The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-29

I better workouts or the Germans. He re
| piled that he could not say-a practical con
| cession that ours were the best During my
stay in the factory the men left for lunch
| noticed that each recorded his time with
| Rochester time recorder.
In other rooms German improvements
. have been added to some of our machine:
| and in some / found foremen who could
speak English and who had been to Amer
lea.
TEA AT ONE CENT A PINT.
1 cannot describe the cleanness Of this
factory 1t is like Dutch kitchen. There
is no dirt anywhere. the dust being carried
away through pneumatic tubes by drafts
Even the foundries and tool-grindine
rooms are free from dirt. and In many re-
spects the arrangements are better tnan IN
! our American factories.
Tbe company has shower baths for its
workmen. 1t has surgeon to treat them
| for accidents. and it supplies Its men az
noon with tea in bottles at 1 cent q pint
| This, is to keep them from drinking peer
| for the managers think that they do better
work without beer for lunch.
I was told that the tea had become very
nonular. and that 100 out of the 1000 EN-
pioyes now take tea instead OF beer VIII
! their midday meal
The tea is prepared in a tiled kitchen. De-
| ing brewed in great kettle heated oy
steam. The men were bottling the tea when
l entered the kltCnen. cdCu poe'A0 DNs"e
corked like beer bottle.
| A TALK WITH AN
! AMERICAN EXPERT.
| I was shown through the factory by one
| of its American experts, Mr.. j. s. Paaske'
| who had been brought over to help the
| Germans capture the American trade. This
| man is a Norwegian, who got his technical
| education and training In the United States
| and who is now travelling for this company
selling its machine tools. He knows the
United States and Europe we'll. and is &C
| quainted with almost every factory in Ger
many. Said he:
! 1.-THE Germans are now making better
| machine tools than the Americans. Our
| tools are stronger and more beautifully
| finished and better suited to the German
| market. Wages are lower and 1t costs US
| less to make them. II the United States
| would enact a reciprocity treaty with Ger
| many by which the two countries should
! charge equal duties. we would flood the
United States with our products. AS it is
We already have the most Of the trade OF
| Germany"
AMERICAN EXPERTS OPINION
ABOUT GERMAN LABOR.
How about your workmen," said I
"Can they do as much as our menu"
Eyes, we find they cam" was the reply
''They will work as well as the Americans
provided they are as well paid and handled
| after American methods.
"Our best mechanics receive wages equa
to what they could get in the United States
and the ordinary workman has about five
eighths as much. Living is cheaper here
| than In America and the men can afford tc
work for less. The regular day is ten hours
do you have any trouble with strikes?'
NO" was the reply. Our men are well
satisfied. The times are hard here and some
of the factories are employing their men
for only part of day. There are many Out
of work and 1 do not see signs of better
| times"
what do you think Of the future Of
American trade in Europe?" 1 asked.
Everything seems to be going your way
| was the reply. You have the natural re-
! sources. the men and the money; while Ger
many is poor in all. Our best men mus
spend the cream of their working lives II
the army.
I'VE have but little capital, and we have
to go down thousands of feet for our Goa
and iron and also have to bring our WOO
and cotton thousands Of miles. Germany 4.
very poor. although many think she Is rich
| France has far more capital than we have
1--WE do very well considering our disad-
vantages, but our disadvantages are such
that we cannot pretend to ba in the rae,
with you"