The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-03-23
OUR BOOT AND SHOE INDUSTRY.
Why We Send Boots and shoes to England
and why We Pay Better Wages-Ma.
chinery II Help, Not Hindrance.

Why We Send Boots and shoes to England
and why We Pay Better WaGes-Ma-
chinery Help, Not a Hindrance.
The following special dispatch to the
free-trade Providence Journal from
London speaks for itself, and is most
emphatic refutation of the cry that ma"
chinery Injuries labor:
The members of the Royal Labor commission
expressed great surprise to-day at the evidence
given by Mr.. Single, a boot and shoe manu-.
facturer of Leeds, on the subject OF imported
and domestic boots and shoes. Mr. Single
testified that the art Of boot and shoe making in
America is fifty years ahead of that in England,
owing to the use of improved machinery, which
cannot be taken advantage OF by English manu'
factu-ers on account of the determined opposi.
tion of the trades unions to any innovations in
the line OF labor-SaVing devices. American
made boots and Shoes the witness declared, are
fully equal in quality, while being much cheaper,
as compared with those of English pro-
duction The imports from America al
ready large, are rapidly growing, The
prices are such as to leave the American manu-
facturer a good profit. Mr., Single naturally
thought that if the commission could do some
thing to convince the unions that it was to their
interest to admit improved machinery in the
factories, and thus prevent the trade going to
America it would he good thing for every
body concerned The Duke Of Devonshire, Rt,
Hon. A. j. Mundella, Rt. Hon, Leonard Court
ney and other eminent members of the commits
sion stared at the witness as If they considered
him out Of his mind. Their questions clearly
indicated that what they had heard was a reve..
alton, and not pleasant one, to them, and they
thought by severe examination to shake the
testimony, but Mr.. Single proved himself an eX.
pert in his line of business, and came out of the
contest with flying colors.
Mulhall says the American boot-mak-
ING machine enables one man to turn
out 500 pairs of boots daily, that one
factory near Boston makes as many
boots as $4,000 bootmakers in Paris,
and that in 1880 there were 5. 100 of
these machines at work producing $50
million pair of boots yearly. The fig
ures for 1890 would, of course, largely
exceed those above, yet we hear no
complaints from the Massachusetts,
shoemaker. Why should he complain
when he earns from SIS to $50 per week,
while the English shoemaker who has
no machinery to work against earns
but Sc. so on the average? How it would
make the Englishman's mouth water
to visit such towns as Lynn, Brockton,
Haverhill. Abingdon and others and see
the way the American shoemaker lives
If told to him he would hardly believe it
He Worked Under Free Trade and Pro.
lection.
r. G. Hood, an English-born mechan,
ic living in Philadelphia, says: I'm
| England worked as a mechanic in a
shop of about twenty men. My wages
ranged as high as the highest, and being
of a frugal turn of mind | commenced
to save, and at the end of four years
had accumulated the sum of eighty
pounds, or $500, which is considered
very good saving for a mechanic, even
one who has no one to keep or look al
ter but himself. For the benefit OF
those of our citizens who say there is
nothing in protection for a working
man, and who offer him as a balm for
every sore a reduction of the tariff, OF
what would ultimately lead to free
trade, will make confession which
will not in the least havm me, while il
may do some of our free trade friends a
great deal of good. To wit: that when
/ came to this country and commenced
work as mechanic, living in similar
way to what did in England, l found
that instead OF saving at the rate OF
one hundred dollars per year, / could
save at the rate of $500 per year and
live just as well in every particular,
After l had paid my board and laid a
reasonable amount away 20 procure
clothing and sundry articles which
every young man requires with little
to spend, had more L;.'TthaH irecosred toI
cages an Engldad.'t