The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-27
What the Commission of the British
Iron Trade Association Dis
covered Here.
Industrial Processes Have Been
Greatly Cheapened by Ma
chinery and Otherwise.
The Human Factor and the Personal
Equation Count for More in
America Than in Europe.

Prom, TIN, Journal Bureau, Room 90, Post
Buuain0, Washington.
Washington, Sept. 27.-Labor cond1tlons
in the United States are the subject OF
chapter in the recently published report OF
the commission from the British Iron
Trade association which visited the
United States a few months since and re-
ported upon industrial conditions, and es-
pecially those relating to iron and steel.
Discussing this important question of the
condition of labor In the Nnited States
viewed from the standpoint Of the English
citizen and manufacturer, the report says:
1.-THE condition Of labor in the United
States is another matter that has received
a good deal Of attention, as being funda-
mental in the progress Of American In
dustries If not also in the rela-
tive progress of our own The in
fluence Of trade unionism Is not nearly so
strong nor so aggressive In the United
States as in Great Britain. The reason
is largely capable Of mathematical demon
stration recent report by the New
York department of labor shows that
while in Great Britain at recent date
there were 1,905, 900 trade unionists, there
were only 100000 in the United Staes
md Canada for about twice the popu!a-
ton, while Germany Is credited with $685.
900, or about one half the British figure.
The trade union is not generally recog-
nized as a militant force in the United
Staes, except now and again Few employ
ers are ready to acknowledge that 1T has
any influence worth naming.
THE almost absolute freedom Of labor
has been the chief instrument whereby
1T has won such cOnquests in the field Of
Industrial economy during the last quarter
of a century. In all countries Industrial
processes have been greatly cheapened
during that period, but in America the
cheapening appears to have been car
r1ed farther than anywhere else. Accord
N to ftr,,r L. =
William Garrett, a rail roller in an up to-
date rail mill is paid less than one cent
per ton for rolling, against IS cents at a
not very remote date. Within that time,
again. a wire rod roller has seen his earn
1ngs per ton reduced from $212 to 10 cents
per ton, and yet he earns larger wages at
the lower figure. while 5 cents is paid
to-day for heating bilets to make rods,
against 80 cents during the period referred
to. If rod rollers says Mr.. Garrett,
were to receive the same wages per ton
that they did twenty years ago, they
would earn $424 per day
The average output per worker has in
all cases increased enormously. At the
nine Edgar-Thomson blast furnaces, was
told that 1900 men are employed for an
output Of 24500 tons per week. including
all the hands employed in handling and
stocking raw materials, TRANSPORT, etc.
This gives an average Of 1853 tons of pig
per man per week, or 1855 tons per man
per annum. The minimum wage paid at
the blast furnaces Is $3.50 per day. Of
twelve hours. I did not get the average
wage paid at these works, but A, C.
Dinkey, the manager of the Homestead
works, recently testified that the average
earnings OF the workmen there excluding
OFFICIALS. is $273 per day, while the earn
ings of rollers and heaters rise to SIS 1e1
day. Wages, in short, are generally sc
good and the men have their future sc
much in their own, hands, that they have
every encouragement to do the best they
can both for their employers and fo1
themselves.
The human factor and the persona
equation appear to count in the United
states for more than they generally do ir
EUROPE. Workmen appear to enjoy a
larger measure Of independence, based or
the knowledge of the fact that work is
more easy to obtain than in older coun-
tries; That they are able, as a rule. tf
save money, and are. therefore, less de.
pendent than when living, as Is not IN.
usual In Europe, from hand to month
and that they are living under a politica
regime which is founded on democrat tt
principles.
The features of the relations of eno.
,ployers and employed may be named a.
exercising a powerful influence on the
am1ty OF their connection-the first tht
encouragement and reward Of wor,,roen,.
Inventions, and the second, the readinea,
with which workmen Of exceptiona1 "a
1ty can themselves become ennlovers on,
capitalists" e'i''
w. W, Jermane