Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-04

,
of course at a far lower cost in the resulting
productions of iron than would otherwise
be possible
OF the labor in France, notably the iron
industries, Mr. Hewitt reported
1T requires the utmost economy on the
part of laboring man, and the united
labor of his wife and children, to keep his
family in existence, and ii Is the accepted
rule and practice for such family 10 have
meat but once week; any change in this
condition of affairs involving change in
remuneration paid to the common laborer
would put tout of the power of the
| IRoN-MAsTERs OF FRANCE
to carry on their business in competition
with Belgium and England, in the absence
of high tariff on imports"
He adds: 1.-The existence of the iron
business In France, therefore, as national
branch of industry, may be said to rest
upon the elementary condition of giving
meat once week only to the great mass of
laborers who are engaged in its produc.
ton"
| But if the women and children were a.
together drawn from these occupations, as
they are in the United States, it would not
oe possible to produce iron except at con-
siderable advance in the price of labor.
In conclusion, Mr.. Hewitt said: in
the effort to produce cheap commodities,
and to undersel each other in the markets
of the world, the rightful claims of hui
mainly have been disregarded. OF the
silk industry in England, so prosperous in
the days of protection, now so depressed,
the London Spectator said, editorially:
10, h, 1ol / l.
seen from two points of view, from the
| from the dark and dreary side of Spital-
fields. WI IN worn, the dress is the proof
of the increased means of society; when
made it is testimony of the decreasing
means of society The weaver who wove
such silks as that used, in former days, to
earn Is, sd, where in our day. he only
cams Sd Free trade shines no luxury to
him; does not give him the promised big
| loaf, because, whereas, he could have af-
forded two shilings for loaf in the dear
est days, he has more difficulty in muster
ing six pence. If at one time he made
his miserable cottage tolerably comfortable
with good cheer in the cupboard, plenty
of clothes, and a certain amount of hug
germugger amusement. now his cupboard
is bare; the neighborhood has become
more populous without being better drain
ed, and while his misery has constantly in
creased he has been made doubly aware of
it by the light of day which has been
thrown in upon his con 1ition.
Take Mr. Bright's testimony, so often
published, as to Scotland, where, as he
said, in a public speech: ''ln the city of
Glasgow alone 1000 families live in
homes having one room. and that I'm
Scotland nearly one-third of the whole
people dwell in homes of only one room. "
Mr. Bright said of that horrid condition
of things:
In fact, looking at the part-to me it is
a melancholy thing to look at-there is
much of it which exites in me not aston
ishment only but horror. The fact is there
passes before me visions of millions of fami
lies-not individuals, but families father
mother, children, passing CHASTITY, sorrow
stricken, in never ending procession from
the cradle to their grave"
OF FEMALE LABOR IN BELGIUM.
This is English testimony: The labor
of dragging and pushing the coal trucks
along the viaduct from top of the shaft to
the top of the furnace was performed by
women etc. ITO debar them
it would deprive many strong and able
bodied women from a livelihood and tend
to raise the cost of production of limiting
the supply of laborers. In the Charlevoi
district little girls go into the pits and
take their share OF rough work with the
boys. y
The following, from the same English
source. or official statement, the London
alo
state of things may God long avert from
this country: 'Creches are institutions
which are common in the manufacturing
districts of France and Belgium and are
also found in Seraing. They are nurser-
les for young children generally managed
by sisters. who tend and MANAGE the
children for normal sum while the
mothers are at work The children are
taken at a very early age, In fact often as
soon as their mothers are able to work
after their confinement. In most instances
a mother will leave her babe at creche as
early as O'Clock IN the morning. 1t will
be taken from her arms by one of the
sisters and the mother will call for it again
on her way home from work in the even
ing. The creches are furnished with
cradles, small beds, and cots on the floor,
to suit the needs of the children"
TO the shocking condition of things in
England, that free-trade organ, the Chi
cago Tribune, said editoraly, Nov. "a,
1884: "a hundred fine steel steamers
tied up useless along the banks OF the Tyne,
swarms of stalwarth British sailors wan
dering in the streets, taking their chances
of living on TIE bounty of the the soap
kitchens; children quarrelling with dogs
in the alleys for a bite of garbage; lines of
tenements inhabited by people who have
not rag TO cover them during these wild
nights of November, not bed to lie on,
not a place 70 rest save on the rickety
floor, not coverlid to wrap the new born
baby in-this is to-day one of the sights of
Merrie England.
Want of space preventsquotations from
"The Bitter Cry of Outcast London,
''The Cry of the Crofters, etc, that would
reveal the horrors of English labor under
free-trade and the misery and ruin
which the prime minister of England says
is its result. 1t is this condition that con-
forms England. and in which her danger
lies. The threats of advice Of Lord
Brougham no longer avail: The peace
L =. T IL