The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-29

PzUzZNG ZHE cZzcHLT more, and this advantage in the matter of price Is one of the things which is going to hold the Yankee locomotive builder to drive his English cousin out of the foreign markets, where he long reigned supreme, for 1t is coming to be generally admitted that there is more than a grain of truth in the contention of the American builders that the add ed cost of British locomotives repre- sents what is virtually wasted time and money. since 1t adds nothing to either the endurance or efficiency of an en- zine.
 In the international competition in locomotive building the Americans hnvs the advantage of being able to purchase material in many instances much cheap CT than it can be obtained abroad; but. on the other hand. labor costs fully 50 per cent more. Then. too. the American locomotive is much heavier than the English; but the Yankee buiid- CTS claim that with this increase in weight they gain in speed. traction power and endurance. Although the British locomotive builders are not yet
 
 contest, the best possible evidence of Yankee victory is found in the fact | that the American locomotive has been adopted as the standard of construct ton in practically every country in the world, and our builders. fin addition to supplying a phenomenal domestic de- mand. have found opportunity to sell abroad more than s4O.0O0.0Oo worth of l Arr11 having f1IAd orders from 20 different countries in one year.
 | From contemplating American sue periority in locomotive-making, it is worth while to turn and view with | equal pride the unique features of the largest institution in the world for the manufacture of locomotives, the famous Baldwin Works, of Philadelphia. Here ia A concern In which the number of men employed exceeds that of any other l private organization in the world de- | voted to a single industry. yet. despite l the tendencies of this age of concentra- 1 ton, it is not corporation but good | old-fashioned co2artnership, conducted l on the simplest lines. It has no bonds to float and no watered stock to sell
 There is no dabbling in side lines."
 
 ia devoted to building locomotives and locomotives only. and this Is done so well that the institution Is never able to l meet the full demands for its products. The plan on which this giant industry fig operated should inspire any ambitious American boy. The Baldwin Works is conducted by seven partners. every one of whom began at the bottom and
 II In Not of these men ever put cent into the firm, but for their hard work they have taken out millions of dollars in profits. Moreover, this plan Is to continue. The .superintendents and foremen of the present day are men who some years back started in the lowest positions. and the coming owners of this great prop erty are now lads in overalls and jump CTS, doing the most disagreeable class of work, without regard to dirt or grease. or, mayhap, young men boring over drafting boards and office desks, without too close @ watch on the clock for the approach of quitting time.
 It is not too much to say that if any concern in America has hit upon the ideal solution of the labor problem It is the great Baldwin Works, The men work long HOuIS-6OAAo oA sANAA ~>-o l2 hours a day for five days in Inc week-but there have never been any labor troubles in tre entire half century of the firms history. The lS.OOo em- ployes are paid more than $l.oOo,oOo in wages each month. and the unknown workman does not have to go to the trou- ble of getting a check cashed. Each man on the payroll draws his pay in gold ana silver coin.
 Apprentices are taken into the bald- win Works under three different classin- F cations. The first class Is made up of bovs of II. who agree to work four years. receiving cents per hour the nrst year and gradually increasing to Il cents per hour the fourth year. with bonus Of slI at the close of the term. Second class apprentices are high-school gradu- ates. who serve three years. advancing fin wages from to u cents per hour and thinning q sl00 bonus at the end. The third class is made up of young men over H. college or technical school graduates. who receive higher wages tban either of the other classes of ap- nrentices and often quickly get positionh , as foremen.
 WALDoN FAWCETT. 1
 pr. Carl Schmidt. of Heidelberg, Ger