The sun., 1903-03-22


America and the West India Islands, a
transit port for Mexico and the Pacific
Coast, and one of the great ocean gate
ways for international trade. Moreover.
IL dominates the Gulf Of Mexico, which In
itself is a commercial world. Cuba, Jamai-
ca, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico and the
coast OF Central America have possibilities
which can only be appreciated by close
observers like the merchants Of New Orleans.
Cuba alone might by this time have fur
nished employment for a dozen regular
lines Of steamers II the proposed reciproc-
ity treaty with the islands had been made
and ratified last year. When that fiscal
blunder is corrected, New Orleans will
begin to enter into the full usufruct Of it's
legacy from Spain. A still more tremendous
impetus will be given TO the growth Of
New Orleans when the Isthmus Of Panama
shall have been cut by an interoceanic
canal.
In chapter on the American workman,
the opinion is expressed that the kernel OF
the labor question as between Europe
and the United States Is this: In America
1t is assumed that every laborer, however
low down in the scale, has brain as we'll
as muscle. He is encouraged to use his
brain and to save his muscle for his old
age. Both for brain work and muscle
work, he is better paid than are corre-
spending laborers in Europe. But, and
here lies the secret of the matter, the Amer
cans contrive to get out OF unskilled labor
ers vast amount OF work which only
skilled laborers can do, or are allowed to
do, elsewhere. Nothing in American in
dustry struck Mr. Lawson so forcibly
a. the upward march OF labor. He OBJ
served that on this side Of the Atlantic
there Is always going on continuous pro-
gression from the lower to the higher
ranks.
Wave after wave Of immigrants pours into
the country, begins at the bottom, and
rises stage by stage. The movement does
not involve individuals alone. but takes
in races and nationalities. The latter
generally evince a gregarious tendency
which draws the mass Of them into one
field Of employment. BY and by they
quit that and move into another field,
while different nationality will crowd
into the field they have left. The anthra-
cite coal fields OF Pennsylvania, for instance.
were opened up originally by Cornish,
Welsh and German miners. In the course
OF time, as other coal fields we're discovered
further west. these people were attracted
thither by higher pay and more comfortable
conditions. Many OF them kept on going
west from old mining districts to new ones,
until they reached the Pacific Slope. In
the anthracite mines Of Pennsylvania, the
exodus of the Cornishmen and Welshmen
was made good by successive importations
Of foreigners. Hrst a good many Irish
men were secured; then the mine owners
sent out recruiting agents all over Con-
tinental Europe, who returned with ship
loads OF Scandinavians, Hungarians, Rus
slams, Italians and even Greeks. Among
these a natural wedding process went on.
and the best Of them, as they learned their
work, went westward to the better paying
mines. For every man who loft, however.
two or three others were imported. Every
fresh draft from Europe was rougher and
rather less civilized than it's predecessor.
From this chaos Of raw msterial American
draws its labor. By a process Of
education in which machinery plays an
important part. the ignorant Scandinavian
DR. Hungarian is transformed into a more or
less skilled laborer As he becomes Ameri-
canized. he grows brighter. begins to use
falls in love with the labor-saving machine
On the railroads a similar labor movement
Is always going on. While the actual oper-
alton Of the road Ia in American hands,
foreign labor Is always needed. especially
in summer. for the maintenance OF the
track. As soon as the frost is out Of the
ground. armies Of laborers are turned on
10 make repairs. Almost every year
Tresh experiment has to be tried as regards
he nationality Of the workmen As long
as Italians could be got for 81 or 81 rs per
lay, they were preferred. Years have
passed, however since they would accept
hat wage The best alternative would
nave been Cinnamon. but they are barred
by an act Of Congress. As the next best
course Japanese were tried but they would
often lose their heads when they saw a
monster locomotive bearing down on them.
Now the Western roads are experimenting
with Arabs and Armenians.
Although the paramount distinction Of
American labor is love Of machinery, there
are other distinctions which are noticed
In the book before us. Ii il pointed out.
Tor instance. that the motto OF the British
Irade unionists, make the work 60 round.
and make ss many men as possible have
a share OF it, has no parallel in the United
States. II has counterpart with pre-
risely the opposite efect--get the work
A. far as possible To do Itself Economy
u muscular effort IL the keynote ofAmerican
industry In all its branches. AgaiI, the
Term skilled labor has In the United States :
4 meaning different from that which II has
In Europe In the United Kingdom. for
a skilled laborer is q man who has
served a long apprenticeship Ave. Fix or
seven years. a. the case may be--,o q recog-
nized trade. In addition. he may have had !
Ia pass various examinations. and acquire !
,er,Ain certificates. u. may also have Ia
De In full nernlership ~ some trade so-
.,-,y AL ilI.-s qualifications give him a !
statue, vhich may be more ~ lssss deserved. |
We, which may os-r no guarantee. Ia his 7
-mploy.is al hons~, wors
A long apprenticeship 10 nO, sn allunns
pfosp.ct a, any iiins, and When, ihst',sd of .
,~ins made .as,. Il is hsdssd round With
sl,rl r,iations and disaOufas"in.6,s, u b.-
ns.,lss q hafnsf NJ Iasson adnIlts that
"a tllsisRd. dlsnolnt.nshn.d by iTad.s
ihlons, aud luksssfnly suIg,s,ftsd ~ ein-
,loy.Is, aplii.niia.-lap 10 i..ooinlns n,or.
% be-. ~ fsf@ Hs n.ossnl1s- thai No .
80 80 a,Ilts An,sillsf lasa ~ skillsai Lal,uf