and they nj
said that free trade is just what Americi
needs to develop her great resources
To some of these people he said:
You seem tG be more anxious tina
we should have free trade than we ART
ourselves"
They would reply to this. he said
only by n significant smile, but would
not pursue the subject further.
Mr.. Martin. il is needless TO add. is
strong protectionist aud an ardent Re
publican. He is well known in thi
city rs Il conservative, levcl-headcd man
IF laboring men only knew or wer,
convinced of what | know" he said
Cleveland and Thurman would not sc
one labor vote.