The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-09-24
THE PAUPER LABOR ROT.
TWO Et'NEnT REPUBLICAN LEADERS
pose ITS HoLLoWNEss.

fnrtI1 Hurnbug Efforts
The Republican tariff makers in con.
gress hare not neglected to use the stale
arg1,nents again about the ..paupei
labor q Europe and the protected
inanufacturers came before the McKin.
10y cQlnmittee with their accustomed
tables Of cQilparative wages IN Europe
ana A11erica And then they pointed
despaif'esl5 to these tables of wages
and whincd out the usual rot ;,ho,,t no,
being allie to compete with Euror,a,,,,
pauper labor.
But hor much fact is there in This
eFe.lasl' chatter about pauper labor:
Is TINT 100! really dangerous to rs:
nave our ial,orers anything at all TO fear
from competition from that source.
fortunately we have the very highest
hepublican authority for believing that
American labor is so efficient as COM
pare with that Of Europe that we have
absolutely nothing to fear from foreign
labor competition. sTl
During President Hayes adininistra-
ton Hon. William NJ. Eyarts, hi, secre-
tary OF state, niatie areport ON the skate
OF Labor IN Europe" This report bears
utiec VI lhity ~. .IlS13.
The American consuls in Europe We're
directed to examine into the condition
and character of European labor, and to
report their observations to the depart
ment OF state at Washington. Their re-
ports We've so striking that Secretary
Evarts made liberal extracts from them.
introducing these extracts with the fol-
lowing strong assertion:
The average American workman ,er.
forms from one and one-half to twice as
much work IN q given time as the lv-
erage European workman. This is so
important point in connection with
our ability to compete with the cheap
labor manufacturers OF Europe. and il
seems at first Thought so strange. that /
viii trouble you with somewhat lengthy
quotations from the reports in support
thereof
The secretary then gave a humber of
extracts from the reports of the consuls.
few of which are worthy of repro
duction here. They are as follows:
Denmark evil is the din,in-
ished worth of wages. the descending
quantity AMI quality of work now oh.
tanned by employers for wagcs higher
than those paid ten years ago.-From
the Report of the Consul at Copenhagen.
Franee--At his work the French la
borer or mechanic lacks the energy Of
the American of the same class. and the
amount of work aecuted by him is
much less III the same number OF hours.
The hours of labor are from eleven to
twelve. but an average American work.
man will accomplish as much in nine
hours. From the Report of the Consul
at Bordeaux.
3 c<=Vsss<;5 ayp saff eed That an orsiis-
nary worlingsA..l4 il li Hnitn1 States
will do as much again as viii one IN this
district in the same tiIne.-From the Re-
port of the Consul at Chemnitz, Saxony.
An active American workman will do
as much work in u given time. at any
employment, rs two or three German
workmen.--From the Report of the
Consul Mt Leipsic.
There can be no question that, speak
ing in general terms, the quality as well
as the quantity Of the work of the Ger
man artisans is inferior to that pro-
duced by the Americans. The workman
here is inclined to be sluggish, and what
he accomplishes is relatively small
From the Report of the Consul at Some
berg.
These were all good Republican con-
snls. be it remembered. and appointed
by Republican presidents. This was
eleven years ago, and the Republican
party wonld do well to remember the
words of its secretary Of state at that
time
The facts brought out by the consuls
led Mr.. Evarts to remark: For the
first time oIir manufactures are now as
Stunning international proportions. AT A
time of universal depression we have.
met those nations which hold a monop-
oily of the worlds marSets-net them in
their strongholds, and established the
fact that American manufactures are
second to the manufactures of no other
nation, and that with proper and pa
triotia understanding between n capital
ist and laborer we can command fair
share of the buying worlds patronage,
and command that patronage with larger
profits to the capitalist and higher wages
to the laborer than can be made or paid
in any other country"
And he adds: within the last fifteen
years we have demonstrated our ability,
by the brilliant development of our own
resources. to exclude by honest compe-
tition foreign manufactures to large
extent from our shores. The question
which now peremptorily challenges all
thinking minds is how to create for
eign demand for those manufactures
which are left after supplying our home
demands"
But Mr., Eyarts was not the only Re
publican secretary of state who found
out something about European labor.
When James q. Blaine was secretary
dnring the brief administration of Gar
field he ma.ie a report on the cotton
goods trade of the world. Here are
some extracts fiom pages 9S and 30 of
that report;
The wnges of spinners and weayers
IN Lancashire and in Massachusetts, ac-
cording to the foregoing statements.
were as follows per week: Spinners, En-
giish, $50 to $40 (master spinners rum
ming as high as s12): American, Ss.07 to
5000.
"Weayers. English, 1884 to SS.64, sub
3ect. at the date ON which these rates
were given, to a reduction of 10per cent.
American, S4.s2 to $s.73.
The average wages of employees In
the Massachusetts, mills are as follows.
according to the official returns; Men
$3.50, women s5.6s. male children s. II,
female children s3.os. According to
Consul Shaw,s report, the average wages
OF the men employed in the Lancashire