The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-08
LABOR In GERMANY.
More Contented and More Effec-
tive Than in England.
VAST EXPANSION OF TRADE.
How Foreign Markets Have Been Con-
qnered Under the Operation ola
Protective Tariff.


important sfs~f az the Industrial deveso7-
fnsnE % Germany under the protective
systezn. which has been IN operation since
1873. The fae. thar there has been sub
sa1srcs OF social unrest and dls@ontent IS
inalspstabi.. There are q fewer labor
strikes IN Germany tran 81 any other
great Industrial ccuntrv the relations be-
tween employers and employed are more
cordial and arrlca5ie: there is better dis
ci7line IN the rank sa1 hie OF the work
Ing army and there IL a more Widespread
feeling OF contsntr1s-t. IN al these re-
spects there has Beer a marked improve
nsni IL The social condition az the Father
land during the last twenty years
10 would be uns-isrtire and Unrsason-
abs 20 ascrIoe thi. ssnefcent change 30 a
single cause Protection has done much,
out not everything. Many causes nave
been cooperating % produce this Eenerai
effect. but profession il ere OF them, ana n
most important one. Il has Increased ana
multipsied the facilities for earning i've
lnood. II has diversified industries and
w-t0ened the range OF employment IL has
RAISED the standard OF labor and impaired
an upward tendency 70 wages. IL has con-
vsrtsd Germany into one OF the busiest OF
modern Industrial hives. II the masses
ara mora ccntsated than they were
twenty years ago. Trey have reason 70 be
grateful 70 Prince Bismarck fer prefiting
and Introducing protection In the place OF
free trade. for they have more work. more
varied occupations and steadier II not bet
ter wages than they had before the rev.
enue system was changed.
Commercial enterprise has opened the
markets OF The world: a series OF COM
mercial treaties has facilitated an expan-
sion OF the export trade. technical edu-
cation has increased the efficiency OF la
Dor: habits o. military discipline contract
ed IN the army have induced subordination
among workmen; and three great systems
OF compulsory Insurance have tended TO
convince workmen that the state is deeply
interested in their daily life. There are
many factors in the problem. and each has
its own value. but, as Mr.. y illlams re-
marks in a recent work which has been
widely read in England: 'N hateyer the
other causes OF Germany's success, II can
not be doubted that protection Is one of
them, and a potent one"
Wages Tending Upward.
The current explanation offered in Eng
land OF the industrial progress OF Germany
Is cheap labor. The delegation OF the Brit
ish Iron Association which made an ex-
haastive Investigation Of this branch Of
tho subject last year did not find the diff
ference of wages between England and
Germany as great as had been represented.
II the miners and lower classes % workers
ia The iron and steel trades receive lower
wage. In Germany than IN England. the
earnings Of the upper grades OF mechanics
were higher. and the average pay OF work
men was nearly on a level in the two
countries. The evidence on this point Is
conflicting aad inconclusive: and c0mpar-
fsons are likely 20 be misleading: but there
Is no reason TO doubt that the tendency
Of wages Is upward in Germany, and that
there Is Al Improvement in the average
workman's manner OF living. II wages on
tho whole are lower in Germany than in
France andGermsny. they are higher than
they we're under free trade. and employ
msnf is more constaA and trustworthy.
The hours OF labor, moreover. are shorter.
and there Is an Increasing de mand for ex-
pert work.
The American free trader has always LAID
great stress upon competition in the mar
kets OF the world. He has been accus-
toned 20 assume THAI the United States.
which was once a formidable competitor
OF England IN foreign trade. has fallen
ont OF this great modern battle for 4 mar
kst because its commercial energies are
paralyzed by protection. lie has been in
the habit Of saying that America would
Inevitably become the chief manufsctur-
ing nation OF the world II the Chinese
walls surrounding its coasts could once be
broken down and foreign trade be released
from customs barriers and restrictions.
That Is one OF the stock arguments against
protection IN America: but IL will not hold
against protection IN Germany. Since 1879.
when free trade was abandoned by the
great chancellor ana protection substituted
for K as the fiscal system OF the empire.
there has been an enormous expansion Of
German commerce with al quarters OF the
world Germany ls EnSland's chief COM
petitor today in the worlds markets. A
commercial empire has been conquered
since the wars with Austria Hungary and
France What the free trader has declared
20 he impossible under protection. namely.
serious competition with England. has
been successfully accomplished.
Expansion OF Trade.
The wonderful development OF German
industries ana commerce during The las
seventeen years IS a fact TIA. does not re-
Qai4a &emarstra ttau. German ranufactu-
rers and merchants. having secured con-
tro! OF thels homo market. have invaded
Europe AMI competed directly ana rssoss
effectively wita England in tho British
empire the far East ana tn %orth and
sough Amer.ca Ia ron and steel manu-
features. textiles, chemicals. rarc-. an
many lesser industries Germany IS al
ready surprising England In the growth
c. foreign tra&e. T'Herr fs harz1v any large
class % u1c3ern manufacture ln which
English goods arc nct pa3E-so.a in Lon
aoa By German goods. Ia twelve years
German trade has t~eHi@f wita Australia
Increased ten~foid w4th Canada. and r1u,-
;faiie8 many tinlrs w5fh fas British en-
~ire asa Whole. n zen years German ex-
y.orts 20 RrszIl have rsn ur frenn - 90 80
r~a~ks 20 g - eno marks anH there has
49, a f~s~res-ousfa f1-~easA IN t~aaa
.x..h .ha remainder a. South America
Yves ra-sn there has hssr an extrae~s}{-
.a~v gxrarsieu ~ commerce since 1sSS
German exr1rts raising from E1ssa ela %
..nersy = aaa SEQ marks German ru-nfifa-t-
t,vsrs have Displaced English Eoo1s - a
isrra axts-s IN h,th tss Tni,es States aas
,-,ss.es q, - csi-iai reports - -ornoetrn-
y,-f.8,A sx-er-s Ike So C'aar.e- a-0sn-
$500 che consul -as-s5 az Frarks1~t-
r~-wain N-Nsav n Egsscs sf;-s1Nts ta
80 .N.s Germany within NO decades
- e...--,- a utc-s fo--usf.-.s ~ival n
=. v-s-Ests Il the werif 49, that fhss
,e~e.3- nss Aesr accomplished u19sr tAe
~~s-asf,u ~ = rretscrsvs system.
rNA sxt~se-7s mary development - -
-~s~ssarsu-srx ia6u.trir. q s.lserfsld SRI
go sr~srr tn.t p.riss weal3 have
-. t-..~.,-sl.sa,f. w4tNcur I csr-a~,s~7-
49, sV,,-.ss, ~ - sxN-rt tra@A T~r@ss
- ,t-t.~ u-tn she5r suaIre~. raw cor
ssrs.s-. 80 q fNs s1ssssF insastrta1 h5v~s
A. .ss~-r,s-e vefsh an aEEregsts ror1laster
~ $780,. ses ssa These are ss~1o~r fssf~s
- a ,--e.s ta~sasv - Industrial cs-tr-.s-
.t-es -rhs~z are irun ans7 st>el f7aesrfss
"a s,rs~-rnse htrF~ars and e1sis~r wcrkr-
+NsrM "a a great r~ase l1 b. HAr1s. TsS-
R-ewa. Aratss- stG65nwss h4tfo1s an2 erin
rvsnrr silks, Veivets. hHfHs. Tetlons aF3
vs7ss.e-fs z~e miniatures 80 large
.r 80 = -F