The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-12-29
EMIGRATION MUST
BE RESTRICTED
Says Former Mayor Ole Hansen
of Seattle After Visit TO
Europe
tManufacturers Isecord) .

per syndicate, Ole Hanson, the form
er mayor or Seattle, has written on
industrial conditions as investigated
by him during his recent visit TO
Great Britain. He states that the
government and trades unions of
Great Britain are both trying to bring
about better conditions, but he be-
lieves these efforts must fail because
that country. with worn-out resources
cannot compete with younger, richer
nations, and the only hope OF the
workers lies I'm emigration.
He states that no comment Is nee
essary on the wage scale Of English
workers as outlined in the following.
and that he cannot find adjectives to
describe the housing conditions in the
country:
Ordinary. agricultural labor, he
says, at the time OF his visit in Octob
er was receiving from S8.05 to 1910
per week. In the textile trades,
which are carried on principally by
women and children, the average la =
Dor at the mills received about 81
cents an hour. while the highest paid
spinners, made about sl7.5O. a week
and weavers about sl4 per week.
English teamsters received about So
day; carpenters about Al cents an
hour; building labor about SO cents
per hour; and the best travelling sales
men that he met averaged about SIT
mopth--not week, but ST. for a
months work.!
He points out that living conditions
are not so per cent OF ours and that
wages In the main are less than so
per cent Of what Is received in this
country for practically the same
character of work.
After visiting Manchester, the
great textile center, he said he left it
with feeling that 1t would be a great
thing for our employers Of labor as
we'll as for workers to visit England
and see for themselves what the es-
tablishment OF government within
a government means to the people.
He asserts there is no question about
1t that labor stands on one side and
the government and the middle class
on the other. Every peace Is but an
armed truce, and both sides are try
ing to do the impossible and make a
country rich which Is normally poor
IN resources, and establish living con-
ditions for twice as many millions as
ought to live there. Because there Ia
not enough work to go around. the
workers look upon labor-saving ma.
chinery as an enemy to labor. "a
A worker among the poor Of Liv-
erpool for many years told him that
few people realize the poverty of the
people. He said that most OF the
homes In my district are unfit for hu-
man habitation, and there are so
many people out OF work. and out of
work means starvation and freezing.
1 find men sleeping In underground
privies covered with their only coat.
have been here "a years, 3ut this win
ter will be our worst" t
One wonders why these conditions
can prevail among 50.000,000 free
dom-loving people. especially In Eng.
land. which is ono. OF the most thor.
oughIy (unionizedy working countries
In the world, ard Mr.. Hanson proceeds
TO answer his question by stating
that:
1t is not because OF bad laws or
becansd OF wrong divisions OF the
product Of the joint endeavored of cap
ital. labor and management. 1t is not
because OF bad unions or bad govern
ment or bad employers. 1t is. because
Britain Ii poor in natural resources,
because goods have TO be hauled in
and hauled OUT 1t Is because the
only way trade can be carried on at
all is to meet foreign competition.
ard IL the foreign competitor Is rich
i'm natural resources, has great mar
ket right near raw materials. the
workers then will receive more than
where great extra expense Is added in
hauling. etc.
England, Scotland and Wales have
had an easier time in the past because
the great new countries could not
make enough to supply their own
needs; today we have passed that
point in the economic life OF CUR ma
ton where production Is greater than
home consumption. therefore we are
fast becoming very treat exporter.
Other countries are In the same po-
sition, and are competing with Old
established, worn-out countries.
"As time goes on. our country and
other countries will produce still
greater percentages of excess over
their needs and these goods will lie
sold where Britain now sells her
goods.
The only escape from bad condi-
tions for the people OF the British
isles Is emigration. The only hope
OF maintaining industry on it's pres
net giant scale here is for the work
crs to sink back to the pre-war level
and even this can last but a short
tirne.'
"England's great skill in shipping
commerce. finance and manufacturing
cannot long offset economic advan-
tagcs possesses by newer and richer
countries. No man made law or plan
can put coal and steel and oil and
cotton into Britain so the soil OF
other parts of Europe where nature
dit not perform the task. Therefore,
what will the people Of Europe do?
..stll