The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-21

Since writing my letter of ten days
ago in Venice 1 have made brief
visits. in passing, to Milan, where L
saw the great cathedral; to ChamolX,
hence / viewed Mont Blanc; to Mon
treux. there seeing the Paradise OF
Lake Geneva and the surrounding
Alps: and stopped over for a day each
In Berne. Basic and Cologne, at the
latter place concluding a trip down
the rhine from Mayence. In Paris
again after a six weeks absence on
my flying tour over a large part or
Continental Europe. I find myself in
possession of printed and other data
which to read and digest fully WOuid
equire at least six months. But these
etters are not intended to record my
conclusions On thorough observation
md reflection, but rather my impress
sions OF the as to the facts
of social conditions and the tendencies
of the European labor movement.
In Berne. as had been the case in
the other cities visited. I was taken
in hand by trade union representa-
ttves, who showed me about the city
and explained the labor situation in
their country. The national unions
Of Switzerland have a building OF
their own in Berne. a fine fve-story
stone house in a good neighborhood,
in which there are the usual meeting
rooms and the Offices of the national
SrCIeIdI1SS. AS / nave Cduy IAC1l-
toned. these central trade union
buildings in European cities have the
appearance, and the employees in the
suites OF offices a good deal or the
air, that we in America associate with
the headquarters of big corporations.
The labor situation Of Switzerland
has peculiar features. A consider
able part of the country'S Industrial
operations is carried On in the rural
districts. the employees working on
their own little strips Of land during
the short farming season Of the sum-
mer and In the factories or other in
dustrial establishments the rest Of
the year. The product of their agri-
cultural labors is not sufficient to
maintain them, and their earnings as
employees are not enough to induce
them to part with their little land
and become once and for all q part Of
the industrial army. Their usual
hope. I was told. is to save what will
buy them a little more land. But
that disappointment in regard to this
is common is seen in the fact that the
movement from country to city is
steady in switzerland. much as it is
in other countries. The Swiss Secre-
tary of Labor in a recent publication
shows that from 1850 to 1900 the
combined population Of forty country
districts has fallen off from 416.965
to 431,417. a decrease OF more than
4 5000. In 1850 these districts con-
tanned - per CEN OF the Swiss peo-
pie; in 1908, only Is per cent. On the
other hand, in the same period the
nineteen Swiss cities having more
than 10000 inhabitants have increased
from a combined population Of 152,-
819 to 742,205. However, to the
American. accustomed to seeing the
methods Of agriculture on a large
scale at home, it is rather surpris-
ing that the Swiss neaSantS do not
emigrate in large Toe to a coun-
try where their habits of thrift and
industry and knowledge of cultivat-
ing the soil would yield them better
results. Their own mountain land is
under snow most of the year; its steep
hillsides and Alpine heights do not
permit the use of field machinery.
Consequently the work has to be car
ried on by primitive methods. AS
I came along through green valleys
the hay crop was being harvested by
all the member of the household
usually. with scythe or sfckl and hand
rake.
While well established unions have
existed for decades in a score of
trades in switzerland. the general fed
Grafton on a purely economic basis
has been but recently founded. The
mingled political and trade union
movement which so long Influenced
the masses brought about extremely
unsatisfactory results. In French
Switzerland, continual dissension drove
out Of the unions many Of their ad-
herents, while others Joined the So
called Christian unions, and still 9TH
ers took up with the Anarchist union
lists. whose chief tenets are the gen.
raj strike, "direct action" and anti
militarism. In fact. at present it
seems that the Anarchists have the
lead in the French-speaking Swiss la
Dor organizations. Against them much
OF the writing in the Socialist and
federated union press is directed.
The short standing of the present
national Swiss labor movement. which
is on the plan of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor is Indicated in tho