do not think, as far as the shipbuilding trade is concerned, except in a few instances, the American shipyards are better equipped than those of this country. To speak generally of what I saw on the tour, machinery is in more general use than with us; but, on the other hand, the hours of labor are longer in the week, while the character of the work, its finish, its stability, its permanence, and its durability, is no better than is done in this country. The wages per hour are higher, even having regard to the longer hours worked, and as to the cost of living, generally speaking, I do not think there is much advantage on the side of the United States; and in the shipbuilding industry at least I am satisfied that we can hold our own for years to come."

Commissioner Holmshaw, in his report upon the cutlery business of the country, steps aside for more generally interesting observations. He finds improvement over the cutlery conditions of Sheffield, and then of the American people he adds:

"There is no mistaking native Americans, and as one observes their independent bearing, their shrewd 'cuteness and general air of alertness, one begins to feel prepared for interesting developments in every phase of their national life. Perhaps their most striking characteristic is their intense devotion to everything American-a not unnatural devotion, though perhaps at times emphasized in aggressive character. The finest in the world is a phrase frequently on their lips, but one soon feels so strongly the wonderful fascination of a country which has such superb natural advantages that one can hear the harmless boasting with equanimity. Another characteristic one cannot help noticing is the prevalent desire for making money. Even the children are inspired by it, and perhaps one result of this national ambition strikes us at first as novel, but on second thoughts it is natural enough. This is the absence of any false pride, which, speaking broadly, results in the unconscious recognition of the dignity of labor. Whatever a man can honestly earn money by, no matter what his social position, he counts it no disgrace to do.

"Americans have seen clearly enough that the greatest force to enable them to win their way in the world's markets is education, and they have made wonderful strides of late

years to improve this. So far as I could judge, there is little difference in the elementary school life of America and England, save that the former has no religious difficulty to contend with. There is, in fact, no religious education in America, as we understand the term, yet secular education there produces results that outwardly, at any rate, bear comparison with our own. There is a remarkable absence of bad language in the streets; this was particularly noticeable in the Saturday night crowds.

"It struck me that there was an apparent desire on the part of many parents to allow their children to continue at school after the ordinary leaving age, and all who are acquainted with working class homes will know and appreciate the self sacrifice of parents who allow their children to enter on a four years' course in a commercial school after leaving the ordinary elementary school. In one such school at Philadelphia, out of 177 boys, 55 were the sons of workingmen. Technical schools constitute one of the great features of American higher education. Mechanic arts are a form of technical school. These are splendidly equipped, the tools and appliances being of the best and all free. Equal opportunities here are indeed possible. In one fine school at Boston the principal pointed out to me in haphazard fashion a lad who was the son of the richest railway director in the state; on one side of him was the son of a large builder, and on the other a lad who sold newspapers in the street at night."

Commissioner Jones for the Midland Counties' trades federation, makes pleased comment upon most things seen in the shops and works of the United States, and incidentally treats his readers to a pretty little account of a strike upon which he blundered one day.

November 1, I went to Messrs. Plumbs', at Newtown, and was met by men on strike and taken to their room. The men explained that an order came for 200 pairs of tongs, special. These had been made day work, but the employers wanted them made piecework, offering a price based upon what had been made day work. A man made some for half a day and complained he could not get a living at the price. He had another try for half a day with the same result, would

not make any more at the price, and was discharged. Messrs. Plumb sent for another man and asked him to make them day work. He happened to be an officer of the society. He declined to make them, got discharged, when the other men left; more than 150 of them out. I told the men who I was, and showed them my card, saying I would see them again. They showed me the work. They said they had good funds; had been out five weeks; result, only small part of work on. Mr. Plumb, jr., asked me to stay to lunch. I thanked him, but went to a saloon. It was 12 o'clock dinner time, when Mr. Plumb, jr., came in and invited me into the back room where lunch was; had some with him. When we came out the men who had brought me stood outside. He said these were some of the men on strike; he showed me a handbill they had printed, asking men to keep away from the works, and admitted they had been partly successful; men could not get lodgings, so he had taken houses for them, but they would not stay.

Commissioner Ashton, for the cotton spinners, saw few advantages possessed by either the operating plants or the operators in American mills. However, he admitted one pleasing feature about the system of working the American cotton mills, and that is the superintendents believe in using a good class of cotton, and by this means they are enabled to run their machinery at quick speeds and get out excellent results. They also act on the principle of having their material well carded and cleaned, and they provide the requisite machines for securing such a result, and by adopting this policy they produce good yarns and avoid making a deal of waste. One of the leading mill superintendents in New Bedford informed me that they made a practice of using three grades better cotton than was used in Lancashire for the spinning of the same counts of yarn, and this statement was confirmed by an experienced cotton buyer and seller, with whom I had a long conversation about the American cotton industry generally.

Concluding his report, he says: "On questions relating to the American trade and commerce, I was surprised at the manner in which the press was used to boom information

Vol. 8-2

which was of a favorable character to American manufacturers and their work people. The journalists make a practice of writing in an optimistic spirit about everything which is American, and thereby give encouragement to employers and work people in their efforts to take the lead in the industrial race for supremacy. As a rule the opposite course is taken by commercial and other writers in this country, and this tends to damp the ardor of all concerned in labor and commerce. I consider it would be better for employers and work people in England if the policy of the American press was adopted in this country in the way before referred to."

Commissioner Wilkinson, representing the weavers, found no great advantages possessed by the American. He found even shocking conditions in the south, where children 6 years old were at work in the factories. In no mill anywhere in this country did he find negroes working inside mills, the reason being that as a race they objected to the inside work.

"The keen appreciation which Americans have for up to date machinery and the readiness with which they adopt labor saving machinery of any kind is remarkable. But whatever part machinery has played in the American cotton trade, there is no doubt whatever that the great increase of recent years, especially in fancy cloths, must be attributed to the American protective tariff."

Writing of the condition of the tailor in America, the report of Commissioner Flynn has in point:

"So far as American employers are concerned, and so far as we could see, the best kind of relationship exists between them and the people they employ. Whether in day wage firms or firms using exclusively the piecework system, every inducement was held out to the employees to combine their interests with those employing them. On both sides there was an unmistakable heartiness and good fellowship which can only arise when the output, wages, and general working conditions are satisfactory."

American employers believe that machines rather than men or women ought to be driven, and the clever workman who by invention or suggestion enables his employer to carry out this ideal is encouraged in a manner delightfully real and

sincere. Let us illustrate. One firm gives a dollar for every suggestion made by an employee and accepted by the firm. This firm, it may be added, provides a gymnasium for its employees, men and women, and for the latter it also provides a music room and general lounge. Another, abolishing the money prize, gives a week's or a fortnight's holiday at the firm's expense. Another system of encouragement is that of firms which allow a workman who has an idea that will improve the system or method of production a week or a month to work the idea out, pay him his usual wages, and, if need be, tell off a man or gang of men to work under him. Another feature of factory and workshop life in America is the regardless of expense manner in which air, light, all sanitary, bath, and lavatory arrangements are carried out. Better than our best London hotels provide, was the remark of delegates competent to judge. While all were not up to this high standard, it is undoubtedly true that a toil begrimed workingman making his way homewards is a rara avis in America.

Commissioner Hornridge of the British National union of boot and shoe operatives, wrote:

"At Lynn, with one firm I visited, two things struck me as being out of the ordinary: (1) The apparent happiness and contentedness of the people, the familiarity existing between them and their employer, and (2) the fact that quite 40 per cent of them were people ranging from 30 to 63 and 64 years of age. One female, who had worked for the firm twenty nine years, was apparently as happy as could be, and when I congratulated the employer upon the fact that his elderly workers had not been cast into the streets he asked, 'Why should they?' and went on to say that he himself was getting gray and aged, and would not care to be pole axed or starved, and that as long as his workpeople did their work he would rather have around him elderly people on whom he could rely than young ones on whom such reliance could not be placed.

"I took the liberty of asking the lady above referred to what her age might be, as I saw that she was nearly keeping pace in her work of machining uppers with a woman of 28 or