New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-08-22
LABOR IN NEw-YoRK:
ITS crscrnsrASeEs, CONDITIONS AND REWARDS


in the City. The number Of those employed in the
respectable establishments i about 700 and they
earn on the average from a. 10 - per week Per
haps one half oft them are engaged by the week and
the others BY the piece The regular Price per week
j. ss-though some get = 30 or -. They work
ten hour. dsv. The piece workers have greater
range Of prices though the average except for
extra workers IS about the same some Journey
men have great skill and industry. and average a.
high az SIS per week We could mention man
who makes. whenever he chooses. 500 per week
majority Of the Journeymen Bookbinders arr
Americans, and the proportion OF foreigners -
probably smaller than in any other trade Ihoseed-
ucaied in this country work Unfortunately at For
warding and Finishing bat the English worSmen
understand only single branch-Forwarding Mar
bling, Gliding, Stamping or Finishing. Spending
the whole Of their apprenticeship thus on single
branch, they usually becon very neat workers but
not swift They don't see r to get into the way OF
driving business ike the Americans. There are
few Germans engaged in tie business-and. 80 tar
as We can ascertain. but one lrishman.
The prices paid for piece work OF course vary
with the different size style &c &c OF the book to
be bound-so that full list Of prices would occupy
too much room. The prices for the most usual kinds
Of work are follows:
For IS. and - in skiver ont OF boards, = 30 or
- for Forwarding and the same for Finishing.
Sheep. svos cut in boards. such as Law Books
&c s. per hundred TOR Forwarding. and from g
to 81 for Finishing
Calf sewed on vellum 20 cents per volume. Gilt
edge, "a cents Morocco. a. Extra work, how
ever, is generally done by the week, and is paid
from slO to sl5
Although we say that American bred Journey
men work Unfortunately at Forwarding and
Finishing yet these two branches are carried on
separately and by two sets Of hands. The number
Of Foryarders il about twice that Of the Flnlshers
Many establishments send their work out to be let
tered and gilded The ornamental borders on the
co, ers of books whether leather muslin, are done
by machinery. This process is called Stamping
The Journeymen Bookbinders generally have
constant and fall employment those we mean who
hold regular situations from September to January
and from March TO July The two seasons in all
business connected with Book Making In the in
teryals work sslack
The Bookbinders have Society incorporaiedby
tne Legislature IN l-59s undcr inc ttc Oh inc We"
York Benevolent Association of Bookblnders.' Il
is simply benevolent institution, and has nothing
to do with regulating prices hours. &c. &c. The
Bookbinders' Union, however, has been recently
instituted for these purposes. and many OF the
Journeymen have already become members.
As in the case of the folders and sewers there are
several establishments in the City where business Is
conducted upon any thing but honorable princi
pies The propreiors 20 round to the publishers
and solicit work at half price employ rats at 50 and
- per week, and turn out of course, miserable
work Some of them DO not pay their workmen at
all. and when they become clamorous for their mon
ey discharge them and hire a new set There are
employers who have pracised this system for years
not only with the men but with the women employ
ed by them. The latter have been indeed Infamous
~ imposed upon in this way. and we have been told
of cases where even respectable aged females when
mportuning for their little earnings have been re
pulsed and driven away with violence.
The Folders and Sewers, too. employed in these
establishments are wronged in the most unprinci
Piled manner They are in the first place engaged
a. apprentices and told that they must work ak
~rcA, for no,hing-afier which they VIII be jour
work patiently six weeks and are then-dischareed
to make room for a new batch of apprentices, who
ARE taken in and done for on the same terms Prob
ably one good workers. permanently retained to in
struci the recruits
The girls employed in the respectable establish
ments are for the most part much more comfortable
and contenfed Those among them who indus
trious generally get along very well. and deserve
the greatest credit for maintaining themselves by
their work and supporting good name and repu-
atioa Instances are not infrequent where they
find time in the intervals Of labor. to enrich their
minds by the acquisition of solid and useful know
ledge, aud to fit themselves for becoming happy
wives and mothers We recall an instance OF
an old and wealthy gentleman long one of the most
influential citizens OF the Capital OF our State, who
years ago married Folder and Sewer in his OWL
establishment and found that she graced the station
in which she was placed la painting true pic
ture there must Of course be- strong lights well as
heavy shadows Our object is TO dsiort nothing TO
conceal noihng-bui to present every thing it is
Inregard to the statement in Wednesdays EzPress
can only say that the published ndispu
table and can be- proven II the authors of that
rnent pay sy girls s. and 50 per week glad Of
H. and would have published Their card 10 this effect with
pleasure. As il is cheeriuly record their declara
lions and express the hope that other Cap Making IS
iabiishments will follow their example.
y For a notice Of THoNs roEus with extracts,
first page.
" A PRAcrfcAL PLAS OF Book KEEPING,
by double Entry adapted to large or small business
with without cash or other auxiliary books 10 Daily
journal Ledger by PAUL MOODY, as been published
by B. Lippincoii & Co Philadelphia, and may be OBJ
tanned OF VIM H. Graham. Tribune Building II : de
signed simplify and very materially abridse the labor
and time usually required in Book keeping. and A. the
same time to remove the liability to mistakes Our bust
..ft..r