New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-20
A .JUTE TOWN.
WITH ITS CHIEF INDUSTRY MENACED BY
CHEAP LABOR AND ITS MUNICIPAL
GOVERNMENT CONDUCTED ON
PROGRESSIVE LINES


Dundee, August Z.
The g,udebooks give so meagre an account OF
he scenic attractions and characteristic archi-
lecture Of Bonnie Dundee that tourists seldom
visit the town. but pass through 1t on their way
70 Aberdeen and the Highlands. interested only
IN the fine view of the Tay Bridge from the long
curve Of the railway. 1t Is however the third
city in Scotland in population. and has been
Aourlshng seaport for many centuries Its his
,or,cal associations alone ought to attract visit
ors As early as 1850 It's harbor was used by YES
cells of war as we'll az trading ships. and in the
prolonged struggle for independence It's castle
was captured by Wallace and destroyed by
Bruce. There Is a fine Gothic steeple in Dundee
which was built In the fourteenth century. and
cowgate Arch one Of the gateways Of the cid
town wall is pointed out as the pulpit from
which Wishart the Reformation martyr.
nreached during the plague OF 1914. Dundee was
the home Of Charles III for awhile after his cor
onat.on at Scone. and so loyal was II to
Tho fortunes Of monarchy that one Of Crom-
Wells generals sacked and destroyed It,
one OF the strongholds of the Reformation. II has
also been famous for the enterprise OF Its people
It's whaling fleets have whitened the Arctic seas
,.s salmon fisheries have been known all over the
world and II is the centre OF jute manufacturing
besides having important linen. shipbuilding and
nnarmalade industries
NV genial host warned me that should find
Ntle that was interesting in this old Scotch
town with It's picturesque harbor and well or
eanized factories: but he was wrong. 1t was
not necessary 70 see the ruins OF st. Andrews.
once the Canterbury Of Scotland. to explore
the ancient baronial castles Of Forfarshire on
the edge Of the Grampians. in order to have ex-
u.an u-hn a n n
,nvisorating air visit to the Jute mills alone
was worth the Journey from London. fleet of
100 merchantmen Is employed in supplying from
India the raw material for this class OF manu-
factures and many thousands Of men. women
snd children are dependent upon their daily la
hor in the jute factories Jute has been the chief
industry Of the town. and until very recent
wars when II was subjected to destructive COM
netition from India II was in A most prosperous
condition In the Maxwelltown and Bowbridge
works. managed by J. & A. d. Grimond. one OF
the largest and best equipped factories WIN
mechanical appliances for every oranch OF the
industry about twenty-five hundred operatives
are employed in the various processes of soften
,,c snipping. carding rowing spinning. twisting
weaving picking cropping. calendaring. man.
cling tapping and packing This firm has great
American trade and makes twine and rope OF all
kinds wide burlaps for the foor-cloth and lin
oleum manufactures. and Brussels and velvet
carpets Of rich and varied designs. The late
Joseph Grmond was pioneer in the Jute carpet
trade and virtually introduced the manufacture
of tapestry and Brussels carpets, and also of tute
nlushes He had the Scotch talent for thorough
moss Of organization, and these processes were
ordered By him with perfection OF detail.
A HAPPY SET OF LABORERs.
II any of my protectionist friends are looking
N this letter for disclosures Of disconnected
ignorant pauper labor in Scotland, they viii be
sisappois-oa happier throng of operatives
than saw swarming out Of the Bowbridge Works
when the o'clock bell brought the labors of the
dav TO an end 1t would not be easy to find any
where in the merry working world. The faces OF
The women and girls were fairly aglow with
health: the operatives were well dressed and IN
gay spirits. laughing and ohattering as they
walked rapidly along the street; and the MONIES
which they were about to enter were neat ana
comfortable. The women were mainly employed
in the cardinz spinning and weaving rooms. The
SINNERS earned from 10 to - shlrgs week
and the weavers from IL 10 IS shillings. There
were many young girls among them, but these
we're allowed 10 work only every other day. the
remainder of their time being reserved for school
Ing Some of them looked hardly more than
eight but children are not taken into the mills
until they have reached the age of eleven. Then
they can earn from shllings and pence 10 i
shillings a week by working on alternate days
The hours are from until 8, with an hours IN
PERMISSION for breakfast; then from ~ until q
with an hour for luncheon, and final pull OF
three hours until g. The working rooms were ad-
mirably ventilated there was a well-appointed
md
we're svmnasiums. concert halls and lecture
rooms for providing suitable recreation ana en-
,ertainment The jute workers Of Dundee are
well cared for by their employers, and are con-
tented happy body of operatives
The prosperity OF this working class is menaced
not from America, where the new tariff is mark
cdlv favorable TO the Scotch industry. but from
India where within ten years all the coarse
branches Of jute manufacture have been intro
duced With cheap labor The raw material is
there and il can be converted into manufactured
product at prices which imply starvation in Bon
nie Dundee. Scotch capital has gone into the
Calcutta jute mills. and it has earned larger
dividends than can be paid at home. Not salts
fed with employing cheaper labor during the
davfjme the leading jute manufacturers in India
have introduced electric lighting and kept their
operatives at work good part OF the night. The
natives are expert weavers and spinners, and
they are not only contented with the lowest
wages. bat they are also able to thrive upon
them and lay by a penny for rainy day II is
this formidable competition from the jute empire
that has brought on hard times In Dundee, and
although the improvement in American trade mas
been noticeable this year. is still menacing the
great industry OF the town with destruction. Inc
manufacturers in India are constantly charging
their investments. introducing higher grades OF
goods and competing boldly for the Jute TRACE Oh
the world. 1t is this tremendous pressure OF COM
petition from cheap-abor country that Is I'M
perilling the prosperity OF a well-organized IN
dustry and creating general feeling OF ihse-
Curity and unrest. 1t is not strange that veteran
.ree-traders in the town are asking Whether 'ne
rvar.ore II .na I,nitad Kingdom are not TO be