Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
Copyright, {

- American workman out OF a jobf
II SO he had better look for an
- other at home. As far as I can
learn, the labor market Of Europe is over
stocked There are something like 1,0O0,-
900 idle workmen in England. The indus
trial centers have many out Of employ
ment and In London there are frequent
parades OF the poor. There is no room for
extra workmen In France, and Germany IL
still In hard times.
This country was on the boom for .hirty
years 1t began to grow when France paid
over her millions to Germany. Factories
and workshops then sprang up all over the
empire. The people fiocked from the farms
to the cities and the country changed from
an agricultural to a manufacturing one.
Trade was pushed In every direction The
owns grew and wages rose.
This state continued until about 1900,
when, owing to over speculation, the balloon
Of prosperity bursted; the gas that came
from II asphyxiated some of the banks and
they failed and factories all over the en-
pire began to shut down. Within nfteen
days 1900 men were discharged in Berlin
for lack Of work, and the industrial estab-
lshments all over Germany either dis
missed, cut down their force or shortened
the working hours. This condition of hard
times still exists. although things ire look
ing up In some branches. owing TO the
Increased demands from thu United States.
have spent a large part Of this week
In some OF the most notable factories Of
Germany. l have gone through electrical
establishments employing thousands OF
hands and have xamined among other
works those Of the Bosslgs, the biggest en-
CINE makers OF the continent, having the
place in Germany that the Baldwins hold
In the United States. The most Of these
factories are running with less thar their
usual number OF men and som which pre-
tend to be full are giving short time.
The Borsig factory is one OF the most
prosperous in Germany. II has a large
foreign trade and II is somewhat owing
to this that It keeps its men busy. II is
one Of the big engine works OF the world
although not as large as the Baldwins'
1t builds on the average about four loco
motives every week and It has already bull
more than 5000.
These works are situated at Tegel, Jus
outside Berlin. They cover thirty acrei
and employ about $500 men. The estab
lishment has also mines and works IN Uppel
silesia. which employ 5000 hands. so tina
altogether the force is q large one.
This factory was founded over sixty year
ago Dy a.. bCrSlB, anu II btlll belongs u
his sons. In the United States It would b.
run by a corporation or trust. but in Ger
man some of the biggest of such establish
ments, such as the Borsig and Krupps. ar
owned in one family. The two Borsig
who now manage the works are each undo
40. They are active business men, an
spend their time In the factory. KNOWN
personally all that goes on. Indeed, II
said that either OF them could make a
engine II he had to. / met the younge
member Of the firm, Mr.. Conrad BOrsiG
during my stay at the works and he fur
nished me an English guide to look owe
them.
We walked together through the thirty
odd acres OF buildings where the steaI
engines are made, now stopping to watc
the men In the foundries pouring red he
metal into the moulds. and now goin
through the rooms where the vast boiler
are rivited together. There was a nOis
like the thander OF many hammers whic
almost deafened me. Huge travelin
cranes. running overhead. lifted boiler
Weighing many tons as easily as a moth'
lifts her baby and machines bored throug
steel as though Il were cheese. Here the
were making screws. there lathes were GU
ting iron like pine. and here the parts
the locomotives we're and p'
together for shipment to all countries
the world.
After leaving the works ! went throue
the colonies which the B0rsigs have but
for their w~orkingmen. Such institution