The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-03
AMERICAN LABOR.
Leads the World OF Labor In Produc.
ing Capacity. ."r.s.

Much has been written lately in Great
Britain concerning the unproductivity
OF the average English workman and
the industrial superiority of the Ger
man and, still more, the American la
borer. In seeking the causes of the re-
lative decline of British trade stress ia
laid upon this difference Of efficiency.
One expert, writing chiefly about the
engineering trade, declares that. from
careful calculations and comparisons,
he is Of the opinion that, taking the
producing capacity offs the ordinary
British workman at to 1A, the Ger
man workman is represented by TX
and the Yankee" by about ~. :. =,
Sir Hiram Maxim, interviewed on the
subject, indorses the general conclusion
It not the alleged ratio. He complains
of the restrictions upon the output Of
an individual workman rigidly enforced
by the trade unions. and gives an illus
trat1on from his own experience. A
certain gun attachment required a day
and a quarter in the making under the
union rules. He invented a machine
for this attachment, but the workmen
declined to increase the days output
Then German was employed and he
turned out thirteen pieces a day. Sir
Hiram's further comment is as follows:
When lived in the United States
found Englishmen as good as any 9TH
ers. When an Englishman had been
three weeks. in the United States he
could do as much as any yankee who
ever lived. 1t is not question of any
physical difference. i In the United
States every man tries to do as much
as he can. In England each tries to DIG
as little as he possibly can to make
his job last"
But whereas many employers blame
the unions without qualification for this
unproductiveness of British labor. Si1
Hiram admits capital is not free from
"a share of the responsibility. When
unusually efficient men produce more
than their fellows, the result too often
is reduction in the rate Of pay, and all
the skilled and conscientious man gets
is the privilege of working harder
while the ordinary man suffers still
more. The fact is that the British
methods and conceptions need over
hauling all along the line.
We here, in the United States, have
had occasion to complain Of the un-
reasonable rules of certain mismanaged
unions, and it is interesting to learn
that our condition is regarded as almost
ideal by our British competitors. Here
is the suggestion with which the Lon.
don Spectator winds up an earnest dis.
cussion of the subject of trade decline
ON account of union restrictions and
opposition to labor saving devices: 1--WE
belive, however, that IL a sdeputatior
of British trade-unionists Of the besl
type were to visit America and conduct
. S'stkof6euen iilve5tliis ksio u i,
conditions there, they would return
convinced that their duty to thei,
countrymen in the future would be bes1
discharged by encouraging the univer.
sal practice of the best and hardest
work compatible with wealth. during
the recognized working hourd'
We hope the experiment will be tried
but at the same time q deputation OF
British employers should visit the I'm
tied States and get hints from our most
enlightened industrial leaders as to the
best way of attracting the sympathy
and enlisting the fidelity Of wage-work-
ers.-Chicago Post.