The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-25
HANDICAPPED BY LABOR
Effect Of Trades Unions on Great
Britain'S Commerce.
Policy One of Minimum Work for
standard Pay-Cost of Living Fore
ing Employees to Demand Higher
Wages without More WorlS-Wnrn-
ing by Rosebery and Asquith.
Especial Cablegram-copyrighted.)


LONDON, Nov 24-The alarm which
prevails in some quarters of British in
dustry on account Of the enormous growth
of American competition now occupies the
foremost place in public attention. 1t is
discussed on all platforms by leaders of
public opinion and 1t is the chief topic in
the serious press. There is not the slight
est doubt that thorough awakening of
manufacturers in nearly all lines has al
| ready taken place. The contrary is the
case among the rank and file of the work
| ers who really control the situation. The
sharp rise of the cost Of living is i'm
Polling the latter to increase their de-
mands to the still further embarrassment
of their employers.
The situation would be radically changed
If labor's request for higher wages was
| accompanied by an offer of greater effort
and increased output during working
| hours. This, however, has in no case been
| suggested. On the other hand, it will be
strenuously resisted and the policy of
| minimum work for standard pay will be
persisted in according to the present out
look until disaster to British trade has
been irretrievably accomplished.
Lord Rosebery last week delivered a
| strong warning, and yesterday Mr.. Her
bert Asquith, NJ. p, told the heads of the
Chamber of Commerce what to expect
He admitted that the present prosperity
| OF Great Britain was enormous and I'M
precedented, but he pointed out that Eng
| land was not holding her own. Germany
and the United States had stepped out
from the rear to the front rank. Instead
| OF England enjoying the supremacy of
trade, as was confidently predicted half
a century ago, she was now fighting for
| every inch Of ground with all her avail
able strength in every International mar
ket.
There are some obvious reasons" said
Mr.. Asquith, for this, not due to short
comings on our part. We have long ceas ID
| to enjoy that relative superiority in nat
| ural advantages with which We started
| upon the race. Look across the Atlantic
and what do we see? nation which, in
point of numbers. is almost II not quite
double our own nation, sprung to large
| extent from the same stock, nurtured
among the same free traditions, endowed
| in at least as full measure with facility
| OF invention and spirit of enterprise, oc-
cupying country unrivaled in extent and
| diversity OF natural resources and en-
| 5oying through the whole of that vast
territory the incalculable boon Of internal
free trade. Can we wonder that such a
nation, 80 circumstanced and conditioned,
is the most formidable of our Industrial
| competitors?
The case of Germany is on a somewhat
| different footing. Germany. for industrial
purposes, is not q country exceptionally
| favored by nature. and the rise of Germany
into the front rank of commercial powers
| is the most remarkable illustration to be
found OF the practical value of education,
| organization, and concentration. The days
| are happily gone when 1t is safe to indulge
in the foolish sneer that the Germans spun
and wove from materials supplied by his
own inner consciousness.
1.-THE same sleepless industry, the Same
tenacity Of purpose. the same training and
moldipg of intelligence for a specific end.
| which have given the German in turn, first
| military supremacy and then political
| unity, have enabled him to overtake, and,
| IL We do not mend our ways, enabled him
! to outrun his more favored rivals in the
industrial struggle of the world"
But Mr. Asquith failed to indicate the
+, fallacies of governing organized labor in
Great Britain, which are fatally handicap
| ing the trade of the country. Instead, he
advocated attention to the more general
defect of lack of education, and especially
technical education. 1t can be readily IN
derstood thai no public man In England
dares to antagonize the working classes by
boldly telling them that British trade is
being destroyed by the suicidal policy OF
| the trades unions which forbid members
| giving their best efforts in return for fair
wages.