The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05
RN1LAND'S Dark OUTLOOK.
HER COMMERCE THREATENED BT
TRADE UNION TFRAENY.

YerestchaRin's Ploturcs-The War OF
Ritunlism-Tho Comp ensRtion Act.
LoSpoN. Jan. 20.-The disaster which
threatens to destroy the prosperity OF Great
Britain has advanced It's shadow even more
swiftly than was Indicated when the subject
was last dealt with In the London correspond.
ence OF THE Sun some months ago. There
was, as tho cable has already told you. a heavy
falling of last year In the exports OF dreat
Britain. and the excess OF imports over ex-
PORTS In the United Kingdom has reached the
enormous eum OF 81. 1875. 100000 per annum,
The average excess OF i'm ports during the past
three years has been $500. 100000. while ''ie
average OF the previous three years. 1So3-1s-d.
was S700.0 DOC. 900.
At'nrst glance such'nRures as these seem to
spell speedy national bankruptcy. even for the
richest country In the world. But IL should
be borne in mind thai England enjoys almost
q monopoly OF the profits OF transportation OF
not only her own exports and imports. but
those OF most other countries as we'll. More
over. the profits OF trade both ways ina great
part OF British m with the colonies
goes into the pockets Of Englishmen. The
gigantic balance on the wrong side Of the led
ger is { therefore to some extent deceptive.
When all allowances have been made. how
ever. there. remains the fact that British.trade.
lie 1.-THE sale OF British manufactures abroad. Is
shrinking at n rate so rapid as to amount to a
collapse. The lost markets are %golng-in
what proportion 1t is not yet possible to say
to Americans and Germana
At tho risk OF too much iteration. l urge
once more upon American manufacturers and
artisans attention to the chief cause OF the COL
lapse OF British trade and to the tempting OPP
portunity which Is open to Americans to take
possession of.the most lucrative markets of the
world. Trade union dictation is killing Brit
Ish trade, American manufacturers have at.last
discovered the fact that they are not .handi-
capped by the nominally higher wages paid to
American skilled workmen. The truth is
and II Is a truth which spells prosperity for
all the competitors Of Great Britain-that the
British workman is grossly overpaid for the
work he actually performs. In other words.
when wages are measured by services rem
dered 1.-THE only true system OF measurement.
the:British workman receives:more money for
his output than This colleague in any other
country. Nor does he in any way whatever
profit by this distinction. He works the same
number OF hours as his American brother. He
receives rather more than half as much wages
as the American on the average. but he per-
forms considerably less than half as much
work for his money. This is true in every
branch Of trades union labor in this country. |
from the bod carrier to the skilled mechanic.
There was a strike of bricklayers on a large |
building In course OF construction in London |
the other day because a workman Ia union
man. OF coursel was building his section Of a
wall faster than the speed specified by trades
union at bricklaying. As a matter Of fact. the
man was working at about half the speed Of
any self-respecting American mason. This
incident tells the whole story. 1t Is not upon
any question Of hours or wages that trades
unionism is destroying the prosperity of
Great Britain. 1t is strictly and solely by the
pernicious system Of restricting output that
the evil has been creatsd. The theory OF
course.is that by requiring a good man to limit
his:efforts to those OF the LATEST loafer. work is
provided for a greater number. 1t is a good
piRn that in some trades. at least. tho self re-
spectinR and ambitious men are beginning to
realize that the lev%elling-down plan is fatal
to individual progress as we'll rs to national
prosperity.
The official figures issued the other day
the enormou excess Of British i'm
ports over exports last year have brought
dive rise explanations from the writer's on sta
and economics. They have even drawn
the incurable optimist. who proves at length
all is for the best with the best possible of
He rather convinces you that
is so misleading as facts except fig
ures: and when he and the other theorists fall
out they remind one Of the dictum Of the Judge
who said he got untruthful evidenced from three
classes OF witnesses-the prevaricating person.
the habitual liar and the professional expert.
week has. however. shown us an unusu-
ally reasonable and able specimen Of the op-
In Sir Robert Citizen. editor for many
years ofthe Board of Trade statistics.
Before quoting the conclusions OF practical
men and manufacturers on the black outlook
for ritain's:foreig trade and the reasons for
1t, there Is instruction in studying Sir Rob
Srt's arguments. His paper on THE Excess
Of Imports occupies three columns In the
Times. which has a leading article IN cordial
Of his conclusions. These are. in his
own words:
The excess OF imports into this country is
neither singular nor novel. There is on bal
Ance an ,exoess OF imports when the imports I
and exports OF the different countries of the
world are added together. This is the result
81 the usual method of valuing the imports
md exports-the former at the place OF arrival
md the latter at the place of departure-so ,
as the exports OF one country become the {
IMPORTS into another. the aggregate imports q
have necessarily added to them the cost of I
from the country which they left. ,
md the aggregate imports arc consequently '
arger by so much than the aggregate EXPORTS. 1
L IL not singular. therefore,. that a country |
Ike the United Kingdom should show an ex- I
OF imports. ,
THE excess OF imports is subject to great 7
fluctuations. like the imports and exports 1
themselves. The tendency apparently is for '
he excess of imports:to increase In years when 4
he credit Of foreign countries or British DOS v
~essions decreases. and vice versa. The ex- r
ess OF imports Is to he accounted for in the 4
rade Of a country like England in several G
Vays. principally by the fact that England Is a b
.h!powning country. and does II large business II
II over the world in carrying goods and pas- h
engers. This work Is really in itself In the Z
allure OF an export. giving the country a
redit for 30 much in its dealings with other a
In addition. England is a country =
Which earns largely commissions of different n
.inds in its trade with different countries as q
he commercial and monetary centre OF the q
worlds trade. Last OF all. England is one of a
he countries which have become entitled to h
he receipt OF large interest and profits from a
countries on account OF capital which IL Il
Hs invested and business which it carries on lr
n such countries. including the sums receiya- n