Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-10-02
IRISH INDUSTRIES AND WAGES.
How Ireland Has Been Ruined by En-
glish Legislation.

How Ireland Has Been Ruined by En-
glish Legislation
There was recent strike on the Wa
terford and Limerick railway, at Linn
erick, where the engineers and filters
were receiving thirty-three shillings, or
$8.05, per week, and machinists were get
ting sixteen shillings, or s. 80, per week
They wanted thirty-six shillings and
twenty=four shillings respectively, or
$8.78 and 1886, the same that men are
getting in other parts of Ireland. The
directors decided that they could not
afford to pay the advance, and probably
they cannot. How nyrailroad can live
in a country as sparsely populated as
Ireland is, when engineers work for s. %
per week and machinists for $3.50,
probably no American can find out
without going there to see, for we are
not going to have Free-trade in this
country.
Before the union Ireland had parlia-
ment of its own which arranged tariff
to suit Ireland; it did not suit England.
and we all know that like everything IN
terfering with England it was a very
bad parliament, but under its laws they
sailed ships to this country in competi-
ton with the English, and having much
more capital than our traders were very
troublesome to them under the fedora
ton of the states before the adoption Of
the constitution. Now, though that
country builds ships and its sailors con-
tribute to the crews of nearly all vessels,
it is not noted for its large ownership Of
vessels. Then Ireland possessed about
one-thirl of the population of the United
Kingdom; now it has one-seventh only
of the population and one-twentieth Of
the wealth, though at both periods the
population has been and is about $780,
900, and fifty years ago it was over
100000
After the union the English parlia-
ment adjusted the Irish tariff to suit
English interests. There was no sudden
shock about this adjustment. Like the
Democratic statesmen, who have learned
from them, they did not propose to scat
ter want and famine on the land at once,
that would have attracted attention:
there was moderate reduction of the
so called prohibitory laws. 1t lasted
through twenty-one years, but it was
certain; it was intended to destroy con-
fidence, and it did it. No mill was re-
built; no machinery was replaced; the
industries of Ireland were moribund
before five years had passed.
Performance VS.. Promise.
There have been twenty-four sessions
of congress since the close of the war Of
the rebellion. By peculiar coincidence
the control of the house of representa-
tives, with which must originate all leg
islation affecting the revenue, has been
for an equal period-twelve years-with
each of the two great political parties
While one of these parties has been
committed to legislation having in view
the protection of American labor and in
dustries, the other has been inviting the
support of voters by its promises OF
revenue reform" and the reduction Of
taxation. 1t may prove instructive to
look over the record of each party for
the twelve years it has controlled ns-
tional legislation, and find out just what
has been accomplished.
The Protectionists, while in position
to originate legislation, passed eight
acts by which the revenues were re-
duced $780,, ,5O4, 500. On the other hand,
the party clamorihg for revenue reform"
has, during the twelve years of its su-
premacy, reduced the revenue but
81, 1865, ,935. The figures upon which this
summary is made have been before con-
gress repeatedly. and have never yet
been controversial. Upon the record
thus made-performance on the part Of
the one, promises on the part Of the
other-the two parties again appeal for
the support of American voters. Which
is most to be trusted?
Inc average yearly earnings or Amer
lean workmen is $S45, s1.1i for. each
day; while in Free-trsde Nor
way, which takes all its manufactured
goods from other nations, the average
yearly wages Is only about $22, or 7cents
for each working day. In which counS
try can the most be laid aside?