The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-25
CONDITIONS NOT THEORIES.

The theorists who are and have been
crying for free trade do not understand
the real difference between the condi-
| tions surrounding The American and
those which surround the foreign and
especially the English manufacturer.
They have theory which has to them
] all the charms Of a belief embarrassed by
doubt, and untried by experience, and
firm in their belief, they are unquestion-
| ably honest in the conviction that all
| the American manufacturer needs to
| conquer the markets Of the world is free
raw material and ar adjustment Of his
business conditions TO the requirements
of free trade. They admit cheerfully
that wages will be lowered, but claim
as offsets that the purchasing power of
a dollar will be increased, and that work
will be continuous, and free from the
Interruptions brought about by business
conditions as they exist today. But they
do not take into account certain condi-
tons which are equally as important
factor in the competition between the
English manufacturer and the American
manufacturer for the markets of the
world as the tariff.
A prominent Rhode Island woolen
manufacturer, an Englishman, explained
these conditions recently to the writer,
in way that threw "A new light on tho
situation. He was born and brought up
under the free trade system of England,
and coming from a family OF practical
woolen manufacturers, when he arrived
at mans estate he took his capital and
came out from free trade England to
protected America, because he could
make more money here where the market
was the grandest in the world and well
protected. He is just as much of an
Englishman today as he ever was,
although he has done much for the
locality in which he lives, probably more
than many native born citizens. 81 did
not come here because / loved your cli-
mate and your people, but because l
could make more money here. Now
there are many people who think that if
we manufacturers in the United States
were given free wool and all the
other conditions attendant upon free
trade that we could compete with
England, but we couldn't. Lower your
rate of wages to the level of the Eng
lish operative, reduce rents, get wool
free, place every material thing used lin
manufacturing in the mill, give coal and
IRON free, and in short make the condi-
tions as nearly as may be equal to the
conditions of the English manufacturers
and then the American manufacturer
would not be able to compete"
The reason for this is readily seen
when one takes into account the differ
ence in conditions. Out of centuries of
industrial experience England has
learned some very valuable lessons her
manufacturers have evolved a system
far different from anything in vogue in
America. Experience and training has
made industrial England vast machine.
For generations fathers have handed
down to sons the secrets of the trade
and the methods of systeinatizing their
part in this grand machine so that they
have solved the problem of securing the
largest possible production with the
least expenditure of money. There are
no woolen manufacturers in England as
we have in America where the wool is
taken as a raw staple and turned out a
finished product in the shape of web Of
cloth. In England the various processes
that the staple undergoes from its state
as raw wool 10 the perfect cloth form so
many distinct businesses.
One man sorts the wool. His men
are experts at it. They never do any
thing else. They couldn't run loom
nor do anything but sort wool, but they
are experts at that. Another man has
the process of combing and carding.
That is his business and his employees
learn those branches. And SO il goes
through all the various processes. All
kinds Of business in the section are de-
voied TO the same line. Instead of
manufactures having TO own all the
vast and complicated machinery OF
various kinds found in an American
mill. but one kind is found in
that Of his English rival. consequently
the cost Of manufacturing is largely de-
creased. The man who sorts wool does