New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-27
INDUSTRIAL GERMANY.
uow FOREIGN MARKETS HAVE BEEN
CONQUERED UNDER THE OPERA
T1ON OF PROTECTION.
Elberfeld. July l.

.ro.activn system. which has been in oper-
10, since 1879 The fact that there has been
.,hs,dence of social unrest and discomfort is
,..,vtahle There are fewer labor strikes In
,,..,,snv than in any other great industrill
,r,.. the relations between employers ana
-,,ovad are more cordial and amicable; there
.o..er discipline in the rank and file of the
liking army: and there is a more widespread
- ~ contentment In all these respects
.ssra has been q marked Improvement in the
M. ~, condition Of the Fatherland during the
last twenty years.
7, would he unscientihc and unreasohaoie 10
,ne this benefcent change to a single cause.
p-o,ection has done much but not everything.
.,.., capses have been cooperating to produce
,,s general effect. but protection is one OF them
"a most important one. 1t has increased and
multiplied the facilities for earning 4 hvehhood'
:. .os diversified industries and widened the
-,,se of employment 1t has raised the stand
"a ~ labor and impaired an upward tendency
- nages 1t has converted Germany into one
:, ,,a busiest Of modern industrial hives II
-. ~,osses ere more contented than they were
.uertv wears ago, they have reason TO be CRATE
g., 20 Prince Bismarcl for prohting by the ex-
.,o-,ence Of the United States and introducing
detection in the place Of free trade. FOR they
MORO work more varied occupations and
a.o,a,er u not better wages than they had before
.ha revenue system was changed
c.,,.o-c,al enterprise has opened the mar
80 ~ the world a series of CONNER
a,.I ,rsa,ies has facilitated an expansion
:, tho export trade: technical education
,as increased the efficiency Of labor; hao-
,,s ~ military discipline contracted In the army
hava induced subordination among workmen
.b-aA .sat systems Of compulsory insur-
o,ca have tended TO convince workingmen that
,a STATE is deeply interested in their daily life
There are many factors in the problem ana
each has it's own value; but as Mr. Williams re-
marks in a recent work which has been widely
-aad in England: Whatever the other causes
- ce,nanv's success. it cannot be doubted that
nrotection is one Of them. and a potent one
WAGES TENDING UPWARD.
The current explanation offered in England OF
tho industrial progress of Germany is cheap
labor The delegation of the British Iron Asso-
c;s,,on which made an exhaustive investigation
=, THE branch of the subject last year did not
End the differences Of wages between England
ora Germany as great as had been represented.
II the miners and lower classes of workers IN
IN Germany than in England. the earnings OF
~ ,,rer GRADES of mechanics were higher ana
the average pay of workmen was nearly on d
&c, IN tho two countries. The evidence on this
-o,r, &c conflicting and inconclusive; and COM
or..o,s ore likely to be misleading; but there Is
No reason TO doubt that the tendency OF wages
,s inward in Germany, and that there Is All I'M
,,rovernent in the average workman's manner OF
NO whole
,,a,v than in France and England. they are
- ZION they were under free trade, and en-
r,ovnont is more constant and trustworthy
The hours of labor. moreover, are shorte'' al"
,,or. "a an increasing demand for expert WORK
.,.r,can free trader has always laid
s,-ass unon competition In the markets or
,, nd He has been accustomed TO assume
-. .be United States which was once formi-
,ah,e connection Of England in foreign trade
&C forlan out of the great modern battle FOR
.rLa. hecause its commercial energies are para
,.vad nv protection. He has been in the habit OF
ing that America would inevitably become
10 cbief manufacturing Nation Of the world II
ia Chinese wall surrounding its coasts could
,,ca he broken down and foreign trade be re-
aasad from customs barriers and RESTRICTIONS
Tho. is one Of the stock arguments against pro-
faction in America; but il will not hold against
-o.ac,ion in Germany Since 1879 when free
,~oae vas abandoned by the great Chancellor
.,s n-otection substituted for it as the hscai
sxs,arn Of the Empire, there has been an enor-
roous evanston Of German commerce Win all
,uar-ars Of the world. Germany Is England
cbief connection to-day in the worlds markets.
A commercial Empire has been conquered since
tho ,vars with Austria Hungary and France.
What the free-trader has declared TO be lnpos-
s,b,e under Protection namely. serious compe'l-
,,on with England has been successfully accom-
pNshed.
EXPANSION OF TRADE.
The wonderful development Of German INDUS
tries and commerce during the last seventeen
wears is = fact that does not require demonstra-
ton German manufacturers and merchants
having secured control of their home market
have invaded Europe and competed oirectiE anu
most effectively with England IN the bIl'S"
Empire the Far East and in North anu oou'n
America. In iron and steel manufactures TEX
tiles, chemicals, paper and many lesser mus
tries Germany IS already SURPRISING hhsialu III
the growth Of foreign trade. Ihere Is Haiu''
any large class OF modern MANUFACTURES d"
which English goods are not undersoio IN hoh-
don by German goods. In twelve years German
trade has been trebed with Austraila' iiCi e"'eu
ten,od with Canada. and multpheo many
times with the British Empire. as "hoie'
In ten years German exports to Brazil nave III"
up from 100000 marks to 63'oooooo marhs'
and there has been corresponding increase III
trade with the remainder of South America
With Japan there has been an extraorolhaIS ca
pansion Of commerce since 1883. German exports
rising from 100000 to nearly 2IoOoooo marhs'
German manufacturers have displaced Ehgnsh
goods 10 large extent in both the United states
and Europe All these facts are frankly au-
mitted in the official reports OF competent BTU
Sh experts Ike Sir Charles Oppenheiiner 'he
Oonsul-General al Frankfort-on- Main. NopooS
Z" England attempts TO deny that Germany
"ithin two decades has become most fornlda-
oe flval in the markets Of the world, ana tha'
'ns result has been accomplished under the ope-