AMERICAN NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2659, 27 July 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

AMERICAN NOTES.

economic; events'. Two or three economic events of interest have occurred quite recently. Among them was the total failure of the Copper Convention iu Paris to come to an agreement

for restricting the production of that article and raising the price. The cablegram states that the owner of the Anaconda Mine told his French confreres, iu

trying to bring them to ail agreement, that it cost them 3 cents a pound to produce the copper bars which under the late syndicate were sold for five times the amount. If this be true, then the antimonopolists have been under-valuing the profits which they were supposed to greatly exaggerate. While this big cippor trust failed, another one at Chicago succeeded. The three great steel mills of Chicago, which manufacture two thirds of the steel mils made in this country, and have a capacity for supplying more than the country needs, were merged into one company, with a capital of five, million pounds. While this was

going on the first systematic effort to disarm labour organisations of one of their most dangerous weapons—the boycott—was begun in llochester (Now York). The Post Express of that city has brought suit against the ollicers of the Central Labour Union for £2000 damages on account of a boycott which they had declared against it. In this boycott no physical force was employed, and no attempt made to deprive the nonUnion workmen of employment, as in other places. They merely threatened to withdraw their patronage from all the customers of the paper. If this case is decided in the Courts against the Union the great lever will be of no further use to the American employees.

UK ANDREW CAUNECJJE'S WORKWOMEN. Charles E. Wheeler, of Toledo, secretary of the Ohio Reform League has been vi; dting Mr C arnegie's factories and inspecting the condition of his employees. He visited Mr Carnegie's factories in Pittsburg and his coke furnaces near Scotdale (Pa.), where he saw a lot of Hungarian women at work. This, is the picture ho gives of them :— " They were clothed with a short kilt and a pair of boots, and, so far as the eye could judfre that was all. From waist up they were

as naked as the cold truth. In all the habits of daily life, with men they wero as men." These Hungarian women wero

imported by Mr Carnegie under contract to work for liira in these coke furnaces at a given rate of wages to crowd out Amnrioan woikmcn. It will be remembered that Mr Carnegio is one of the most blatant advocates in this country of Protection, on the ground that the system will enable manufacturers to pay higher wages to the toiling workingmen. The protected manufacturers of this country, Mr Carnegie included, employ, as a rule, the oheapc.-t labour that they can obtain to do their work. If this wore not the case, there would have been no law passed prohibiting the importation of labour under contract. Mr Carnegie is not obliged to employ women to attend his coke ovens. He is rich enough t,o pay men for such work, but he wanted cheap labour, and the Hungarian women supplied it. Yet ho would have the people of this and other nations believe and think that he is a famous champion of labour and of "Triumphant Democracy." A small portion of the millions which hollar gathered out of the people's taxes lie has expended in free libraries and coaching tours through Groat Britain and Europe, when he might have paid it in decent living

wages to his workmen, and have enabled them to provide homes for their women,

instead of compelling them to work like slaves at the coke ovens. The moral is plain : Mr Carnegie lives for Mr Carnegie first.

Tim fjiiuAT srro.Aß trust. It is announced that the immenso sugar refinery just, built in Philadelphia, at a cost of £000,000 by Claus Spreckles, tho Sugar King of tho Pacific const, is to go into operation about the Ist June. This news is of interest to the whole country, since it indicates tho beginning of a fight against the powerful and grasping Sugar Trust of New York. For some unexplained reason Mr Spreckles absolutely refused to join tho combination of sugar refiners, but, on tho contrary, lias begun a light against them on a scale that promises sucee.si. This Sugar Trust has been established but a short time, still it is beyond dispute making enormous profits, as it. virtually controls the entire sugar business of the country. The "combine" made a clear profit of £-f,000,000 in ISSS, or -10 per cent, on a capital of £10,000,000. This enormous gam is drawn from every householder 111 tho land. Mr Spreckles has proved by his refinery in California that beet-root sugar linn be made in this country at a handsome profit, and a company is now being organised, with a capital of £1.000,000, to build ten beet-root sugar refineries in California, and put them in immediate working. To the Philadelphia refinery and tho California boetroot sugar interest, both developed by Mr Spreckles, tho whole country is looking for relief. No small operation is able to cope with tho mighty Sugar Trust.

TEMPERANCE 3IATTKKS. The defeat of the prohibition amendment in Maspachusetts was caused bv the largo number who refused to vote. Thousands of men who depl.-ro the evils of the liquor traffic, and most sincerely desire its abolition, will not vote for prohibition until they are sure it is the popular side. Others refuse to vote for it, because they doubt whether tho temperance sentiment is sufficiently developed to enforce the measure after it is passed. Others again refrain from volinir for it. because they fear that.it will damago the nrospect.s of the political party to which they belong. The want of a deep conviction and a fixpd purpose to carry it nut often appear in such an election, The fact, that Massachusets gave a majority of 44,000 aaainst the amendment does not signify that a majority of the voters in that State believe in tliu saloon and want it to remain. Onlv tivo-tliirds of the voters at tho Presidential election voted 011 this occasion ; but who were tho delinquents? Were they tho liquor dealers and friends of tho saloon ? Not so in a single instance. The foes of " home " never halt between two opinions. The crashing defeat of tho Amendment iu Massachusetts has created a feeling' amounting almost to a certainty of a like result in Pennsylvania. But the issue in Pennsylvania is very different. In Massachusetts the question was not whether the saloon outrht everywhere to be licensed or outlawed, but whether it should bo licensed where its suppression by outlawry was impossible because of the weakness of public sentiment. In Pennsylvania 110 such local option privileges are granted to the people. Some of tho leading politicians of all parries are working openly for the amendment. Even Senator Quay, the head and front of the Republican machine, has declared his purpose to vote for the amendment. Tho canvas has given birth to a new temperance organisation composed of men from all parts and all religious denominations, who havo united for tho suppression of the saloon as a common enemy. It is known as tho Union Prohibitory League of Pennsylvania. Among its declarations are tho following :— 1. We owe primary allegiance to Ood and humanity, to our country and common-wealth, and will hold all party affiliations subordinate to theso higher claims. '2. Retaining our personal liberty to choose our political associations as to us shall doom best, we proclaim that we are, and will bo for ever free from the dominion of the rum power, and demand that all political connection between the saloon and the State, through whatever party, shall be for over locally dissolved. It is difficult to discover in this declaration anything harsh or unreasonable. Tho movement means organisation, union, and active co-opera-tion of all the elements of temperance effort, who desire the overthrow of the saloon. We shall see shortly who really desire uuion anil victory,—Dnncdia Star,