Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-01-26

on ton of bullets and rails is 23 to
35 per cent. less in America than the
lowest cost of which l have ever heard
in this country, although the rate of
wages paid in America is materially
higher"
Another expert recently visited the
United States to find "the secret of
the superior quality and cheapness of
American factory-made Shoes" He
has reported to the German manu-
facturers that the average wage earn
ed by all classes of operatives in the
American shoe factories was SIS a
week, and the net labor cost of pair
of shoes produced is 40 cents. In the
German factories the average wage is
$3.50 per week and the cost of labor
on a pair Of shoes is SO cents pair.
Facts like this" Mr.. Mason says,
shave produced a noticeable change
in the attitude of the intelligent man
ufacturers toward the growing danger
from beyond the sea. Bessemer pig
iron, $243 to 1866 less per ton in
United States, has enable the STEEL
makers of Pennsylvania to underbid
those of England for the rails and
other supplies of the London under
ground railroad and to place an order
for SOO,O0O tons of steel rails with the
British East Indian government"
Three years ago German manufac.
turers of bicycles and sewing machines
thought that, if it was not for the tar
iff, they could sell their goods in the
United States. Now American bicy-
cles have so successfully invaded all
parts of Germany that the manufac.
turers of that country are demanding
a special high duty on American
wheels as essential to their future ex-
istence.
Bridge builders of Belgium and
Great Britain were astonished recently
to find a contract for an important
bridge in Holland taken from them by
a Philadelphia company.
There has been in session council
of specialists at Berlin to consider
how the industrial interests of Germa-
ny shall meet American competition.
The "unexampled economy and etfi-
cheney of American railway transpor-
lation" was noted as factor which
puts Germany at disadvantage.
In the convention of iron and steel
producers at Cologne, Director Schro-
edter said: "The German iron and
steel industry may claim that in re-
spect to technical capacity it is not
behind that of the great American
plants, and as We must not resort to
wage reduction save in the last ex
tremity the only means of relief is in
lower freights. Without substantial
help by this means the German iron
and steel industry will not be able to
maintain its export trade, much less
increase it,"
BY far the most significant sign of
the times, the consul general thinks, is
the rapidly increasing popularity of
American made machinery and tools
in Germany. He mentions number
of American companies which have
recently established agencies for the
sale of machines and tools IN Ger
many. Iron and wood working ma
chimes from the United States are
being adopted by the German manu-
facturers. A definite demand for
American pig iron has arisen in Ger
many.
at has been demonstrated" COM
ments Mr.. Mason, "that, under intelli-
gent, progressive management, highly
paid labor, especially when employed
to use complicated machinery, is, after
all, the cheapest, and that, in the race
for supremacy, the inert, congested
population Of the old world have been
in many cases left behind by the peo-
pie who, more than any other, have
reduced economy of labor to an exact
science" .sju.. .-.