The times., 1901-03-12
AMERICAN LABOR UNIONS.
4 French View of the Conditions in
This Country.


PARIS. March Ill EcOle des Hautes
Etudes SociaIes is an institution IN Paris
composed of three schools devoted re-
spectively To the study of morals, jour
nalism. and socialism The questions
bearing on these subjects are of as prac-
tical and investigstive a nature as possi-
BILE. and several Of the lecturers are pro-
fessors OF the Sorbonne
y short time ago NJ. 2. de Rousiers
who has spent some time in the United
States In studying the different work
mems associations. delivered a lecture on
The Syndical Organization Of the Ameri-
can Workmen" to the students OF the
School of Socialism. In the course Of il
he said that machinery was not intro
dUced into the United States as early as
in England, but there was an advantage
for the former in this as she had thus
the choice OF the more modern mechani-
cal appliances. of which she was not slow
to avail herself Once that machinery had
begun to be used in the United States.
It's employment became almost universal.
ana at the present moment no country
IN the world could compare with it in
lis mechanical development and inven-
tons
lie spoke of the wages of the American
workmen, which. he said were n1ch
larger than those of any European coun-
try-doubling those OF England for in
stance and declared that it was not his
opinion. as it was that OF many persons
that this higher valuation OF labor re-
suited from protective tary He re-
ferred to American metallurgists who he
said. at this moment were the redoubta-
bic rivals of those of England. Germany.
and France. and who bid fair TO outstrip
them. These enjoyed no benefit from the
protective law, and yet there was no
diminution in their wages as compared
with other associations of workmeu. NJ
de Rousiers himself believed that the
higher wages of the United States were
caused partly, at least, by the independ-
ence to be found in that country. He
spoke of the freedom from restraint that
citizen of the United States. and even
a foreigner wishing to become one. en-
J0yed IN stalking a claim in the West and
the protection he had from the Govern
ment once he had become a landowner
IN this simple fashion. Another reason
for higher wages he found in the general
employment of machinery. Naturally
where 1t was used the force of workfnen
was always reduced. and hence double
the ordinary price of labor could be Gaid
one did not see in America hand made
things as in Europe. and it would be very
OF shoes made to measure.
That which differentiated American
Workmens organizations from those of
Europe. he said, was their Capitalization
There were no isolated groups as on the
Continent, or in England, and it was very
easy for workman to pass from on,.
great mandatory to another thus ~
waiting, as II were, all rivalry He spoke
of the Knights of Labor as the first or
6anizatiOn which worked FOR the union OF
all LABOR organic -IO.ts into one great
whole. The latter had now been SUP
planted by the American Federation Of
Labor whose chief purpose was to or
ganiZe the disorganized
In spite of the advantages Of this sys-
tenn of Capitalization among the different
worhmen's syndiClLes. there were certain
difficulties to be SurmOuntcd NJ de
RcuSerS found. One of these was the off
ferent nationalities represented which. Of
course. did not facilitate always an ANAL
SaInatiOn Of forces. Another was, that { n
American workman might quit at any
time the rank of wage-ia bOrers. to be-
come an owner Of small property in the
West by means of his accumulated saw
ings This of course, seldom. IL tvc cr, &C
CURED in Europe-Once Il workman al
ways workman Then there was. go.
that dead weight of immigrants aTrivi ing
by every vessel in America, who came 20
offer themselves WOrlImen, and were
almost incapable Of acting as 81 ch