The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-22
aREAT E-LrAIN-s rNADN.

attention was called i'm last saturday s
star the attitude of workmen generally
and particularly of trades-unionists, in
regard to labor-saving machinery has
been warmly discussed through the
newspapers ever since the great strike
of the engineers a couple of years ago
The charge is made that there is a gem
eral disposition on the part of British
workingmen to obstruct as much as
possible the use of labor-saving
m -chinery, and to limit it's output
whenever the employers add machinery
to their plant; and also that in certain
trades the rule is Zone man. one ma
chine" whereas i'm America one man
will attend to two or three machines.
1t is furthermore charged that there is
an increasing disposition on the part Of
British workingmen to shrk work, and
to use all expedients to perform as little
labor as possible during the hours for
which they are paid. These charges are
made with great particularly against
trades unionists.
There is, says Consul Boyle in his re-
port, growing tendency throughout
the country to shorten the hours of
labor while at the same time there is
an upward movement i'm wages. AS a
rule, trades-unionists deny the charge
of obstructing the use Of labOr-saving
machinery and limiting the output; and
they retort that employers are lacking
in enterprise in not fitting up their
factories with up-to-date plants. 1t is
undoubtedly true, however, that, speak
ing generally and quite apart from the
question of trades-unionism English
manufacturers find it almost impOs-
sible to get the same amount of pro-
duct from machines as is obtained in
America.
There are two reasons that account
for this, independent of any agreements
express or implied, on the part OF
trades unionists to limit the output
The first reason is that as a rule the
British workman is not as adaptable as
the American workingman-he does not
so readily get command of new appli-
ances as the American workman; and
the second is that it is not the custom
of the country for an Englishman, whe-
Their mechanic, clerk, or laborer, to
work as hard as an American This is
something that will probably be in
dignantly denied, but it is nevertheless
a fact vouched for by English labor
leaders themselves.
English trades unionists who have
recently visited the United States as
delegates to labor conventions, or in
representative capacity to make OBJ
sCrvations, as rule report that AM
erican mechanics and factory hands
work too hard. An American marager z.
of match factory established in Great /
Britain with American machinery re-
Gently stated that 400 people in a fac
tory in America turned out more
matches than zoo people in Great Brit |
ain, with identically the same machin- !
ery-and incidentally it may be re-
marked that practically all the ma
chinery used in the English match fac
tories is American, and has been so |
for many years,
In some respects, the English work |
man is more independent than the |
American workman-that is, he will |
not endeavor to make himself so
handy" and Will often refuse to do !
anything outside a certain line rigidly |
laid down by the custom Of his craft
generally, and by his trade union in |
particular. American manufacturers |
who have established factories in Great
Britain find that although the English
is thorough in what he does,
he is not only slow in comparison with |
an American workman, but will some
times strike on the slightest provoca-
it is observed that with
in the last two years, the leading
spirits among trades-u nionists have
taken somewhat pronounced position
against strikes, except as a last ex-
treme resort. In this connection, it is
worth noting that, as a rule, strikes in /
England are more stubborn than in
America, although it is the exception i
for violence to be used here.
Although there is a greater division
Of labor in America, yet often-times
twice as many men are required in
to do a certain job as would
be required in America, as each man
is very jealous lest a workman in an
other allied trade should do the small
est piece of work which the rules of
his trade say should be done by him,
and him alone. For instance, cites
Consul Boyle when the town han of
Liverpool was recently being remodel
ed in the interior, there was a strike
for several months, owing to the fact
that some cabinetmakers did some
work which the joiners claimed should
be done by themselves alone. Again, a
strike was averted by arbitration at
Lairds shipbuilding yard, on the Mer-
sey, opposite Liverpool, the dispute be-
ing as to whether the engineers or the
should place an electric
dynamo in position. And there was a
with threats of a strike
at a port just north of Liverpool, be-