The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-08-29
LAeoR HERE ANp rHERE.

LABOR HERE AND THERE
The Wages Question In the senate-Do We
Need .sProtection" Against psarer Labor
Than Our Own.-some Valuable Testi-
mony From Ex-Secretaries Evarts and
tsIaine-They Found That We Can Com
pete with Europe BY Reason OF Oar Cheap
Labor.
In the debate in the Senate on the
Tariff bill the wages question came up
recently in a way that was very annoy
ing to the protectionist Senator'S Mr..
George, of Mississippi. made the state
pent that the labor cost of making .
ton of steel rails in this country was
only 11.54 This statement was denied
and denounced very earnestly by Soma
tor Platt of Connecticut and Senator
Hawley, of the same State, supported
his colleague in his denial
Then Mr. Jones, of Arkansas, under
took TO confirm Mr.. Georges statement
about steel rails by the official report of
Mr. Carroll d. Wright in pursuance of
a duty imposed upon him by Congress.
The raw material of the steel rail man.
ufacturer was the steel ingot. and Mr..
Wright had given the cost of making
the rail from the ingot as 81. 81 per ton
The Senator from Mississippi had said
(Mr Jones argued) nothing to the con-
trary.
Hereupon Senator Edmunds, of Yer
mont attempted to convince Mr. Jones
that he was entirely mistaken in the
matter. His explanation was that the
difference in cost between the steel
ingot and the steel rail was 81. 81, of
which amount labor got 81. 81.
But even if Senator Edmunds be cor
rect his sta tement here Is nothing to
the point The orthodox protection
pos ton is that the labor cost in this
country must be compared with the like
cost in Europe; and when the cost of
labor is greater here protection must be
given equal to this excess of labor cost
That is what Ben Butterworth means
by his famous expression, equality of
opportunity"
Now If Senator Edu lands had exam
ined the report which was referred to in
the debate, he would have learned some
thing about the comparative labor cost
in making a ton of steel rails here and
in Europe. That report of Labor Com
missioner Wright contains highly in
teresting table giving the labor cost in
making ton of steel rails in two Amer
lean, two English. and seven Continent
al rail mills. This cost is given simply
on the process of making the rails from
the steel ingots or bars, and it is 81. 81
in one American mill and 81. 3S in an
other, the average being Sl.46 per ton.
In the two English mills the average
was 81. % per ton. On the Continent of
Europe the average in seven mills was
g.. 63.
This fact brushes the explanation of
Senator Edmunds rather fat The
point of chief interest is that the labor
cost of turning ton of steel into rails
is much less here than in Europe.
! 1t has long been known by those who
/ take the trouble to inform themselves
that this ''pauper labor cry" is nine
| tenths humbug, for when the labor cost
of any given article is taken into &C
count American labor is found in nearly
every instance TO he the cheapest labor
| in the world. This is caused by the
| greater efficiency of labor with us and
| by the greater use of labor-saving ma
chinery.
If any Republican wants to find out
the facts about this matter he can very
easily get them. and does not have tt
take them from British free traders
either. Mr. Blaine and Senator Evart'
have thrown some very bright light OF
this question.
During President Hayes administra
ton Hon. William NJ. Evarts, then Secre
tary of State, made a report on the State
of Labor in Europe" This report bear.
date of May II. 1879.
The American Consuls 1 n EurOpewert
directed to examine into the condition
and character of European labor, and tt
report their observations to the Depart
ment of State at Washington. Their re
ports were so striking that Secretary
Evarts made liberal extracts from them
introducing these extracts with the fol
{, lowing strong assertion:
The average American workman per
forms from ono and one-half to twice n
much work In n given time as tho average
| Europ an workman. This Is so importan
| point In connection with our ability t.
compete with the cheap labor manufacturer
| of Europe, and It seems at first thought 81
strange, that | will trouble You with some
what lengthy quotations from the reports II
support thereof
The Secretary then gave a number o
extracts from the reports of the Consuls
a few of which arc worthy of reproduc
ton here. They are as follows:
France-At his work the French laborer o
mechanic lacks the energy Of the American
executed by him Is much less in the sam
number OF hours 1he hours of labor ar
from eleven to twelve. but an average Amer
lean workman will accomplish as much II
nine hours.-From this Report of the Consu
at bordeaux.
Germany-I am satisfied that an ordnar.
workingman in the United States will do a
much again as will one in this district in tn
same time.-From the Report OF the Consu
at ChemniiZ, Saxony.
An active American workman will do a
much work in a given time, at any employ
ent, rs two or three German workmen--
From the Report of the Consul ut Leipsic.
There can be no question that, speaking II
general terms, the quality as well "a tn
quantity of the work of the German artisan
is inferior to that produced by the Ameri
cans The workman here is inclined tn b.
sluggish. and what he &C -Omplishes is rela
lively smalL-From the Report of the Consu
at Sonneberg.
The reports of these good Republican
Consuls led Mr.. Evarts to say:
For the first tim our manufactures ar
now assuming international proportions
At time OF universal depression we hav
met those nations which hold a monopol.
of the worlds markets-met them in thei
stronQholds, and established tho fact tina
American manufactures are second TO tn
manufactures of no other nation; and tina
with proper and patriotic understanding
between n capitalist and laborer we cal
command a fair share of the buying world
patronage, and command that patronaS
with larger profits to the capitalist AM
higher wages to the laborcr than can b.
made or pa d in any other country
And he adds:
Within the last fifteen years we hav
demonstrated our ability, by the briIlian
development of our own resources, to ex
/ cIude by honest connection foreign manu-