The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-12
CONDITIONS OF
THE STEEL TRADE
They Arc Being Investigated by
Enoch James of England Who
Is Now in the City.

EnoCh James, of Wednesday,, u
town near Birmingham. England, was
in the city yesterday visiting his uncle,
Seth Grfiiths. of Spring street, North
Scranton. Mr.. James who was ac-
compancd by his wife, leaves here this
morning. He has been in the country
since July !. being here as a member
of a commission appointed by the Brit
ish Iron Trades association to visit the
United States and study conditions and
Circums tanCes of the American steel
manufacturing industry and compare
1t with the industry of merry Eng
land.
He is the only member of the COM
mission at present in the country and
came on much in the nature of an ad-
vance guard. it being his purpose to
Study the American methods ait n
period when they are given the sever
est test, when the oppressive heat
makes work additionally cumbersome
and the ingenuity of those in charge
is taxed to the utmost to obtain the
desired results.
Mr.. James has been in charge of sew
eral of the biggest steel concerns in
Great Britain, as general superin-
tendent and is recognized throughout
the United Kingdom as an authority
on matters connected with the indus
try, as is made evident by his selection
as one of the eight men chosen by an
association having the international
reputation of the British Iron Trades
association, to make an investigation
which will materially affect the entire
industry in Great Britain.
Tho other MON bprS will proba hIy "a
rive here October /, and will spend Two
months in this country Two of
those in the commission are the secrc-
tary, }. 5. Deans, and the president,
Ehene2er Parkc, members of parlia-
nent from one of the divisions of
birmingham. Mr.. James declares that
the steel manufacturers of this coun-
try owe their success to the indom-
table energy they have displayed in
rerfecting details, and taking advan-
tages of the greater mechanical oppor-
tunities open to them than their Eng
lish competitors.
The objects of the commission, said
he to a Tribune man last night, ARE
a study of the relations in this country
between employers and employees,
modes of manufactures, costs of trans
Since | have been here | have visited
the Southwork and Pcnroyd steel
works at Philadelphia, the South Beth
iehem works. Johnstown, Youngs-
town and Cleveland. spent three
days at Chicago and two weeks in
Pittsburg.
ION the whole, ! have contracted "A
very favorable opinion of the steel
manufacturing industry in this coun-
try. American methods are remark
ably free from any startling original
ity. You people have simply devel-
opend our own ideas, and expended
large sums of money in the develop
nont of new ideas. some of whic,.
have proved very successful. While
others have not done so.
The American methods have proved
n great benefit to civilization in pro-
ducing cheap and at the same time
good material. We were prone To
think that the finish and quality of the
material must he necessarily Chcap,
but from what ! have seen in this
country | have changed my opinion
utterly. There's no doubt. moreover.
that there's more push, more drive in
this country, on account of the grea ter
mechanical advantages. do not
think that the men work nearly so
hard here as in Great Britain, or that
the management is a bit more skillful,
but the meC haniCal contrivanCes used
and particularly the practices to which
electricity has been turned. allow of "A
greater output with less effort
The men in this country are far
better paid than those in the kingdom.
This, too, in spite of the fact that the
lower grades of wOrkmen in English
plants are not drawn from a foreign