The herald., 1897-07-25
AN OBSERVING AMERICAN
Compares Industrial Conditions il
Germany ard America


Mr. Charles Davis, president of the
Davis & Egan Machine Tool company
is just back from an extended European
trip. A little dinner was given in his
honor last evening at the Queen City
club, where the distinguished represen-
tative of Cincinnatti's manufacturing
figura tive bomb, of course) into the
midst of the festivities.
The dinner was informal and the ban
quetters were few in number, but what
Mr.. Davis had to say about trade con-
ditions will attract wide attention and
cause not. little surprise in the indus
trial world. After opening with a pretty
description of his visit to the Fran"
Nansen's sturdy little vessel, which the
speaker visited at Horton in Norway
and some equally interesting remarks
about fjofds and scenery, Mr.. Davis de-
livered himself as follows:
Now, Mr. Chairman, we are asked the
question every day, why England, Ger
many and the other manufacturing
countries are SO busy, and the home
trade of the United States so dull?
Two main reasons may be advanced
The first is the neglect of American man
goods and business methods to those
that obtain in the respective countries
Happily, Cincinnati manufacturers
in many Lines have not been of this class
1t may not be generally known that the
Belgian state locomotives are equipped
with lubricators made on Spring Grove
avenue, and brass goods made here are
| in evidence in all parts of Europe.
Pumps, desks, veneers and many
other similar products are exported
largely. Cincinnati iron, steel and wood
working machinery is employed in al!
| the great shipyards and gun works of
Europe, and is now running day and
night in Russia turning out locomotives
and cars that will soon be
FLYING ACROSS THE STEPPES
of Siberia to the Pacific ocean and down
through Manchuria to the Yellow sea.
Having given as the first cause of
dull trade here the apathy of the manu-
facturers at large in the United States,
let us pass to the second reason.
while we make politics of this matter
in the United States, in Europe it is
simply question of common sense. l
will, therefore. endeavor for a moment
TO talk common sense. Then no one cav
accuse me of talking politics.
From the experience the business
man has had in the past few years with
one party, and now with the other, he
can truly exclaim, with Mercutio, "A
plague on both your houses
There was a time when the United
| States required protection, for We were
developing our country and could alb
| sorb all or more than We could make.
| Now, as matter of fact, in the leading
lines, we can make more in one year
than can be absorbed in three. Until you
provide an outlet for the surplus the
difficulty will remain. Raising your tar
if will only aggravate the evil in tn:
long run. 1 grant you that after the
tariff bill passes and congress adjourns
trade will look up a little for brief
period. When, a man is on his, back he
is bound to look up.
"The country being short. owing to
the long depression, will need goods for
a WHILE then will come
THE SAME OLD SLUMP
and a long depression A high tariff
fosters fictitious prices and false ideas
of value.
"A thing is worth only what it will
bring in the open markets of the world.
You cannot fly in the face of the great
law of supply and demand. Your
marking up of tariffs will be of no more
permanent value that the action of the
Irishman who said he had made $4,000 in
one day by marking up all the goods in
his store
| There is now a rumble and muttering
of discomfort in Europe at the raising of
our tariff, and unless we have care the
growing trade in the United States will
there be shut off by retaliation.
| In France the duty on American ma
chinery is so per cent greater on one
class, rs per cent on another, and Is per
cent upon another, than the same ma
chine coming from England, or even
from her hated rival, Germany. Hard
ware and other iron products are also
higher This was retaliation as against
the increased tariff act on French prod
ucts in our tariff act of 1890.
Austria Germany and other coun
tries are contemplating similar action.
Do not throw bouquets at yourselves by
saying that we can again retaliate
When in the wrong the best way out is
to acknowledge it. Molasses will catch
more flies than vinegar.
1T remember in former times when 1
used to stay at home all the time and
thought 1 knew it all. l used to talk
much about a tariff as a protection to
American labor The only protection to
the American workingman is his brains
and Notwithstanding more or less.
American superintendent, foremen and
workmen are all through Europe get
ting 80 per cent more than they received
here. You cannot legislate brains into
man or out of him.
I'VE are sending couple of men from
our works next week who will receive in
Germany as a starter $24 week as
against SIS here.
1.-The people of the United States will
never learn the industrial situation of
Europe by rushing up the Alps and down
the Rhine. The only way is to dig right
down into the locomotive works, gun
works and machine shops.-Cincinnati
Enquirer.