New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-15
WHATNATHANIEL M'KAY SAW
wREToHEDNEss IN FREE-rRADE ENGLAND.
WOMEN WHO EARN 80 CENTS A DAY MAKING
CHAINS-UNDERPAID AND HALF

WOMEN WHO EARN 80 CENTS DAY MAKING
| oHAINs-UNDERPAID AND HALF
STARVED woRKMEN.
| After thorough Investigation OF tho condition OF
the aborng classes In Great Britain. Nathaniel NC
KAY has returned to this country with still stronger
| belief In the wisdom Of the Mckinley tariff Ills
| Office at No. Is whtehall.st now looks like
| museum. 1t IS decorated With the chains forged By
| English girls working for 80 cents day, shoes
made BY underpaid workmen and textile fabrics made
| in the mills OF freetrade England. They furnish
many striking oblect-lesson OF the evils OF al IN
dustral system which keeps the working classes In
poverty Mr. Mckay visited every part OF England.
ne went into mines, factories and mills, and talhed
with the workmcn he ate at the same table WIN
Them and visited them In their homes lie has re-
turned to New-Yofk with statistics, which, when maze
public will effectually show the many dement's OF n
protective tariff
"There ore hundreds Of English factories ana WORK
Houses said Mr.. Mckay, yesterday. which are de-
serted but the election Of Grover Cleveland wom'
open every one the next day, and they woWd DC
4, sending their goods into the markets OF the Uneo
States TO crush out our home industries The English
have supplied South America with their goods ana
nave prevented development Of single important
manufacturing industry I'm many OF the Latih- Amcn
can republics. They would DO the same WIN inc
United States.
who are not down on the Mckinley act. In free
trado England the wages less than half OF what
they are here On August 30 took breakfast In
Thamesst., In London, not far from the DOCKS nao
n cup OF coffee, which cost 3 cents, and bread ana
butter which cost cents. Such meal Is eaten by
the men who unload ships ut the docks. Ihey pay
penny for bloater, penny for potato. cents Tor
n piece Of bacon and cents for pie. ihese men arc
paid IL cents an hour for loading ships.
"The men who unload tho vessels on this side ara
Maid 30 cents nm hour for the same work. There are
thousands Of these people In London waiting around
the piers to get employment and many OF them are
Injured in pushing and climbing over each other 10
cot TO the gates to be called TO work. Inc ga'es anu
piers are all guarded by policemen The agitation on
the subject OF wages caused by the puohcauon Oh
the observations Of myself and Others IN 1888 caused
tho yaee, Of these men to be raised cents an hour
al saw thousands OF women working Tor shii'
ing ponce a day, making chains from O'CLOCK III
the morning until O'Clock Mt night have mere
niece OF chain made before my eyes by young
Englshwoman eighteen years oid. ohe iiiaue ~ Al
ten minutes and received about one-halt cent ior
Tho ,rorN She received about 30 cents a day.
aThe Democratic press may criticise my state
ments hut they can hardly take exceptions to the
recently published report Of John Burnett H'oor
commissioner who made an investigation OF the CON
dtion OF nail ana chain makers OF South s'anoru
shire and East Worcestershire. The report was ap
nroved by Parliament. This Is Whht MI D"ii''t
Says -,
At Fasbrack, whose shop visited seemed s'ean{
rssnecable man In a good week ne said ne ooulu
cIear twelve shilllngs His boy there, VINO was oseI
,ouroen wears old could earl three shilling SIX pence
hv wording from to 7. lie had also daughlet VI
t,venty- three who made traces and coud earn NY
sbIlUngs six pence and girl OF seventeen VINO ,otn
earn three shlings six pence me rehI VI "a
house and shop four s.lllngs SIX pence. bre'u
homebaked would cost about four shilIngs;
nvcstion a. 10 how much It cost them Tor butcher
meat was received with scornful laughter. MeaI
and potatoes II appeared, was a treat reserve 10y
sundays only and very often they did not nav
any then Ii NAV be taken as general r'iie .lI s.
The standard 81 living reaches always It's mgnest pVle
On SUNDAY and falls OIL day by day until u reach.S
Satur,oy Even In the OF this man Who win
lid wife and family seemed above the average OF
his fellows. this was so. and on the day OF ~.
visit he had breakfastcd on oatmeal Cruel not
For dinner they had the familiar bread and bacon
~ which latter half pound had to serve inc Ehole
family A few items OF this weekly budget were
Coal one shilling six pence; quarter OF pouiiu o o'
Ten at Six pence, two pounds OF butter az tc pence
and potatoes occasionally came 10 SIX pence .
al have brought back photographs OF the movers Oh
the poor laborcrs AZ Wigan. which were so vile that
thew were closed mp by the Government Inc 1000
~ Tho wording classes light that they soon form
the habit Of drinking ale 10 keep mp their strength aug
IL is not uncommon for a working man to spend hai
HE earnings I'm drink. Not only are the wages OF
common labOrcrs low, but skilled men get nttie more.
For example, the telegraph operators employed oy the
Midland Hallway get S97 30 for their first years wtrH
ond their wages are gradually increased unul ~ the
end oi ten years they earning the magnificent
sum OF $3.50 So per annun.'