The Globe-republican., 1891-03-11
REcoRD-MAk,nc woRkMEM.

RECORD-MAKiNG WORKMEN.
What Our Foreign visitors Think Of Our
Laborefs-How They and Their Work
Compare With British Operators and
Their Work-what High Wages Does for
Cs-It Would be Different II We Had
FREE Trade.
It seems as if nearly all of the visiting
ironn1asters who were here last fall had
addressed meetings of their fellows.
Many have decried our methods and
products. Nearly all have asserted that
II it were not for our tariff we would not
be able to compete, and hence objected
to its effects: while not a few. exulting
In what they claim was free-trade vic
tory last November. call attention to
tie set back it gave to projects which
would lead to increased employment
OF labor in this country. claiming with
pleasure that our wonderful progress
was to be stayed through the exertions
OF men OF the Miller, Holman and Vest
type.
Mr.. J. Y. jerks. however. At Wolver-
hampton. spoke in a different strain.
saying in part of the times Immediately
preceding the election:
Twas especially impressed by the vast con
sraSt which was presented by the American and
the British operative classes, particularly the
iron and steel trades. Nothing was heard there
OF short hours and OF continual disastrous
strikes. The one idea that the working classes,
like the capitalists. seemed to be attempting
their utmost TO work out. was 70 be beat
record" Every man seemed intensely in earn
est. The object Of every one OF them was 20 get
out as much work as he possibly could and
that IN the best possible style. How different
this was 10 the state OF things which existed IN
South Stafordshire and Other iron making cen
ters OF this country he need not remark.
This is remarkable admission.
though Mr.. jerks does not mention its
cause.-The higher wages paid here. A
man who is i'll paid. i'll clothed and ill
lodged, can not be expected to beat the
record. 1t is the we'll ed and satisfied
man that is anxious 10 see his mill beat
the record and demand an opportunity
TO do an increased amount of work to
| accomplish it. While the man on low
wages is too apt to drink too much in
the exhaustion which follows less
amount of work on al empty stomach
| and go home to beat his wife.
This fact is also brought out by Mr..
jerks, who says, without mentioning
the reason for it:
Another remarkable thing was tina. never In
| the whole course Of his visi, TO America did he
meet q drunken man. The first drunken man
he met from the time he left Liverpool till the
! time he returned was when he got back 10
| Crewe station.
But large proportion of the sober.
self-respecting. record-breaking work
men. particularly in the iron and steel
: trades, were Acknowledged of Mr..
jerks. who if they had staid in South
Staffordshire, or in other iron making
centers of Great Britain. would not have
shown the vast contrast noted.
The difference in the prosperity of
| the same men in the two countries has
been so often remarked, particularly
the greater self-respect and freedom
from drunkenness which gives him the
better feeding of this country, that it
seems inexplicable that men who are
not professional philanthropists or tenn
perance agitatOrs, but who do care for
their kind, should advocate a fiscal sys-
tenn which condemns the working pop
ulation of England or any other coun-
try. to residence, without recourse to
emigration, in country where short
hours and continued disastrous strikes
| have been the normal state for ncorly
fifty years: where the workman through
his prime can not feed himself SO well
that he is not forced to supplement his
food by strong drink, and where the
home of his old age is almost invariably
the pOorhouse.