The Portland daily press., 1889-09-14
WHAT THEY SAW WHILE IN EUROPE.
Scrlpps League Pilgrims Relate
Their Discoveries Abroad.
They Prefer America as a Place In
Which to Work.
European workingmen Do Not Live
as Well as American.

NEW YORK, September 13.-The Seripps
League, composed of fifty representative
workingmen and journalists, who went to
Europe for the purpose Of studying the con-
ditions of their fellows in the older world,
that they might carry back with them such
Impressions and suggestions as might be a
benefit to the toilers in this land, are home
again. They arrived yesterday on the City
of Rome.
They found every one very kind to them
during their tour abroad. Courtesies were
extended to them by the large manufacturers
in England, France, Germany land Belgiumi
with the single exception Ct the Krupp CUR
works at Essen, Germany. They were ad
mitted to the Woolwich Arsenal, where they
were given all the information they desired
At Paris they were made the special guests
Of the city. Twice they were breakfasted
by Minister Whitelaw Reid. NJ. Bartholdi,
the designer of the great Liberty statue,
gave to each of the members of the expedi-
ti0n, when they visited his works, speci-
men of the metal from which the Statue OF
Liberty Is made, bearing an appropriate in
scription.
The members of the league do not think
that the w0rkmen on the other side can
compare with American toilers, either in
dress, method of living, rate Of remunera-
tion, or results accomplished. The observa-
tion of the members In great measure
tended to show that our products are, In
nearly every case, superior to foreign arti-
cles in the same line This Is especially so
in the case of machinery. Farming machin-
cry principally stands out as an evidence Of
the skill and ingenuity attained ny Ameri-
cans over the rest OF the world.
Mr.. Cheney, of the Washburn Mill. Min
neapolis, Mimi, representing the millers, In
examining the exhibit in the Paris EXPOSE
ti0n, said he had just taken out from his
mills as unfit for use the same kind Of ma
chinery that the French are now exhibiting
A I. Anderson, the representative Of the
tlnsmiths, said he saw workmen in Paris
shaping metal for buoy, and it required
nine processes to do what the Americans do
in three.
JOSE phi Thorpe, representing the engineers,
said: "On the other side L talked with
number of the engineers, and found they
were not organized. The wages are 30 per
cent. lower than in this country. They still
use the open cabs in ,he engines. The seats
have been taken away, because 1t Is sup
posed that without them the men will not
go to Sleep"
81 saw nothing on the other side equal to
American workmanship" said William Dala-
ney, representing the bricklayers. 'Men
there work slower than they do here. In
Paris the men can cement the front of a
uTlCk HOuSt, SlfluR IL bu6 dpptdIduc6 VI
stone. This could be done in this country II
1t were not for the damaging effects of our
climate"
Mrs. Barry, representing the department
of women's work and the Knights of Labor,
said the condition of the female wage work.
ers on the other side is very deplorable, ex-
cept in the field Of clerical work. in which
they have the advantage of working less
hours than their American sisters They
are also paid less wages, and do not live or
dress as well. In the Black District in
Yorkshire she saw women working at the
forges. Here the shops are in the houses,
the wife generally acting as helper to her
husband. The women make chains and
nails. One woman she saw engaged at this
work was go years old. 81 saw women make
hand made shirts at ninepence each, and-ma-
chine-made at one shilling and threepence a
dozen," she concluded.
Hugh Cayanaugh, who represented the
shoemakers, says the men on the other side
do not do within % per cent. what the Amer
leans do. There Is an indisposition to i'm
prove on machinery, and the men are not
tested to see just what they are capable of
doing. In France the men only work fifty
four hours week. and have great many
holidays. The piece system prevails.
so far are we ahead of the ironworkers
cry for scrap" was the opinion of Mr.. VIM.
Hanna, representing the ironworkers.
The printers were represented by Mr..
Ogden. The mechanical work in Europe Is
where ours was twenty years ago." he said
The members of the league went to the
Coleman House and will remain there until
6 o'clock tonight, when they start for Cleve-
land, where public reception will he held,
at which they will make their reports.