The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-21

prestige, far more serious affair in Eng
land than in America. He is higher strung,
more exposed and more sensitive to mis-
fortunes of the humiliating kind The
laborer erins and bears with the accu-
nulated stoicism of ages. The employer
grows desperate and rather prefers imme-
diate relief even total disaster to a long
period of economy and self-denial.
The bonus system will be fought by the
workingman for fear the employer is try
ing to get more work for the same money.
1t will be advocated by the employer, for
he must get greater output per labor unit
employed or suffer from American and
German competition. The outcome of the
present condition will be that English trade
will go in increasing ratio to the two com
petitors mentioned. This crisis has been
brought about by the fact that English
employers are paying the minimum wage
for days work and the English employed
are occupying the plants for the time
specified. but giving the minimum amount
of productive labor for the corresponding
minimum wage.
A CASE IN POINT.
An excellent example of this is shown in
the shipyards. The steel plates used in
ship construction are put into place for the
riveters by a gang of eight or nine men.
Steam cranes were introduced to facilitate
the handling of this ma .5erial. The riveters
are paid much hundred rivets, and
they furnish the labor for handling the
plates. When the cranes were introduced,
however, fewer men were required and
greater speed was made. The employers,
however, are paying to-day just as much
per hundred rivets as before, and a single
riveter does no more work in a day. The
union refused to reduce the price of rivet-
ing, and the men do no more riveting IN a
day for fear OF furnishing an argument for
reduction in price. The employers thus
derived no benefit from their investment in
labor-saving machinery, not even through
increased output The result of this ex-
pertinent has been that in nearly all the
large shipyards plates are still moved by
hand. This is one of the reasons why il is
believed by many shipbuilders that if the
United States had free trade in steel plates
that country would soon have the best part
of the shpbuilding trade of the world.
The United States does not enjoy a mo-
nopoly of English concern. Germany is
looked upon as the great unknown factor
OF the future in foreign trade The growth
of Germany's foreign trade has been enor-
nous, especially in lines where scientific
skill was needed In manufacture. The
United States has the advantage of great
natural wealth and an enthusiastic and
energetic people. Germany is naturally
rather poor country, but she has at
tanned to commercial wealth and power
by the application of science and high
technical skill to trade matters. In time,
all commercial nations will be forced to
adopt the German system of mixing
science, brains and industry to produce
results.
England is ready enough to do this now,
but she is vexed with a labor problem so
complicated as TO battle the most expert
1t is an outgrowth of social distinction.
Its successful solution means the break
ing down of the barriers now existing be-
tween Englishmen of humble birth and
the opportunity for individualism. This
will come slowly, but to save himself, the
British employer will be forced in time
to share his profits with the people on his
pay roll in proportion as they contribute
to those profits. Maximum wages for max
imum effort must take the place of min
imum wages for minimum effort if En-
gland is TO retain her industrial Importance
among the great nations of the earth.
j. ID. WHELPLEY.