Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-10-18

For the Telegraph.
TALK ABOUT PAY, AND PROSPECTS.
Mr.. EDITOR:
wish, through the medium of your paper, if
you will give me the privilege, to throw out
few ghts-disconnected they will be, be-
cause it is not my trade to talk or write-but
you will overlook any deficiencies in compost
ton, if you know how earnest l am in the ex-
preston of those thoughts. wish to complain
of the manner in which the Working Men, Me-
chancs and Laborers of this city are treated, as
respects what they receive for pay. We all
know that labor has not been in demand this sea-
son; ard that is, doubtless, the reason why we
have been compelled to take such pay we
have. That we have been compelled, as gen.
eral thing, to take what is called 'Store Pay" as
an equivalent for our toll, is notorious-nobody
asks man to work, unless he asks him to take
'Store Pay for pay. Now it is no use to waste
any words or ink in saying "Store Pay is not
as good pay as money-even if wanted the We
ry goods enough to pay money for them-be-
cause, for seventy-fve cents in money can go
to some stores and buy as much, if not more, as
my order for dollar will bring. Again, the
practice of taxing Store Pay induces extrava-
CANT habits in the Nottingham, as well as 9TH
er members Of his family--his pay comes in
store pay-and he thinks, and very correctly too,
that he had better take up his pay or his employ
er may fail, and he not get it all. Now, no me-
chanc who is thrifty, and provident and indus
trous, should spend in one year all his earnings.
He should lay up part every year; but if he gets
nothing but store pay, what inducements has he
10 lay anything aside-he cannot put piece of
calico, or a box of boots, or any other kind of
store pay out to interest. But, perhaps, some
one says, that he could lay up property notwith-
standing. "He can barter and dicker truck off
for plumber, anG his plumber off for lots, &c.
Well, what kind Of decker will you barter off for
often have been destitute of Flour, Pork, Beef
and Butter, when had 500 or $50 store pay
due me- The very things the workman needs
to sustain life, he cannot buy without the mo-
ney; thus, the men who are at the bottom of all
this mischief, would almost starve every work.
ing-man and laborer in the city, if, by SO doing,
he can make another profit out of the products
of toll. l don't wonder that the mechanic and
laboring man (who are the only men that are Of
any use in making city large and prosperous)
move out of this place. There has not been a
time for years here when man could buy a
lot unless he paid thrice what it is worth, MOI
can he now. The lot owners here are independ-
emily rich, and those who need lots are independ-
emily poor, and it will remain till the lot hold
ers die or fail, then the poor man can get hold
of lot at fair price, and the city of Kenosha
will begin to grow as her neighbors do.
There is one idea more, Mr.. Editor, that
wish to touch upon, and that is the practice Of
employers in paying money or unmatured notes
into stores, and obtaining from the storekeepers
more or immediate returns for them for the sake
of the privilege of shaving gang of hands.
don't know how it is with the rest of the mechan
les and laborers of this city, but for my part an
going to have Cash for my work, or I'll emigratt
to another part of the State whe:s can get i;
Yours truly,
A MECHANIC.