The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-07-16

INDUSTRIAL. !. j EURO PE
AS SEEN: u , 3 ~ 4 NKEE
Continued from Page !.

XA0,Vvg.e wy.
But not all the goods coming from
this district are AL wool and yard
wide" In one mill visited were great
bales. Of shoddy and eotton, the same
factory turning out both the real and
the sham article.
| Some people insist on cheap CLOTH"
a manufacturer told me, "and we can
| make it cheaper by using cotton and
shoddy than by sticking to wool, though
Of course there is some good wool even
in cheap, shoddy cloth, it acting: as a
binder.p
7 left Bradford the day before the
visit there Of the prince and princess
| Of Wales, the latter having RECENTLY
expressed a wish to see mill in OPP
Grafton. IF the princess had also Wis.,
| tied some Of the homes Of those same
| weavers, she would have seen honest
poverty galore. Still everywhere in
| merry England" honest poverty is the
| rule Of the wage working classes.
But is It much. If any, different in the
| United States2
The FIourishins City Of Leeds.
Leeds. like most other English
manufacturing cities, has fine pubic
buildings, imposing monuments ana
-slum districts that discount in gen
eral shapb1ness and unsanitaryy' con-
ditions those Of London, Of which the
PUBLIC hears 80 much.
1ndtu.ssttrtally, Leeds seems a flourish
Ing city. Besides the manufacturing
81 cloth it is a considerable boot and
shoe center, q union Of 1000 members
helping to elect +: Buckle, the presi-
dent Of the association, a councillor.
Just hundred unions, with 1000
members, are. affiliated with the Leeds
Trades and Labor council. Among
these are the Jewish tailors, n1achin-
ists (Which are sewing machine OPP
erators) and pressers. I mention this
to show that the Hebrews, fleeing
from the continent into England, are
Il is altogether probable that as soon
as this race fully catches the progress
stye spirit. any n1eance 1t may at
present be to good wages las wages
go-will disappear. But the rate Of
Iffe-that Is, the maaner Of living
cannot be suddenly changed from a
low to a high plane: It will take
soma years to accomplish this. Yet a
start has been made, and in England
with the Jews, as it has been il the
United States with the Irish, Germans
and Poles, the race will become as
exacting in the matter Of wages as are
the British themselves. In my opin-
ion there is no Immigration peril fac
ing wage workers here.
Fine Labor Headquarters:
The union men Of Leeds at least
some Of thern-oWn a fine labor head
quarters: a couple Of years ago a
third Of the unions affiliated with the
trades council raised $4,000, borrowed
$4,000 more, bought q PIECE Of land
and erected a club headquarters with
il meeting and committee rooms. Il
Is snpported shX q tax=Qf about 40 cents
Eas ear.ons. eachssQf the 81 900 members
lnterea4ed and zzthe profits #ef 5the
bar Inn A conn here IL: 4
reg1etratipn lee ef >S1:26, and then, ep
complying. With the. regulations pre-.
scribed Tor clubs, the association is
ready for business: These are exact
Ing, but not unnecegsa rlly SO:
The last balance sheet shows the
bar Feceiptg TOR H. months were $4,000
net a very large snTIng for a: eluf
membership. Of 1000. Il was an aver
age per member Of Mas, or 10 cents
apiece per month. However, not all
the members are regular visitors. Il
they were, the raoms and bar accom-
m no would al !a dtiately be fonnd
totally Inadequate ina shall have some.
thing to say, later, about the drink.
ing habits Of the British Werkingmer
and women.
In Leeds is the headquarters Of the
Anaalgamated Union OF Clothiers' OPP
eratives, making ready-made gar:
ments in the main, but also working
on orders. The "pespoke'' tailors-
those engaged exclusively on garments
/ to order-are not as we'll organized as
they ONCE were, tine factory to- order
work in many instances erowdine
i them out.
Il left Leeds with the impression thai
:: trade was picking up, and that bott
employers and employees We're working
/ together harmotaiously. and effectively
81 The shoe trade Complains of American
: competition, but wherever + fine
shoes-boots they are called here-tht
English make was consireably- lower
|
SEEM, to my American eyes, to. have {
more elegant look.
sheffield's Hardware Table Cutlery.
>" Shehteld's trade has been in bal
, way the past year. Some As unions
| paid out to unemployed members
nearly $4,000. -.
1.-THE work Of QUIZ mechanics em'
ployed In the iron. and steel trade
said Councillor VIM. b. Wardley, j. p.
may roughly be divided into twt
classes; those who handle heavy ant
those employed on light work. In thu
first class put the armor plate: me1
and everything where 1t is necessar,
to have machinery. to handle thu
; pieces: In,~ the: other class are thu
cutlery warkers, many Of whom still
follow old fashioned nnethods OF tenn
pering and shaptng and, because the,
do so, produce superior: articles tina