The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-05-14

1910.
Especial Correspondence by w. E.
McEWen.)
:. I promised when leaving home that
would occasionally drop a line to
the readers of the Labor World of
some Of my observations abroad. .
a, Our good ship the Mauretania ar.
rived at Fishguard, on the southwest
coast of Wales, last Monday, just
three hours behind schedule time.
Up to the afternoon of Sunday we
had broken the worlds record for
speed between New. York and Eng
land, but late Sunday we ran into
q dense fog, and the big ship was
obliged to cut its speed down by one
half. This was such a disappoint-
ment to those aboard, for it was to
be regarded as quite a. privilege to
ride on a boat which was beating the;
worlds record. .,.
However, after passing through
three days of exceedingly rough
weather we were delighted to land
at all. For a person who has done!
most of his travelling; through life on
dry earth, a sea voyage possesses a
sort ofpsfeaE: I. which, lis d hard TO- get
II Will never 1forxat how gppd
the south coast Of Ireland looked to
me last Monday morning when; the
English fog: lifted for just a, few
moments. l thought: Of all my Hi
bert1ian friends at home, and I: shall
ever join with them in the future
when they. sing praises of old ireland.
1t surely looked good to me-.
Our ride from Fishguard to Lon
don,, q distance: of 259 miles, was
made in 245 minutes. When one
studies the construction of the little,
locomotives and the odd looking En-
glish cars, this rapid transit develops
into a marvel. There are few acci-
dents on English railroads. Their
roadbed is perfect. Their rail: con-
nections are ideal. That rafting and
Earring, so common on American
trains, are entirely eliminated, and
when you are speeding across the
country at a speed of more than "a;
mile a minute there Is as much COM
fort, and as little shaking as when
riding on an asphalt pavement in a.
snnooth-running motor car.
London is surely a great city, with
its thousands of cabbies; its omni-
bus street cars and its myriad of beg
gars.t. Our commission spent three
days there, and I was very glad to
get, away from the endless noise of
it's busy streets. We > were most
courteously received by every per-
son with whom we had an interview.
It made no difference where we
went. whether it was to British
government office, the House of
Commons, the office of an employers
association, or a trade! union, the
treatment accorded to us was the
same. Americans are surely in
mighty fine repute in England.
The. leaders of English trade un-
ions went out of their way consid~
erably to assist me. Mr.. Gillette says
the same for the representatives Of
employers associations. The British
labor movement is organized on2very
much different lines than the move
ment In America. However, its pur-
pose seems to be the same. The
workingmen of Britain seem to have
the same grievances, and the same
causes for action, but they are lln-
questionably far in advance of the
American trade unionists in their
methods. $sa -. .s-
T The labor movement of England
and Scotland divides its functions
|tinto two distinct organizations. There
is the British Trades Union congress,
which is formed for political action
Exclusively. Through its work forty
very able trade unionists are sitting
in, the House of Commons. and they
indeed are a most militant body Of
men. JaasEEaE4@t# H., =" + t55s ;se>. %;@ '. I
The other organization. of trade
unionists is the British Federation OF
Trade Unions, the object of which is
to care for the economic advancement
of the working people. It's leading
OFFICIAL is Mr., w. "A. Appleton, who
by the way. is its only paid official.
/ am indebted to Mr.. Appleton for
much Of the Information / am secur-
ing relative to the operation Of the
Workingmen's Compensation Act IN
England. He is q veritable encyclo-
(spedia Of dwledge, which Is only
exceeded by his bearing as 4 true
|laentl tleman in. When ] presented to him
Mr.. Gompers, letter of ssintrod uction,
[hs immsdiatelys ] closed M desl. ma