The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-01-26
TRUST ERA FOR BRITAIN.
LOUIS C11SSIER SAYS SHE MUST COIN
For Powerful AmaIgamatiOnsi If She is
 to Hold Her Own.

Magazine, has Just returned rom Nls- it to the United States, says the Lon don Express, full of news and views as to the industrial competition of the na- tlons. He is also it may be added, convert to the idea that trusts are ne- cessary to the future of English trade and commerce. He finds that Ameri- can masters may be short-sighted, just like Englishmen; that in some respects Germany is beating America, just as America is beating us; and that Amer ica is threatened with the same trade union troubles which have confronted employers here in England
 Take the last point first Hitherto the Americans have escaped the pro- blems of trade union methods, owing to the cosmopolitan character of the work men. Germans, Russians, Italians, Swedes, Poles, Hungarians and Eng fish worked side by side in one shop, and combination was difficult. That difficulty is being surmounted as the men tend to lose their originality and become Americans.
 Sooner or later" said MT. Cassier to an Express representative, the Ameri- can masters will have to meet and fight the unions. They are very slow in com- bining against the possibility. seri- ous blow will be struck by the men. Then the masters will begin to wake up, just as the masters woke up here.
 The conversation turned to the indus trial methods of the two countries. MT. Cassier thinks one of the reasons why the pace is hotter in America than in England is to be found in character. ''The American works too hard; the Englishman does not, perhaps, work hard enough. When an Englishman has made his bit he retires. The American devotes that bit to develop ing his business, and he dies in harness.
 "In America every man thinks he is as good as the next man, and he does not mind starting at the bottom and working himself up. He has no objec- tion to putting on overalls, doing the dirty work and learning his business thoroughly. Tn the English middle classes father carefully selects his sons vocation-often with more regard to a genteel calling than to the natural capacity of the lad.
 Tt is different in America. One of the Vanderbilts served his time in an engineering shop. The other day an American told me he had sent his son, 8 lad of sixteen, to the Union Iron works When he has finished his ap- prenticeship, at nineteen, he will be sent to college to complete his educa- kion. His father conceives-and l think he is right-that he will be better able to appreciate technical training if he has a practical groundwork under meath"
 MT. Cassier went on to speak of the modern American workshop, laid out so that the manager can overlook 1t at a glance, with every contrivance for sav- ing time and labor and all sorts of little conveniences for the men.
 "A typical case out of several who have followed this excellent example would probably be Messrs Williams and Robinson. Six or seven years ago they commenced to make small electric light engines at Thames Ditton. They began to standardize these engines, so that they could make ten or twenty parts at a time They bought American ma chinery and adopted what is called the American system. Their business in creased rapidly and they outgrew their quarters.
 Instead of pottering about exten- sions or removing to big crowded town, they looked about for place which would suit their purpose best, as to means of transit and everything else. They bought plot of land at Rugby, built works on the latest plan and laid down brand new machinery. The con- sequence is that they are doing good ly portion of the electric light business of Great Britain, presumably at con- siderable profit.
 '"The obvious thing is for other man. ufacturers to follow their example. But they don't.
 ''I pointed out to a manufacturer of steam engines in the Midlands that he scarcely made two engines alike, and asked him why he did not adopt the American system and make stock pat terms and sizes. 'Ah,' he said, that would do in America, where practically every engine is laid down in new en- zine house, designed for the purpose. But here, out of the last ten engines we have made, eight were to replace old ones, and had to be built for the exist ing conditions. If they would all re-
 
 to sell engines of the same standard size
 During my visit to the states went over Brown & Sharp's shop in Provi- dence, R. I. They were making little screw machine in one room, and the manager told me that by making hundred at a time they were able to do it so cheaply that they, sold them all over the world. What would you do,' I asked, if trade went down so that you could not make them in such quan- tities?' Stop making them, he re- piled There are a few shops of this sort in England, and doubtless others will soon follow.
 "But do not imagine that every American establishment is perfect, or every manager a genius
 q had an interesting conversation with a German manufacturer who has a branch in New York, l asked him how it was that with duties of nearly 50 per cent. to pay he could sell goods in competition with the Americans. It is because we are content with small CT profit he said. I received an order the other day for fifty thousand dollars worth oI material from steel Molh. The American makers would want 100 per cent pdofit. I was content with DO per cent, and so was able to pay the duties