Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-01-13
w. G. T. u. COLUMN.
WHY AMERICA LEADS.

try for publication in Europe by M. |
Rudolph Meyhoffer who came from |
Brussels as an international delegate |
to the Young Mems Christian Associ- |
ton Jubilee in Boston last June. He
stayed long enough to study Industrial
and educational conditions in our
leading states including the burning
question of American trade suprem-
acy. The conclusions of this article
presenting a glimpse of how "others
see us" can not fail to be of interest
to all American readers.
England and other European coun-
tries are anxiously asking for the
causes of the commercial supremacy
of the United States. A recent num-
Der of the English edition of the
Reuieao Of Revieaos says:
"Cassier's Magazine Gan English
periodically contains an interesting
series of short articles by some of the
most prominent engineers and bust
ness men of the United States upon
the question of American competi-
ton"
"Most of the writer's agree in say
ing that the American workman is the
chief agent in enabling American
manufacturers to take first place in
the world. Mr.. Walter MacFarland,
of Pittsburgh, gives one important
reason for this. He says:
est appears that the American
workmen are much better timekeepers
and far less given to dissipation than
those in Great Britain. One of the
best firms of British shipbuilders,
which has had no trouble with it's men
for years, recently stated that there
is loss of time amounting to nearly
20 per cent, due largely to drunken
ness. If anything approaching these
figures is true generally, there can be
no surprise that (English) firms open
to competition from we'll managed
American works should have hard
time."'
In inquiring az to the cause of this
greater sobriety of the American, the
| fact appears that twenty years ago
business interests in the United States
paid no attention to the effect of the
beverage use of alcohol or of tobacco
on working ability. About that time,
the now almost universal study Of
physiology which includes with other
laws of health those which relate to
the nature and effects of alcoholic
drinks and other narcotics, began to
be legal requirement for all pupils
in the public schools of this country.
During the past ten or fifteen years
the children have been carrying from
the schools to the homes of the
$4,000, 900 people of the United States
the story of the evil nature and bad
effects of alcoholic drinks and other
narcotics.
As a result of the diffusion of this
knowledge the railroads of the United
States now almost universally refuse
employment to men who drink
whether on or off duty.
Hon. Carroll D. Wright's Labor
Bureau Investigations show that more
than seventy-five per cent. of the
employers of skilled labor in the
United States require total abstinence
of their employees and fifty per cent.
of the employers of unskilled labor
demand the same. These require
ments, the cordial acquiescence in
them by the employed, and the COM
mercial supremacy which this knowl-
edge helped to secure to the United
States, have been promoted by the
truth taught by the school that alco-
holic drinks injure working ability.
The different reception given by
workmen to the employers demand
for abstinence where scientific tenn
perance is not taught in the public
schools is we'll illustrated by the fol
lowing incident.
The manager of the Borsig factor,
in Germany recently posted an orde
: forbidding the workmen to bring int,
the factory beer or other spirituou
liquors or to drink the same durin,
working hours. The workmen, mum
bering over thousand, held a meet
ing and objected to the order. Tn
next day they conspicuously carries
in their beer. During the excitemen
i caused by the order pamphlet ap
peared by an old factory official VIII
affirmed that the use of alcohol
3 drinks was detrimental to the laborer'
j own interest. He referred to tn
cleverness and sobriety of the Amer
lean workmen which makes them abb
to do very exact and precise work
: which he says is not possible in Ger
man industry because of the drinkin
habits of the laboring classes. Tn
American workman does not resen
the employers demand for abstinenc