New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-09-11

tons. The condition OF that man who = compelled
to run from Office TO Office obtaining weeks WORK
here and few days employment there is sot one 70
be coveted. On the other hand those who hay,
steady situations live comfortably, and in not few
instances in a certain style Of geniility. These lat
Ter are almost invariably Americans
/ No, more than one in twenty among the Journey
men ever become propriciors Of establishments and
these are usually the result OF two or more, who
have accumulated few hundred dollars. clubbing
together in the purchase of a small Office, where
they work harder than before. But even among
these, though their circumstances may be IN the
course OF Year, materially improved very few ulti
fna.ely secure wealth
Some Newspaper Establishments retain their
hands by the week Of which we promised TO speak
and while many employ only by the piece there j;
an established rate Of weekly WAGES acknowledged
by nearly ALL VIZ ten dollars on Evening and four
teen dollars on Morning papers. few OF these
Offices however, hire their hands at a considerably
lower stipend and this is effected by the cuPdiy Of
the employer and the desire of strangers 10 secure
permanent employment Most OF the hands work
ing ia those offices foreigner. and frothtrders
from the country and the wages given are i've
seven and nine dollars
MANY OF the city journeymen are OF locomotive
temperature and in the habit Of scattering tar and
wide at particular seasons to meet leDcealiyi the
state legislatures of the South and West. They re-
turn late in the Spring from the various fields OF
their Winter campaign, and generally with well
filed purses, which they expend at their leisure
al in Amin,
like birds Of passage. TO procure fresh supply
Those not familiar with the Printing business
would very naturally suppose that the iourneymen
employed in the great mammoth establishments we're
particularly fortunate above their brethren-occupy
ing the Printers only FL Dorado the true Canaan
the Promised Land But the men who control and
enjoy the princely revenues of some at least OF these
vast concerns have never yet been taxed with any
unwise pecunary concessions 10 their workmen
which might beiray profusion or weakness Of feel
ing And while the earnings OF men employed IN
other Book Offices doing less Than fourth OF the
business average eight dollars per week. the ave
rage earnings Of their compositors DO not exceed
one dollar per diem We feel bound to state here
that the immense establishment of the Methodist
Book Concern uniformly pays full prices.
As general rule the largest wages are made on
the Daily Papers but the toll is also in proportion,
and on Morning papers peculiarly laborious-the
men working nightly to one and two o'clock in the
morning This severely taxes the constitution, as
the pad features Of a majority Of the workmcn bear
witness
The earnings Of Journeymen Printers, as ha. been
shown. are very unequal--and while some, perhaps
a fourth of those above twenty years are IN the
reception of five. six aud seven hundred dollars per
annnm the remainder or three .ourihs. live upon
three hundred three hundred and fifty. four hun
bred and .our hundred ana fifty dollars.
Mn EDIroR: You solicit facts in regard to Journey
men Printers Allow me TO call your attention Ia the
flt that in Of the largest stereotype Offices IN the
city the employers are in the habit Of Withholding part
OF the wages Of journeymon--in some instances one
thr,-as fund upon which do business. OF course.
iourncymcn work for them or not ne they choose. u
il perfectly undcrsiood thai must demur or h-
situation is osi Independently OF the direct nconvcn
fence to the employed this system begcts species OF
fyorisrn most unjust and outrageous. Thus II man
has a balance due hun Oi a hundred dollars he viii re-
ceye the fat work: While man whose circumstances
may obiec him to be- urgent for his money will be
kicked out OF put OFT with the icaHos work
A CoMrosIroR.