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Show FOREIGN SHIP WORKERS EXCEL AMERICANS New York Shipbuilder Makes Some Startling; Assertions Before Be-fore the House Committee on Education and Labor, in Connection With the Eight-Hour Law. WASHINGTON, Feb. 25. "Do you mean that the Scotch, tho Irish or tho English laborers in the shipyards at Glasgow Glas-gow can do 60 per cent more work with tho same tools and In the samo time than can be done by American shipyard workers?" work-ers?" domanded Jamos O'Connell, president presi-dent of the International Association of Machinists, of Wallace Downey, a New York shipbuilder and a representative of tho New York Metal Trades association, during the progress of a hearing today on the olght-hour bill beforo the House Committee Com-mittee on Education and Labor. "I do mean to say that most emphatically," emphati-cally," answored Mr. Downey; "and" I am not making tho statement from hearsay. hear-say. It has cost me $500,000 in the last five years, in addition to gray hairs, to find it out. "I spent $90,000 in purchasing tho best tools, in acquiring linowledgo of methods In Glasgow, and tried for three years to Induce American workmen to believe that by doing piece work they could accomplish accom-plish more. They would not see It, and the shipbuilding Interests have sufered. In turn, the laborers have suffered, for the weekly payrolls have decreased." Mr. O'Connell declared that he had no belief In the statement of Mr. Downey, and expressed tho opinion that American workers in tho shipyards were far superior su-perior to thoso of other countries. O'CONNELL CHALLENGED. Mr. Downey responded with a challengo that Mr. O'Connell mako an Investigation or consult other buildors whoso words would bo accepted by tho world. He said that he hoped when the systems employed em-ployed In English yards aro brought to bear In this country wo would bo able to pass th foreign yards In the amount and quality of work produced, but declared de-clared that such legislation as Is proposed In the eight-hour bill Is cutting tho throats of tho working people. "An arbitrary olght-hour day which would prohibit overtime ot any kind would place a handicap on the American shipbuilder that would lose for him all opportunity of participating In foreign trade," said Mr. Downey. Ho predicted that under such restrictions tho shipbuilding ship-building of this country, except Government Govern-ment work, would bo a dlsgraco to tho namo of shipbuilding. 1 RoproBcntntlvo Hearst Inquired If it were not possible to acquire the means of manufacture which wero used hi tha English yards and thus competo with them In building. He cited as an cxam-plo cxam-plo of tho reduction of cost in, manufac- ture that newspapers, In the last ten years, have dropped In price from 5 and 3 cents a copy to 1 cent a copy, and at tho same time the hours of workmen had decreased and wages lrcreased. "If that can bo done In the newspaper business, why not in your business? If wo have put our brains to work, why don't you?" ho asked. PROFITS DWINDLING. ' Disclaiming any knowledge of the ramifications rami-fications of publishing newspapers, Mr. Downey proceeded to give his Ideas on the subject. He spoke of the great presses and the Intricato plants Installed at enormous enor-mous cost, which, ho said, probably wero responsible for tho decreased cost of production. pro-duction. "And now, I want to say," he added, "that I tako off my hat to tho man who Invented the machine, tho man who had tho means and the courage to go to the expense necessary to Install It to the machine Itself, rather than to the man who merely stands beside it and feeds In the white paper. "You asked mo why we had not uccd tho same brains in tho shipbuilding trust. Don't say trust, for thero Is none now. and, anyway. I was not In It. But I do believe that to bo possible, although we cannot do It while staggering under stilling legislation. Our profits In the foreign trado arc balancing on tho lino of 1, 2 or 3 per cent, ready every mlnuto to bo toppled over by tho movement of tho hand. "Tho manufacturing Industry of this country has developed far In excess of our consumption, and therefore we need tho foreign trado In order to exist. Tho laborer needs It as much as tho manufacturer. manufac-turer. I am not a calamity hOwler, but I bellevo the present period of unprecedented unprece-dented prosperity Is nearly at an end, nnd that the country will settle down to something llko a reasonable basis. It Is then that the worklngmen will have to put their heads with ours and be willing to do a part of the calculating In keeping our thousands of mills and factories In operation." Former Secretary of tho Navy Herbert inquired if the decreased selling price of the newspaper had not been brought about by tho hotter transportation facilities facili-ties which aided In obtaining largo circulations circu-lations and the education of the merchants mer-chants of the country to tho value of advertising, ad-vertising, and thus greatly enlarging tho revenues of newspapers. Mr. Downey said he would prefer to have Mr Hearst answer the question, but ho would venturo that tho actual labor performed by the day had little to do with the reduction In the cost of produotlon In comparison with the other mediums which had been mentioned, Other employers protested against tho proposed legislation. Another hearing will bo held on Thursday next. |