Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-04-09

improved lathes, whereas in Germany a
man runs four or six according to the ma
ture of the work. The same is true of
planners. A great deal of the work in Mr..
Maxim's factory in England is done on
the milling machines, and of these the
trades unions insisted that a man should
run only one. A strike occurred in the
works, and afterwards the firm emy loyed
unskilled workmen who ran four apiece.
| But even this did not compare favorably
with what is done in France, where Mr..
Maxim found good looking young wo-
man running fifteen milling machines.
Each of these machines was running
about twice as fast and taking twice as
much cut as was done in England. 1t is
apparent that at this rate of difference
England cannot compete with France in
the machinery trade.
OF other industries that have been
| driven out of England by the labor ques-
ton, Mr.. Maxim mentions machine. m ade
lace which has gone to France, where
there never has been a strike since it was
introduced, whereas there had been a
great many strikes among the lace hands
in England. England also made Grape,
in which that country once had monop-
oily, but which has now gone to Germany
where this Grape is made for the whole
world including England herself. At
Crawford manufactures made special
ty of printed linen goods which closely
resembled woven woolens. The men
were constantly striking, and on one &C.
casion when he had taken large con-
tract at very close margin of profit they
demanded higher pay. As he could not
complete the contract without serious
loss he employed firm in France to do
the job for him. On delivering the goods
to mis- customers they found the work so
clearly and beautifully done that they
expressed the hope that all future orders
would be done as well. When his men in
England came to their senses and wished
to go to work again he found it impossi-
BILE for them to produce anything equal
to the work done for him in France. FL
nally the French printers found out the
English process and the works at Cray
ford have been permanently closed and
the men are out of employment Another
experience was with a firm that purchas-
ed la"ge quantities of wire. The workmen
were offered wages sufficient to live up
on. But they not only demanded wages
that would destroy the profits of the
job, but undertook to limit the output.
The work went to Germany, where the
workmen were not only glad to accept
the pay offered, but wished to make such
terms as would prevent the work ever
going back to England.
Mr.. Maxim spoke of the large amount
of English capital invested in foreign
manufactures and of the superior quality
of work produced in the United States.
Forty years ago all the best mechanics
tools were made in England; to-day they
are made in America. Not only do the
people of the United States make their
own tools but they are exporting large
quantities to England. At the time when
it was necessary to pay 40 per cent. on
English steel to get it into the United
States, the Americans purchased it, took
1t to the States, manufactured it into
twist drills and other small articles, pay
ing one aud half times English wages,
and sold at a price considerably below
what the same work could be produced
for in England better article than had
ever been made in the latter country. Mr..
Maxim was in st. Petersburg a few years
ago, and there learned from large hard
ware dealer that while the trade bought
some of the lower priced goods for ordi.
nary service from Russia, England and
France, the gh-priced instruments of
precision, such as micrometers, calipers,
squares, scales, rules, ETC., came from
the United States. Mr.. Maxim spoke of
the comparative skill of the mechanics
of various nations, some eXcelling in Ger
tain things and proving inferiorln others;
bat he declared frankly so far as his ex-
perience went, the New Englanders are
the finest mechanism the world. The
tools designed and made in New Eng
land are incomparably ahead of those |
made in any other country. Of manu-
features in which the New Englanders |
are thus superior, Mr.. Maxim mentioned |
revolvers and sporting rifles, woodwork
ing tools and machinery, automatic ma
chinery for working metals, and boot |
and shoe machinery. The English are
considered the most skilful manufacture
ers of high class wooden goods; they are
equal to any in velvets and pushes; the
handmade dOuble-bar guns for
sporting purposes have reached a higher
degree of excellence in England than any
other country; the English have a lead
ing position as builders of ships and ma
rine engines, and do good work in micro
scopic and Photographic apparatus.
When the tariff question was before
the country in 1892, the advocates of free
trade told the workmen that they were
paid better wages than those of England |
merely because they produced more and
better work. That they do this is ap-
parent from the statements made by Mr..