New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-08-22
STATUS OF IRON WORKERS
EUROPEAN LABOR CONDITIONS IN THE
* TRADE CONTRASTED
WITH AMERICAN

Washington. Aug. p (SpeciaD.-Iabor conditions
in the iron and steel industries OF the United States
in contrast with those in the United Kingdom and
European countries generally, discussed at
great length by the commission appointed by the
British Iron Trade Association which recently Wis
tied the United States and thoroughly studied its
great iron and steel nufacturing establishments
This commission consisted of ]. S Jeans whose
name is already well known the people of the
United States an authority upon these subjects
Axel Sahlin an expert in blast furnace work; kb-
enezer Parkes, whose special study sheet and
bar mill practice, and Enoch James. who gave spe-
cial attention the steel industry. while Mr.
Jeans's special work to report upon the gen
eral economic and industrial conditions
The report of this commission, according to some
extracts which have reached the Treasury Bureau
OF Sta tistcs points that in the United States
the iron and steel industries face to face with
conditions that make both the dearest and cheap
labor present to be found in the world-the
dearest in point of nominal remuneration. and the
cheapest In industrial and economic results
THE workmen American mills says Mt.
James in his share of the report ARE generally
supposed to be working much harder than they do
in this country CEngand). but this is not my own
view. After much conversation with many men In
various branches who had been employed in similar
works in England, and some of them subject to my
that fbe american n woTkmen do not work SO hard
as the men in England They have TO be attentive
levers and similarly easy work. They are also
much more DESTROYS OF getting out Large ansnt a
regular in their attendance at the works, loss Of
time through drinking habits otherwise not being
tolerated,
the American workman generally aspires to me
higher grades of labor. leaving the purely manual
is" he says that around American blast furnaces
the American is found in very decided m hia.
gineer. locomotive driver stove tender. but he
ore or wheeling scrap, For these duties are EN-
poyed. in the South the negroes and at the North
Italians
Gently that the average wages Of men in his
pioyrnent at Homestead sc a day.
per annum as the earnings OF iron and steel work
I STEEL TsT n o a T 0n the question
Of cost of living Mr.. Jeans declares, the result
man. in most of the essentials of life. can live.
mutatis mutandis. as cheaply as he can In the old
The Importance of the human factor" says
is fully realized by ali the members of the com,
Paa the rs s hsr Of os the
for saving labor. and so forth But. as Mr. sah'in
WHICH win the he's battles but the men who stand
hind m What the os ndm IN ana
through his sagacity. nerve. enterprise and
above his work Everybody works and for the
sake Of work and thus has been produced in
TALLY more wonderful and more TO be feared than a
a she WORKERS have Created IT TO this them
that American labor is not more efficient. though it
featuring development is due TO the persistent.
Briton. but for which trades unionsm and athletics
have given an apparently growing distaste All
the reporters. however. struck with the siren
uousness of American life. The comparative absence
of a leisure class is noted OF the prominent
characteristics Of the principal cities and industrial
Of the United States In the avenues Of in
dustry a man without regular business. who Is
concerned in the development of some industry,
Is fish out Of water Nowhere. assured,
Is the struggling youth kindly encouraged.
more generously aided and readily trusted
than in America; and il is pleasant TO read Of
esprit du corps among works managers which one
would hardly expect find In a land OF such
fe erfsh competition"