Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-07-04
A WORKMEN ON INDUSTRY
The American Mechanic Receives Higher
Wages Than His English
Cousin.

The Mosely industrial commission to
the United States. of which we have late.
~ heard SO much, was organized by the
gentleman after whom it is named, who
offered to pay the expenses of certain
number of secretaries of British trades
unions for visit to this country. IN order
that they might examine and report upon
American industries. Not only did Mr..
MOsely provide the necessary funds, but
| he accompanied the delegation himself;
and the report of the findings of the vnri-
Gus delegates is prefaced with one by
himself, which is perhaps the most yalu-
able. because of his broader point of view
and his more philosophical treatment OF
The subject. There are in all twenty-five
separate reports by the trades union dele
gates. representing as many different
British Industries. TO insure that the
field should he fully covered. list Of
ttrty-one questions was proposed, which
each delegate was requested 10 answer rs
far as he could. These questions related
- the early training of the workmen in
America; their general social condition:
and the relations between employe and
employer. The organizer Of the commits
SION reaches the conclusion that THE
ttGe-bnm American is better educated.
better housed. better fed. better clothed.
and more energetic than his British
brother, and infinitely more sober. As
natural consequence. he is more capable
OF using his brains as well as his hands"
The commission as a whole agreed
with Mr. Mosely. The reports are prac.
tically unanimous on the question Of So
briefly. although one of the delegates con
siders that while the American work.
man is sober during working hours. yet
he is as much inclined to a spree rs the
ordinary Brltisher.' On the question Of
gambling Il is considered that the
American worklngman. rs such, knows
practically nothing about il, and in This
connection we are surprised 10 learn that
The wagering habit is increasing rapidly
in the present day among British work
men. Mr. Mosely draws attention to the
fact that many of the leading positions
~ industry in America are held by men
who are either English or Scotch The
delegates agree with him in the state
Inent that one Of the chief rea sons why
The American workman has an adyan-
tdge over his British brother is that
ne has received a more thorough aud gen
orally better education. There can be- no
question that one of the chief induce
m"nts 10 Self-impr0yement in American
education Is the rca snnable hope Of adj
vauccment that social conditions hold ont
70 young men Of all classes in America,
y their abilities tit them 10 fill higher
positions The delegates frequently al
lude 10 the great appearance Of equality
or absence OF restraint in the intercourse
between masters and men. "Rut this"
II is asserted. els an effect and not as
seems 10 have been Imagined. a cause.
The American employer has more sense
Of the value 10 himself IF what may be
cOmprchrus vely described ~ talent
among the who DO the work If the
establishment t than his British confrore."
In tins connection an instance is quoted
of a young British mechanic. whose am
bitjpn prompted him 10 come 10 Amer
ica. and who was rapidly promoted until
he became manager Of one Of the largest
works IN the United States. which. under
his vigorous direction. forms one Of the
most successful in the country. II is
urged that little encouragement Of the
same sort would doubtless have kept the
workman ut home. with a benefit 10
English industry which it is difficult 70
estimate.
There is no doubt Whatever that just
here ]. 10 be- found at one" one of the
gra1tc-t secrets ~ our Industrial success
in tIp I uItrd States. and Of the ,,nmpar-
3trr ~ta2natiGn IN many British indu~.
fFlr-. IN Great Britain workman or
-ubgr ilnatp who presents a new device or
thr"rr "a u superior viii more likely than
rot be- coldly received for his trouble
! Here % premium is placed upon ingenuity
and useful suggestions Another most ia
tnl Aiudrancc ~ successful competition on
the part Of Great Britain with her con
tincn'ni and American rivals l. the fact.
a. pointed out hy Mr.. Mesc!y that 1T
I ho> been the rule for generations past
that ~ soon AZ man earns beyond q
certain amount Of wages the price for
his work is cut down, and he. finding that
working harder or running his machine
quicker NATURALLY greater strain brings