New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-22
with their present situations. there would be less
Printing Offices, but more paying ones


Having thus pointed out some Of the most pro-
minent evils which aflct COR trade, it may not be
deemed inexpedient TO point out some Of the chief
causes OF them, so that knowing the causes, we
may be the better able to apply an efficient re-
medy
That the supply Of snv article always regulates
the price Of that article is an axiom seldom dis
pu'ed snd that this axiom applies 10 labor as
much as to any thing OF marketable commodity,
few will be disposed to deny Thus. then, there
can be no dispute, that the present low rate OF
wages is the natural consequence Of the supera-
bundance Of labor in TIE market, and your Com.
rnittee are Of opinion that this superabundance OF
labor is chiefly caused by the present wholesale
system Of putting boys to the business, Tor we can
not call it spprenticing them an indentured aP
prentice being almost III no; quiiel unknown IN
| New York City.
! Letus briefly state how boys are usually brought
into the business, and how the thing works; An
| employer has taken work at very low rate, 10
prevent some else getting 1t alta iar rateJ ana
70 make il pay, he mus: take on two or three extra
| bovs. Vers well-some Of the boys about the place
| are asked " How they would like 70 work at case,
and hare all Atey canearH ?" California on a small
scale rises On their eDraptured vision, and another
hour sees them mounted type box, with stick"
in hand busily engaged in putting case in p.-
The frs. SIX hours il is fine fua for them-;hs next
six DAYS il is perfect nuisance TO them aud they
! are perfect nuisance 10 all around them-with;a
the first six months they become remarkably Gle
YER and after that it is doubtful whether the en-
ployer would profit lose by their running away.
The novelty of the thing is now over; it's all
labor, and they soon get discontinued with the pit
lance they receive, and hearing that others get
more than they do, they run away there being
nothing to prevent them, aud great facilities for
travel. They soon get work at one half or two
thirds Of their earnings, this sort Of lads
Of work from those selfish employers who care not
what m esns they use to accomplish their end) and
r. r a..
earnings, they are thrown out of employ to make
room for fresh victims Of the cupidity Of the
ployer.
This system is continually going on; boys going
from one Office and from part OF the country to
another are objects Of no solicitude to any The
| employer says, {" If they stay with me- good
shall get so much out Of them if they go away,
must get many more in place OF them" The
workmans only interest is against them it is not
| likely that he will take any pains 10 make them
GOOD workmen, lest they should cut his own throat
hereafter; so the literally unfortunate boy learns
little or nothing during the time he is supposed 10
bel an apprentice, and unless he happen TO have
intellect enough to learn the printing business in
hat factory be bids fair 70 be turned into the trade
as a bad r0rkman, and thus, in another mode, in
Hict fresh and more permanent injury on the
trade ss we shall see hereafter.
No practical Printer will dispute the fact that
there are great number Of young men "just out
of their time" who know nothing beyond mere
composition, and have, in fact 10 learn their trade
when they are journeymen. Your Committee have
information of boys having been put to work
when they first went to the business and never
worked on any other till they were out; they never
made up page, or imposed a form-hardly cor
rected their own matter. When these young
men became 10y the lapse Of time) journeymen,
what were they fit for Z Just what they are the
means Of cutting down the wages OF better work
men than themselves, by giving mean employers
the excuse, "Oh we can't afford to give more t.
such inferior workmen," and Oh we can't give
more 10 one than 70 another, It would cause such
constant grumbling and dissatisfaction in the Office"
Beside these evils, which may be considered as
indirect the great number of boys taken into the
trade acts directly in keeping men out, and in
bringing far more men into the business than is
necessary for the work there is TO do.
Let us give Illustration Of each Of these modes
Of direct injury. One illustration shall serve for
both.
There is large Office in this City which been
established many years. and has turned out an inn
| mense quantity of cheap and some very good
| works The employers have made large fortunes
by the assistance of the industry and intellect Of
| working men, They are religious men; they are
! accounted honorable men, and the friends of the
working classes and we sincerely believe theyere
So tcheTe their snterestS and the interests Of the
| U0rking classes do not clash. Nay more, We sin.
cerey believe that the principals of this establish
ment the friends of the working than
some OF their underlings; and that they willing
to do more for them than those who have Just left
the ranks we are willing to admit. But what s
the state OF this Office Our statistics show that
there are 90 boys to % men employed in their com.
posing department.
Now if we give 90 years as the average life
OF Printer after the expiration of his appren-
ticeship, and five years the average term
which these boys serve, we shall find that by the
time the 30 men are removed from "the struggle
OF life there are so to replace them, and although
the printing business has increased greatly OF late
years, yet we have right to expect that it will
ever increase in that ratio.
If we reckon that three of these lads do about
two mems work, then we must also remember that
these 90 boys keep IA men out OF work all the time
and thus do double injury to the journeyman
first, by keeping him out OF work at present and
second by lessening his chance Of work for the fu
ture.
Your Committee cannot help thinking that if this
matter were fairly laid before this and other SINH
lar establishments, the employers might be induced
to make considerable change in this matter, more
especially If we could show las we propose pres
emily to dol that boys not profitable to their
employers as many of them imagine.
Nor need employers fear that any restrictions
which they might make In their offices, would
have the effect OF causing scarcity of hands a
difficulty in procuring suticency of men to do tbs
work in any emergency which might arise. There !
are always enough boys brought into the trade by |
country Offices and the holes and corners to which
we before alluded, to amply supply the cities and
a trihe over.
Before quitting this most important part OF our
subject, we would say few words as to the profit
derived from boys labor. Your Committee do sin
cerey believe that if employers who are conscien-
tous men, could really know the time tina. is lost
by men, on time, in instructing them, where they
are instructed) in correcting their errors in pre-.
venting and repairing their mischief or neglect and
in making good their deficiencies the injury done
to, and frequently wanton waste Of materials the
room they occupy, and the very inconsiderabe
amount Of work done by them, when on time-they
would not irfct such positive and serious injury
on their workmen for such very triAng beneii, to
themselves.